Barbara Byrd-Bennett

Illinois Is Trying Out a New School Discipline Law, But Will It Make Schools Safer?
Perhaps it is to be expected in our politically polarized country, but opinions about the state of discipline in our public schools fall into two…

Black Like Them: Why a ‘Surge’ of Color Could Change the Face of Ed Reform
Last year, I substituted a couple of times in a third-grade class that had two little black girls in it amid mostly Latino and a…

We Should Welcome Any Good School That Wants to Open in Our Neighborhood
Last summer, I ran a basketball tournament that spanned a number of Chicago’s Southwest Side neighborhoods in addition to my own. I had a chance…

What Went Wrong With Barbara Byrd-Bennett and Chicago Public Schools?
Greed. Lies. Bribery and kickbacks. Everyone in Chicago is talking about three naughty little B-words: Barbara Byrd-Bennett. The former CEO of Chicago Public Schools (CPS) pled…