Browse our Feb 1990 — Jun 1995 archives. (Available in PDF format only.)

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• Beyond 95th Street

• Empty schools, empty promises

  When Chicago closed her kids’ school, she decided to fight back

  

  By Kalyn Belsha and Bill Healy | February 24, 2018

  As Chicago Public Schools prepares to shut down more schools, it faces continued resistance from people like Irene Robinson, whose community was fractured by 2013’s mass closures. Read more >>

• The digital divide

  

  District leaders want schools to integrate more personalized learning technology in the classroom. But many schools lack up-to-date computers, fast internet access and quality teacher training, compounding the tech disparities students face at home.

  Download a PDF of the Spring/Summer 2016 issue.

• Settling for misconduct

  Police misconduct payouts continue to break the bank

  

  By Jonah Newman | June 8, 2017

  Despite spending more than $370 million on police misconduct lawsuits in six years, the city has not heeded official calls to analyze the cases for trends. Read more >>

• The rise of Noble

  

  Begun as a mom-and-pop shop in 1999, the Noble Network of Charter Schools has grown into the largest and arguably most successful charter school network in the city. Its expansion has come with growing pains and increased scrutiny of some of its key policies, including discipline and testing.

  Download a PDF of the Winter 2016 issue.

• 25th Anniversary Issue

  

  Catalyst founder Linda Lenz began covering Chicago schools in 1978 as a reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times. She left in 1989 to create this issues-oriented publication. Here she puts key developments in perspective and talks about what’s changed in the past 25 years.

  Download the Fall 2015 issue in PDF.

• Who’s doing business in the neighborhood

  

  Black communities are often stereotyped as consumer wastelands, but immigrants and first-time entrepreneurs have tapped unmet needs in the neighborhoods.

• Sports and Fundraising

  

  Sports are integral to the typical high school experience, but many schools have to scrape together money to field teams. It’s all part of the race to raise private dollars to provide a well-rounded education.

  Download the Spring 2015 issue in PDF.