New CPS Strategic Plan Fits with ‘Best Practice’ by Investing in Every School
Engaging in a thorough strategic planning process is typically a positive exercise for school boards and their administrators. When done well, the process allows for the thoughtful input of all key stakeholders — like parents, students, faculty, support staff, administrators, and taxpayers.
The new Chicago Public Schools (CPS) strategic plan, dubbed “Together We Rise,” identifies a district’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges, and it helps create a logical, data-informed basis for tailoring policies to move the district forward and reach the desired educational, facilities management, and fiscal goals.
The Plan Focuses on Ensuring Every Student Receives a Well-Rounded Education
The strategic plan focuses on ensuring every student receives a well-rounded education from whatever school they attend, including everything from high-quality teaching and rigorous academics to music, arts, and sports programs. The plan also emphasizes the importance of meeting the social and emotional learning needs of students and delivering appropriate support services.
The Plan Comports with Internationally Recognized Best Practices in Education
According to Michael Fullan, professor emeritus of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education and one of the world’s most respected authorities on education, building the capacity of a public education system by investing in evidence-based approaches to pedagogy, teacher professional development, collaboration, mentoring, social/emotional learning, and induction ultimately results in enhanced academic performance.
Fullan’s research is especially pertinent in Illinois, which recently enacted a school funding formula that’s tied to covering the cost of what the evidence shows works academically. So, many of the educational practices championed in the CPS strategic plan are both supported by the evidence and reinforced by the state’s school funding formula.
How Much Will Elected Board “Buy In?”
However, the timing of this particular strategic plan is a tad awkward, given in just a few months, the school board will be radically transformed from its current, seven-member format to a 21-member board, including 10 elected by the general public and the other 11 selected by the mayor.
In 2027, all board members will be elected. This means the level of board buy-in to this strategic plan is somewhat up in the air, especially given the attention the race for CPS school board has garnered.
Not OK to Have ‘Loser Schools’
The true question isn’t whether there are some high-performing charter schools but rather whether school choice can be a viable predicate for improving student performance system-wide. Here, the data show the answer is a resounding no.
Indeed, over the last 10 years, as various school choice measures like vouchers were scaled up from small, targeted initiatives to large, state-wide programs, every study, including those done by choice advocates, has found negative impacts on achievement for students overall.
There are many reasons for that, but key among them is the very basis of a competitive model: For competition to work, it has to generate winners and losers. In a public education system, it’s not OK to have loser schools.
Better then to do what the evidence shows actually enhances academic achievement for all students: Invest in building the capacity of every school to meet the educational needs of the students it serves.
Ralph Martire is executive director of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability, a nonpartisan fiscal policy think tank, and the Arthur Rubloff Professor of Public Policy at Roosevelt University.
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Conclusion
The new CPS strategic plan, “Together We Rise,” is a vital step in ensuring every Chicago Public Schools student receives a well-rounded education. Investing in every school, not just some, is key to achieving this goal, and the evidence supports this approach. As the city moves forward with implementing the plan, it’s essential to prioritize building the capacity of every school to meet the educational needs of their students.
FAQs
Q: Why is the strategic plan’s focus on investing in every school important?
A: Investing in every school is important because it ensures every student receives a well-rounded education, regardless of where they attend school. This approach also prevents the negative impacts of school choice on student achievement that have been documented in recent studies.
Q: What are the benefits of building the capacity of every school?
A: Building the capacity of every school results in enhanced academic performance, as indicated by the research of Professor Michael Fullan. By investing in evidence-based approaches to pedagogy, teacher professional development, collaboration, mentoring, social/emotional learning, and induction, schools can improve overall student achievement.
