We asked Tony Smith, who became the 28th Illinois State Superintendent of Education on May 1, to talk about the findings of Generations at Risk and how Illinois can improve the academic performance of low-income children. Smith comes to Illinois fro...

When Amanda Kienast split with her boyfriend on the West Coast, she came back to Lake County, found a home she could afford and enrolled her children in school. Everyone seemed to be adjusting. Then, two of her kids started having problems. Her son,...

Kids from poor families have potential, just as all kids have. Many simply don't have the same built-in expectations for school and career or the added backing of parental reinforcement that many of us had as children of the suburbs. Such is the les...

Swedish Days in Geneva. Strawberry Fest in Long Grove. A cardboard boat regatta in Glen Ellyn. These and other suburban fests offer food, fun and a lot more this weekend. This weekend Geneva Swedish Days: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, ...

Third of four parts When Principal Lavonne Smiley came to Tefft Middle School 15 years ago the Streamwood school was in chaos. Gangs gathered on opposite sides of the gymnasium during dances. Teachers would jump in to break up fights. Students were ...

The story of Sunny Hill Elementary School is really the story of a bold new model in education. The focus of Tuesday's installment in our Generations at Risk series, Sunny Hill has become a community hub, the heartbeat of its small, largely Hispanic...

The Barrington Hills village board denounced the Longmeadow Parkway project at its meeting Monday night, saying the proposed four-lane tollway would harm residents and burden taxpayers during difficult financial times. Trustee Brian Croll acknowledg...

Second of four parts Chattering students stream through the front door at Sunny Hill Elementary School in Carpentersville. They pass Principal Irma Bates, playfully tugging on each other's backpacks and scampering toward the cafeteria, where a hot b...

I can count on my 10 fingers how many times I have NOT wanted to go to work in the 34 years I have been a teacher. My passion for my work is in the relationships I have created with my students and colleagues, along with the rigor of being a lifelon...