Becky Vevea

Lightfoot is the city's first black female and openly gay mayor. After her swearing in, she laid out a plan to make Chicago "a city that families want to move to, not run away from."

How much money a school can spend on its students still depends, in large part, on local property taxes. And many states aren't doing much to level the field for poor kids.

How much money a school can spend on its students still depends, in large part, on local property taxes. And many states aren't doing much to level the field for poor kids.

The politics surrounding the future of Chicago's public school system are intensifying. Three different players are in a power struggle for control of the system, which is suffering financially.

Barbara Byrd-Bennett is expected to appear in court on Tuesday. She is accused of taking $2.3 million in kickbacks for steering no-bid contracts worth $23 million to a former employer.

Chicago Public Schools have been mislabeling dropouts, getting them off the books and out of the graduation rate. CPS now says it will stop the practice.

The not-so-secret activity quest of several Chicago teachers: running for office.

Librarians are being reassigned to classrooms. In Illinois, librarians must also have teaching certifications, and most have endorsements to teach specific grades and subjects.

Some 26,000 teachers and school staff in Chicago were on strike Monday after talks with the city's administration failed to reach agreement on benefits and job security issues.

If 25,000 teachers walk out in President Obama's home turf Monday, it could present problems for his re-election campaign. The teachers union is at odds with Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who touted his plans for change at the Democratic National Convention.