Strengthening Neighborhood Options in Chicago Public Schools
Chicago Public Schools (CPS) officials are doubling down on their commitment to strengthening neighborhood options from preschool through high school. The district and Board of Education leaders unveiled their highly anticipated and "transformative" five-year strategic plan, called "Together We Rise," which sets a blueprint for how the school system will make decisions moving forward.
Goals for CPS
The plan aims to provide every student with access to a well-rounded education that includes art, music, and sports, regardless of whether they attend their neighborhood school or a highly touted one. Additionally, the district wants more students to be multilingual, including native English speakers.
The plan also seeks to measure children’s success not only through academic achievement but also by their social and emotional progress and well-being. Furthermore, the district wants to ensure that the right practices are in place at all schools, from quality teaching to robust support for families, which will lead to good outcomes for kids rather than simply demanding high test scores.
Avoiding Controversy
The plan avoids the thorniest topics around selective enrollment, magnet, and charter schools, which is likely to go over well with critics of Mayor Brandon Johnson and his appointed school board. There has been consternation and protest, as well as proposed state legislation, following a board resolution last December that vowed to move away from school choice in favor of neighborhood schools, causing some to think selective enrollment or charter schools could be negatively affected or on the chopping block.
Board of Education Vice President’s Comments
Board of Education Vice President Elizabeth Todd-Breland said there was never an intention to close or make drastic changes to charters and selective enrollment schools. She stated that one reason the board and district left those alone altogether is that they heard from parents about how much they valued their schools.
Investing in Neighborhood Schools
The district and board tried to thread the needle by promising more investments in neighborhood schools so that families would see them as viable options, too. Right now, the stakes are too high and put too much pressure on families: Many kids heading into high school feel they simply have to get into a top-rated school to have a good education, or else they’ll find themselves stuck in an under-resourced school with few offerings.
New Strategic Plan
The plan includes several key changes, including the scrapping of school ratings, which was proposed last year and will be fully implemented soon. Instead of each school getting a score based on test scores, attendance, and other end results, CPS will assess the front end of education at each school, including what programs are offered, what resources are available, and the quality of teaching. If the proper elements are in place, the outcomes will follow, officials said, calling the idea a "trailblazing" one for other cities to follow.
Funding and Implementation
One of the key problems preventing the type of transformation is funding. It would appear impossible to maintain existing resources in selective and magnet programs while improving all neighborhood schools to the level required without more money. Officials said they’re hopeful the progress CPS students have made in recovering from pandemic learning loss can help convince lawmakers that more resources will help supercharge those gains in all schools.
Conclusion
The new strategic plan aims to provide a well-rounded education to all students, regardless of where they attend school. The plan also seeks to measure children’s success not only through academic achievement but also by their social and emotional progress and well-being. By investing in neighborhood schools and providing more resources, CPS hopes to create a more equitable education system.
FAQs
Q: What is the new strategic plan for CPS?
A: The plan, called "Together We Rise," aims to provide a well-rounded education to all students, regardless of where they attend school.
Q: What are the key goals of the plan?
A: The plan seeks to provide every student with access to a well-rounded education, measure children’s success not only through academic achievement but also by their social and emotional progress and well-being, and ensure that the right practices are in place at all schools.
Q: What is the plan’s approach to selective enrollment, magnet, and charter schools?
A: The plan avoids the thorniest topics around these schools, which is likely to go over well with critics of Mayor Brandon Johnson and his appointed school board.
Q: What is the plan’s approach to funding?
A: The plan acknowledges that more funding is needed to achieve its goals, particularly to improve neighborhood schools.
Q: What is the plan’s timeline for implementation?
A: The plan is a five-year strategic plan, with key changes implemented over the next few years.
