Hope Moses

Hope Moses is an education reporting fellow for the Tribune. She earned her master’s degree in journalism at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.

Alicia Ferro picks up her third grader and kindergartener from St. Jerome Catholic School in Chicago’s Armour Square neighborhood on Jan. 30, 2026. The Archdiocese of Chicago announced that the school will be closing at the end of the school year. Ferro and her father are graduates of St. Jerome. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

Parents push back on school closures after archdiocese says time to mobilize has passed: ‘We were blindsided’

February 10, 2026 at 6:18 a.m.

The Archdiocese of Chicago's plans to shutter St. Jerome and Sts. Bruno and Richard has left families reeling and worried about Catholic education.

Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates addresses members at CTU headquarters on Jan. 27, 2026, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)

Amid federal pressure, CTU President Stacy Davis Gates declares union is ‘really strong’

January 28, 2026 at 1:23 p.m.

Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates gave a sweeping address to a sea of supporters at the union's headquarters on the Near West Side.

Mayra Miranda collects her children and their schoolmates after they get out of St. Stanislaus Kostka Academy in West Town on Jan. 26, 2026. The school plans to close at the end of the school year after 151 years. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)

Chicago Archdiocese to close 5 additional schools in Illinois due to enrollment and financial concerns

January 27, 2026 at 1:10 p.m.

The Archdiocese of Chicago announced five additional school closures across Illinois ahead of National Catholic Schools Week, citing low enrollment and financial strain.

An empty Chicago Public Schools classroom is seen on Dec. 15, 2025. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)

Declining enrollment in Chicago Public Schools could lead to crisis if unchecked, report says

January 23, 2026 at 7:34 p.m.

Continued enrollment declines at Chicago Public Schools could escalate into a “crisis” that impact the city’s public education system.

Children from local Catholic schools listen as an announcement is made of a major fundraising campaign to support Catholic education and faith in the Archdiocese of Chicago at St. Stanislaus Kostka School, June 5, 2013. (Jose M. Osorio/ Chicago Tribune)

St. Stanislaus Kostka Academy to close after 151 years

January 16, 2026 at 5:39 p.m.

After 151 years in Chicago, St. Stanislaus Kostka Academy said it will close its doors at the end of the 2025-26 school year.

Volunteers Greg Staszko and Nora Dellifield, far left, participate in the Walking School Bus, which ensures children from immigrant families can walk safely to and from school, in the Albany Park neighborhood of Chicago on Dec. 18, 2025. A new state law prohibits schools from sharing citizenship and immigration status with any immigration or law enforcement agency. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)

From AI to immigrant rights, here’s what to know about Illinois’ new education laws in 2026

January 10, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

New Illinois education laws take effect this month, expanding rights for immigrant students and regulating artificial intelligence in schools.

Then incoming president Tim Killeen talks with students who are mostly in the Honors College at University of Illinois Chicago, May 5, 2015. (Nancy Stone/Chicago Tribune)

University of Illinois System President Tim Killeen to retire in 2027

January 8, 2026 at 7:05 p.m.

Timothy Killeen who has helmed the University of Illinois system, including its Chicago and Springfield campuses for more than a decade will step down.

Chicago Public Schools headquarters on West Madison Street, July 10, 2025. (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)

CPS watchdog details sexual abuse, pandemic relief fraud in annual report

January 7, 2026 at 5:39 p.m.

Chicago Public Schools’ Office of the Inspector General released its annual report detailing dozens of the more than 1,200 complaints in the prior year.

Emily Suffi, center, distributes anti-war signs to fellow demonstrators during a protest against the U.S. military strike in Venezuela, at Federal Plaza, Jan. 3, 2026, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)

Illinoisans react with both hope and dread after Venezuelan president ousted

January 3, 2026 at 6:35 p.m.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro created a humanitarian crisis. Illinois residents hope his ouster marks a transition toward democracy, but they remained concerned about the future.

Chicago Teachers Union member Tom Felson, center, attends a community engagement session to discuss the Chicago Public Schools budget at Dyett High School in Chicago on July 14, 2025. CPS held community engagement sessions to elicit feedback on its budget strategy prior to the Chicago Board of Education’s vote to approve a 2026 budget. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

Budget fights to funding freezes: Chicago’s top education stories of the year

December 31, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

Chicago’s education landscape faced an unprecedented set of challenges this year, from public school budget problems to Operation Midway Blitz.

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