Education

Five couples share the pros and cons of teaching in the same school in Joliet School District 86.

The River Bend Board of Education may need to seek public funding in the form of a referendum in spring 2026, according to a district statement.

Choosing two of four art-making stations, students had the opportunity to build a 3D work, fold origami paper, create glowing works under a black light or form unique paintings with bubbles.

Sauk Valley Community College in Dixon held its commencement ceremony Friday, May 9, 2025, at the school.

With both the Yorkville School District and the city in periods of flux, their relationship is ever-evolving. City officials are considering waiving a $21,000 water connection fee for the school district’s temporary ‘pole barn classrooms’ that are currently under construction.

In Will County, Head Starts serves more than 800 families a year through a multi-service delivery program - with nearly 200 more on a waiting list for the program.

FFA students brought their tractors and animals to the lawn of the elementary school for kids to learn about agriculture.

Joliet Township High School District 204 has announced the Students of the Month for May from Joliet Central and Joliet West high schools.

Chris Gallick, a Morris Community High School graduate and Assistant Director of Budget and Financial Planning at the Colorado School of Mines, said he doesn't remember much from his own Awards Night at the high school; what he does remember, is he thought he had a plan.

Joey Ancel credited Jill Carter, his kindergarten teacher at Chaney-Monge School in Crest Hill, who is now retired, with his love for teaching.

Oglesby Elementary Schools will hold a meeting for parents of special education students at 2 p.m. Monday, May 19, at Lincoln Elementary School.

Princeton High School celebrated National Decision Day on May 1 as a way to highlight the post-secondary plans of the Class of 2025.

Students officially become alumni as Sauk Valley Community College holds its commencement ceremony Friday, May 9, 2025.

More than 75 students compete in Cultural Interpretation Contest at La Salle-Peru High School.

A majority of U.S. adults disapprove of President Donald Trump’s handling of issues related to colleges and universities, according to a new poll

Students exercised their creative side Friday, May 9, 2025, with a day of making art at St. Mary's School in Dixon.

For many students in the Transition Program, paraprofessionals Dahlquist and Harding provide the final measures of support before the students set out on their own.

A federal judge in New York issued a preliminary order blocking the Trump administration from cutting off states’ access to hundreds of millions of dollars in pandemic relief funds for public schools, including more than $77 million for Illinois

Yorkville High School hosted their prom on May 03.

A Lockport music teacher at Walsh Elementary School said the education of teaching has become more dynamic and engaging for students.

Juan Figueroa and Sandy Figueroa's passion for education stems from their own childhood experiences.

Celebrating Neil Currie's legacy at St. Charles East: A beloved voice in local sports, and history teacher.

Brian Long had strong mentors growing up in his cross country coach and Spanish teacher. He’s taken their inspiration and run with it. Long is in his second school year at Sandwich as cross country and track coach. Long also is one of three multilingual teachers in the district.

Clarissa Cooper did not envision a career in teaching growing up, and she did not necessarily expect it to be in her hometown. Yorkville is sure happy to have her. The 2016 graduate is in her fourth full school year as a teacher and coach at her alma mater.

The sport of swimming first brought Kyle and Jamie Ruiz together in third grade. The 2004 Sterling graduates, who reconnected through swimming after college and eventually got married, are still giving back today as teachers and coaches.

The 2024 season was the first time Drew Hoth didn't play tackle football since the fifth grade. But he had a new passion to takes it places as he started student teaching. He's set to be a 5th grade teacher at Mitchell when the school opens in the fall.

Homeschool teachers Melissa Ryan and Tammy Massey created a STEM-focused robotics team in McHenry County that has now reached international competitions twice.

Margaret Carey has been the principal at McHenry School District 15's Landmark School since 2010. Her retirement coincides with the school closing at the end of the school year.

Crystal Lake South teachers Dan Mitchell and Ben Stoner worked together to involve special education students in the school's recent plays and musicals.

McHenry High School District 156 has students from around the world learning English and core subjects, with Kelsey Podgorski keeping watch on their progress.

Steven Custer, a Morris Community High School teacher and soccer coach uses his experience with the game to connect with new students as he teaches them English as a second language.

Todd Kein has spent 26 years at Morris as an English teacher and baseball and basketball coach. He has found a "happy marriage" coaching baseball while teaching literature.

Johnsburg Junior High social worker Nikki Brosh brings trauma-informed education practices, years of experience working with troubled kids to her school

Lauren Blatti’s journey toward teaching was inspired by one of her own childhood teachers, though she knew she wanted to be a teacher from a young age.

Read our letters submitted by students and parents to The Times for our 2025 Thank You Teachers special edition

A former Lyons Township High School student and athlete considers herself lucky to teach at her alma mater

Ivars Spalis started his teaching career as an English teacher, first as a substitute at Aurora West High School, then at the Kane County Juvenile Justice Center.

Joan Mundsinger's first teaching job with District 308 was teaching fifth grade at East View School.

District 158 Huntley special education teacher Jennifer Slad braves a bald haircut for the third time in honor of her former student who battled a rare brain tumor as a baby.

Read thank you letters sent to teachers in Kane County from our readers and local students

If you’ve ever walked the hallways at Lincoln Elementary School in DeKalb, you may have noticed a buzz among students, faculty and staff about the Iditarod.

Read our letters submitted by students and parents to Morris Herald-News for our 2025 Thank You Teachers special edition

Read the letters from Kankakee County students to their teachers from our Thank You Teachers special section

"Super strengths" are many for the fifth-grade teacher from Coal City Intermediate School.

Kankakee Community College's psychology professor Dr. Cari Stevenson has found a home in the classroom as a highly energized instructor.

Jenni Smith, a veteran educator who’s been teaching for about 25 years, said she always likes to remind her eighth-grade math students at Huntley Middle School in DeKalb that you can’t get from the bottom to the top-most landing without doing all the steps in between.

La Salle-Peru High School's Nancy Kochis class is the only of its kind offered at L-P, covering a wide range of topics including fingerprinting, fiber analysis, arson, trace evidence analysis and blood spatter patterns.

Trinity Catholic Academy's Dominic Giacobazzi had his heart set on being an athletic trainer, but a funny thing happened on the way to the NFL. He became a Catholic school teacher.

At a young age Ellen Gross, then Ellen Goetz, already knew her answer to the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

Downers Grove North’s Mike Heinz may be in his last year serving as chairman of the school’s science department but he has no plans on slowing down.