Board of Education
Chicago Public Schools
Wednesday, May 26, 2021
10:30 a.m. — 2:30 p.m. CDT
Chicago, IL 60602 (Directions)
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Reporting
Edited and summarized by the Chicago - IL Documenters Team
AUSL transition, Fall return to 5-day week in-person, ASPIRA charter school
Hi! Samantha here documenting the @ChiPubSchools
Board of Education meeting for @CHIdocumenters ! Follow this thread for updates and you can watch along here.
Meeting is called to order at 10:32 AM
10:32 AM May 26, 2021 CDT
Agenda Overview is as follows:
-Honoring Excellent
-CEO Remarks
-Updates & Announcements
- Public Comments
- Presentations
-Charter & Contract Amendments
-Fall Opening Update
-Public Agenda Items
-Closed Session
-Voting on Items
Tia Hawthorne, Honorary Student Board Member, a Senior who will be going on to college next fall, is being honored for her work thus far.
In her speech, she mentions how rewarding this experience is and wished the next Student Board Member much luck
Resolution Honoring Dr. LaTanya McDade is being presented.
For 20 years, McDade has worked in some capacity within CPS.
She will be moving on the be a superintendent in Virginia.
Many board members express what a pleasure it was working with Dr. McDade, and many echo the sentiment that the doors are open should she ever want to return home to CPS.
Dr. McDade shares some remarks:
-Thanks the board for such a “heartwarming and moving” tribute to her work
-Excited for this “new chapter”, but saying leaving CPS feels like leaving “a piece of my heart” behind
-Feels prod & accomplished when she thinks back on her work with CPS
Dr. McDade gives special thanks to Janice Jackson (who is leaving as well at the end of her term), calling her a “colleague, sister, and friend”.
She says the two are leaving the district stronger than they found it.
Next, Janice Jackson gives her special honorary marks to Dr. McDade, calling their friendship “Thelma and Louise”.
She recalls being untrained on how to do Principal evaluations, and Dr.McDade made space to teach her correctly. Says she appreciate Dr.McDade’s giving of time.
Next up is a resolution to Honor Arnaldo Rivera, Chief Operating Officer at CPS.
He’s credited w/ making sure CPS students had access to meals and technology during the pandemic.
Also, he spent significant dollars focusing on giving at-risk student pops access to resources
Janice Jackson teases “If you know Arnie’s tenure with CPS, you know he’ll be back.”
In his career, Rivera has also worked for the office of Mayor Rahm Emanuel among other organizations.
Finance and Education has always been at the intersection of his work.
Next up is a shoutout to Parkside student Betty B, who is a Junior High Chess Champion.
Betty credit her accomplishment to Coach Howard Fishbein.
More on that story by @BlockClubCHI
Next up are the “Golden Apple” 2021 recipients, giving space for their remarks on the Honor. A few recipients are speaking to the board, but you can check out all finalists here https://www.goldenapple.org/2021-golden-apple-award-recipients
Ashley McCall, Quinlan O’Grady, Erin Cole, and Reginald Spears all give remarks.
They each echo what an honor it was to receive these awards honoring their work.
This award recognizes excellent teachers across Illinois.
Next, it is announced that $5 million + will be invested in special selective enrollment high schools to help support the students and staff there.
More on that story + breakdown of budget by the Tribune
Janice Jackson is speaking to employment opportunities for students this summer. She directs all interested students & parents to https://explore.mychimyfuture.org/
Janice Jackson also announces that CPS will be returning to 5-day in person instruction come Fall 2021.
She says qualified students (and parents) can get help with vaccinations through CPS. She directs them here https://www.cps.edu/school-reopening/health-and-safety/covid-19-vaccination/
The next Board meeting Wednesday, June 23, 2021. Anyone with public comment can submit it requests via the CPS website.
Only those who signed up to comment prior to today will be given space to do so. That part is up next.
Public commenter speaks to how the pandemic has damaged relationships between the School Board and CTU and CPS parents.
Speaking to how going back to the 5 day school day is too optimistic.
The commenter speaking to the above is Jesse Sharkey, CTU President.
He’s been very outspoken against CPS Board and Janice Jackson.
