Samantha Smylie

Samantha Smylie

State Education Reporter, Chalkbeat Chicago

Samantha Smylie is currently the State Education Reporter for Chalkbeat Chicago. Before joining Chalkbeat’s team, she worked at the Hyde Park Herald covering housing, education, retail and development in the Kenwood-Hyde Park neighborhoods on the city’s south-east side. She was a reporter fellow for City Bureau and participated in Propublica’s Data Institute. She had bylines in Block Club Chicago, the Chicago Reader and South Side Weekly.

Chicago Public Schools is using local and state definitions to track the enrollment of migrant students, making it harder to understand the needs of new students

As a second grade teacher, Precious Allen teaches every subject to her students, but emphasizes science, engineering, and math with hopes of inspiring her students to pursue those fields.

Chicagoans will vote for 10 of 21 members in the city’s first school board election. Here are six things you should know as the election cycle kicks off.

The proposal would create a new department that would transition programs from three state agencies to one.

Illinois education advocates and lawmakers are asking for more state funding to support migrant students enrolled in public schools.

Illinois is planning to have 11th graders take the ACT next spring, after almost a decade of using the SAT.

Illinois lawmakers have debated over Chicago’s elected school board districts for months. On Thursday, the House passed a bill that would allow voters to choose 10 out of 21 members in November.

Senate Bill 15 would have Chicagoans vote for 10 school board members and let Mayor Brandon Johnson appoint 11 members in November.

School officials, educators, and advocates are seeing a rise in demand for career and technical education programs. Gov. J.B. Pritzker proposed adding more state funding to support, but some say it might not be enough.