School districts around the country have launched new reform strategies that are designed to expand autonomy for public schools, often called "Innovation Schools." Pursuant to these state- and local-level plans to create more autonomous schools, school leaders are granted greater amounts of authority over school operations such as curriculum, budgeting, and hiring, while districts continue to manage services related to teacher payroll and benefits....

Research suggests that public schools serving advantaged students are more likely than other public schools to benefit from private fundraising. The reviewed report fails to conclusively demonstrate two key claims: that schools serving wealthy student bodies are more likely to have private fundraising groups, and that larger shares of white students are associated with increased private spending. Nonetheless, the report's approach of calculating per-pupil...

Chicago's leading medical heroes return to help save lives in Season 8 of the pulse-pounding and emotional medical drama from Emmy Awardʼ-winning executive producer Dick Wolf. This season, Dr. Will Halstead deals with a medical supply chain shortage; Dr. Daniel Charles remains at the forefront of psychiatric care; Sharon Goodwin safeguards quality care in the face of fiscal scrutiny; Dr. Ethan Choi reexamines himself after being shot by a former...

"John Alves, son of a famous Presbyterian martyr on the Portuguese island of Madeira, spends his childhood in jail and in poverty. When he meets Mary Freitas--though the adopted daughter of a master botanist, her true lineage is the subject of dangerous rumor--a spark kindles a lasting bond. But soon their families must confront the rising blood tide of warfare between Catholics and Protestants. Fleeing with only what they can carry, John and Mary...

Kwame Alexander shares snapshots of a man learning how to love. He takes us through stories of his parents: from being awkward newlyweds in the sticky Chicago summer of 1967, to the sometimes-confusing ways they showed their love to each other, and for him. Alexander attempts to deal with the unraveling of his marriage and the grief of his mother's recent passing while sharing the solace he found in learning how to perfect her famous fried chicken...

"The enthralling story of the Great Chicago Fire and the power struggle over the city's reconstruction in the wake of the tragedy In October of 1871, Chicagoans knew they were due for the "big one"-a massive, uncontrollable fire that would decimate the city. There hadn't been a meaningful rain since July, and several big blazes had nearly outstripped the fire department's scant resources. On October 8, when Kate Leary's barn caught fire, so began...

"The Tuskegee Airmen heroically fought for the right to be officers of the US military so that they might participate in World War II by flying overseas to help defeat fascism. However, after winning that battle, they faced their next great challenge at Freeman Field, Iowa, where racist white officers barred them from entering the prestigious Officers' Club that their rank promised them. The Freeman Field Mutiny, as it became known, would eventually...