The Strike Is Over, But Chicago Public Schools Face an Even Uglier Fight

The Chicago Public Schools' seven-day teachers strike may have long since ended, but it was just one of a series of important events that will redefine the nation’s third largest public school system this year. Last month, schools chief Jean-Claude Brizard stepped down. Now, new CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett must deal with a $1 billion budget deficit and plans to shutter as many as 100, or about a sixth, of the city's district-run schools.

Unlike previous years, where school closures or handovers were dictated by student performance, the district plans to determine which schools to close this time based on how buildings are used. If a school building is over- or under-capacity, it would be under consideration for anything, including closure, consolidation, redefined boundaries or a phase-out.