Jackson Potter

Joyce Kenner, the principal of Whitney Young Magnet High School, fixes Matthew Burzec’s gown during the Whitney Young Magnet High School graduation in 2020.

Moving away from school choice is the right choice to fix inequity

Pitting Chicago’s public schools and students against one another has created a more segregated and unequal school district, two Whitney Young graduates write.

By Jackson Potter and Crystal Gardner

McClellan Elementary in Bridgeport on Dec. 18, 2022. Several classrooms were found to have lead paint, a long-standing problem in Chicago Public Schools.

Other Views

Chicago’s public schools need a ‘Green New Deal’ to modernize aging buildings

To address the breadth and depth of the need to remediate outdated schools at a time of worsening weather extremes, Chicago needs an estimated $30 billion, two educators write.

By Ayesha Qazi-Lampert and Jackson Potter

A vacant lot at West 24th Street and South State Street in the South Loop neighborhood is seen in this photo, June 21, 2022.

Other Views

Build housing, not new high school, on land promised to displaced CHA families

Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s plan appears to be moving forward, despite significant community opposition and even though nearby high schools could easily absorb more students with expanded programs and resources.

By Jackson Potter