Chicago Public Schools’ Black Student Success Plan Hit with Federal Legal Challenge
Complaint Filed with U.S. Department of Education
As Chicago Public Schools (CPS) on Friday celebrated the launch of a plan intended to improve academic outcomes for Black students, a national group filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education to try to stymie it, charging that the plan is discriminatory.
Controversial Guidance from the Trump Administration
It comes as President Donald Trump’s Department of Education is threatening to withhold federal funding for any school district or university that targets extra support or programming for a particular group of students. The complaint, first reported by Chalkbeat Chicago, could result in a major showdown between the school district, the city, and President Donald Trump’s education department.
School District’s Response
The school district issued a statement saying it is reviewing the complaint and pointing to its weekly newsletter where CPS CEO Pedro Martinez pledges to “stay true to our values and our mission — to provide all students with a rigorous, joyful, and equitable daily learning experience that affirms and celebrates their identities.”
Mayor and School Leaders Unlikely to Back Down
It is unlikely that Mayor Brandon Johnson, school district leaders, or others will back down given their deep commitment to equity. About 16% or $1.3 billion of CPS’ revenue comes from the federal government.
Parents Defending Education’s Complaint
The complaint was filed by a national group called Parents Defending Education, which has challenged race-based initiatives for years. It notes in the complaint against CPS that its actions led the Los Angeles Unified School District to change its Black Student Achievement Plan. LAUSD agreed to drop race as an official factor in deciding which students get extra educational services, according to the complaint.
Guidance from the Department of Education
The complaint with the department’s Office of Civil Rights says CPS’ Black Student Success Plan violates recent guidance from the education department. That guidance said school districts cannot offer any program or activity that “treats a person of one race differently than it treats another person because of that person’s race.”
Complaint’s Arguments
The complaint argues that test scores show other races and ethnicities also have students below grade level and therefore it says: “CPS is failing students of all races and ethnicities, which makes this racially segregated program all the more egregious.” Beyond that, the complaint urges that the Department of Education conducts a “full and complete audit of CPS.” That is prompted, the group writes in the complaint, because the plan calls on the district to “acknowledge and address historical and present-day harm experienced by Black students and families in Chicago.”
CPS’ Black Student Success Plan
The plan is the result of two years of work by community activists, educators, and school board members, frustrated that Black students lag behind others on several academic measures and are more likely to be suspended and drop out of school. It calls for closing the opportunity gap, doubling the number of Black male teachers, improving Black teacher retention, and reducing the number of out-of-school suspensions for Black students.
Conclusion
The complaint filed by Parents Defending Education may lead to a major showdown between the school district, the city, and the Department of Education. However, it is unlikely that Mayor Brandon Johnson, school district leaders, or others will back down given their deep commitment to equity.
FAQs
* What is the Black Student Success Plan?
The Black Student Success Plan is a plan designed to improve academic outcomes for Black students in Chicago Public Schools.
* What is the complaint filed by Parents Defending Education?
The complaint argues that the plan is discriminatory and violates recent guidance from the education department.
* What is the purpose of the plan?
The plan aims to close the opportunity gap, double the number of Black male teachers, improve Black teacher retention, and reduce the number of out-of-school suspensions for Black students.
* What is the response from the school district?
The school district is reviewing the complaint and pointing to its weekly newsletter where CPS CEO Pedro Martinez pledges to “stay true to our values and our mission — to provide all students with a rigorous, joyful, and equitable daily learning experience that affirms and celebrates their identities.”
