Sarah Karp

Reporter, Education

Sarah Karp is a reporter at WBEZ. A former reporter for Catalyst-Chicago, the Chicago Reporter and the Daily Southtown, Karp has covered education, and children and family issues for more than 15 years. She is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism. She has won five Education Writers Association awards, three Society of Professional Journalism awards and the 2005 Sidney Hillman Award. She is a native of Chicago.

Stories by Sarah Karp

- Education
Big changes in how students are picked for CPS’ elite high schools start today

CPS hopes to make selective schools more accessible, but some worry about low-income students being hurt by poor grades during the pandemic.
Oct. 13 read more
- Education
What’s the future of standardized tests in Chicago Public Schools?

CPS dropped the high-stakes tests long used in schools, raising questions about what comes next and how to measure progress during the pandemic.
Updated Oct. 11 read more
- Education
Chicago Public Schools’ new top boss says district’s COVID-19 response ‘falls squarely’ on him

CPS CEO Pedro Martinez spoke to WBEZ about COVID-19 safety missteps, enrollment declines and negotiations with the teachers union.
Oct. 8 read more
- Education
What Lies Ahead For Chicago Public Schools’ New Top Leader

As Pedro Martinez becomes CEO, CPS is in better shape than when he left in 2009. Still, COVID, labor challenges and enrollment declines await.
Sept. 29 read more
- Education
Chicago Public Schools Mom Dies After Her Child Is Exposed To COVID-19 At School

The woman’s family say they suspect she got COVID-19 from her child, who got sick after being exposed at a West Side public school.
Updated Sept. 29 read more
- Education
Chicago Public Schools Enrollment Nosedives Again

Chicago Public Schools enrollment is down by at least 10,000 students this fall. It has dropped by more than 24,000 since the pandemic began.
Sept. 27 read more
- Education
Chicago’s Mayor Taps CPS Grad And Former Top CPS Official As The Next Schools CEO

Pedro Martinez is currently superintendent of a San Antonio school district. He will become CPS’ first permanent Latino leader.
Updated Sept. 15 read more
- Education
Chicago Parents And Principals Say CPS’ Contact Tracing Is ‘Horrendous’

“I just don’t feel like it’s a safe environment,” said one Chicago parent whose son was exposed to a COVID case in the first week of school.
Sept. 15 read more
- Education
CPS Makes Progress This Year Toward Solving Its Chronic Teacher Vacancy Problem

The school district says 20,439 teaching positions were staffed on the first day of school, up 6% from 19,360 three years ago.
Sept. 10 read more
- Education
COVID-19 Cases Rise In Chicago Public Schools Buildings

Nearly 3,000 CPS students and staff already have been identified as a close contact of someone who had COVID-19 at school, new data shows.
Updated Sept. 9 read more