More on that relationship here https://chicago.suntimes.com/education/2021/5/3/22418053/cps-ceo-janice-jackson-ctu-teachers-union-labor-negotiations-strike-public-schools
Starkey also says the District is spending the $2billion in relief funds to pay off their debt, when it’s meant to go directly to schools and students in need.
More on that fight here https://www.chicagotribune.com/coronavirus/ct-chicago-public-schools-covid-funding-20210429-c5j7fs65m5hyvmmu4b6ozuzbu4-story.html
Another public commenter, a teacher, reminds the Board of all of the decisions they made that put teachers in unprotected contact with students and teachers.
He wants them to make sure they have plans in place to protect staff for a full opening in Fall 2021.
He mentions that food & laptop distribution during Spring 2020 put support staff in direct contact w/unmasked parents and students due to a lack of guidelines for mask-wearing for pickup.
He says the ball of protection has always been dropped.
He also says staff is overworked
Another commenter says she can’t believe the CPS Board uses the meetings to commend themselves on the good work they do when “the house is on fire”.
She wants a representative, elected school board in the future, speaking to her perceived failure of Mayor Lightfoot.
Next, a series of speakers are commenting on Charter vs Public Schools.
Some are speaking out against Charter schools, wanting more investment in their local schools.
Others are speaking in support of Charter schools, speaking to how they enrich communities.
Echoed concerns range from a fear of a decrease in enrollment to the closing of public schools.
An example of this is the current controversy in Albany Park (several commenters are speaking on this particular debate)
https://blockclubchicago.org/2021/05/07/roosevelt-high-school-community-asks-cps-to-reject-charter-schools-plans-to-almost-share-the-same-block-in-albany-park/
For more on charter schools, you can check out the Illinois Network of Charter Schools website https://www.incschools.org/get-the-facts/#:~:text=Charter%20schools%20are%20free%2C%20independent,and%20students%20with%20special%20needs.&text=Charter%20public%20schools%20are%20the,children%20%E2%80%93%20they%20put%20children%20first.
The next speaker is a CPS parent who resists CTU President Starkey’s comments earlier, calling it all “too political”.
He says Starkey does not represent the sentiments of CPS parents, who want their children back in schools.
He asks students be prioritized.
The next few speakers speak to the lack of trust between CPS Parents and the Board (and the CTU in some instances).
Says that the Board does not reflect the values of the Black, Brown, and “Poor” parents of CPS students.
The next public commenter, Vicki, begins and immediately starts sobbing.
She speaks to a “toxic work environment, bullying, and intimidation” from Leonard Harris at Nancy B Jefferson Alternative School.
Following up on those comments, there was a state-held investigation at Nancy B Jefferson , which is an alternative school for juveniles inside Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center
Read more on that here https://www.injusticewatch.org/news/juvenile-justice/2021/state-investigation-special-ed-juvenile-jail/
The next few speakers are speaking out to save the job of clerk Judy Mahoney.
Mahoney uses a wheelchair, and she is slated to be laid off in June 2021.
She is having trouble finding ADA schools to transfer to.
More on this story on ABC7
https://abc7chicago.com/judy-mahoney-disabled-cps-clerk-school-job-wheelchair-accessible/10694656/
Board member Matthew Lyons says that in regards to Mahoney, they created & funded her position at Byrne.
He says it was always known this was temporary & she was meant to find a more permanent position.
He does note they are extending her Byrne contract 1 year as of yesterday
Next is a presentation of CPS’s partnership with AUSL.
More on that here https://www.auslchicago.org/
Next is a presentation on charter and contract schools.
Here is the timeline https://t.co/JE1KD5PHCD
They did not they are not recommending ASPIRA movement for approval due to such public outcry
The board is discussing how teachers are to assess students for their readiness to return to in person learning.
Teachers have been given specific instruction, but the focus is on reading and math and other “unfinished learning” concern areas.
Miguel del Valle is speaking to the importance of spending the summer reconnecting w/ students who didn’t participate in remote learning. Says it’s crucial those students are reconnected with the school system for Fall 2021
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Agency Information
Chicago Public Schools
The Chicago Board of Education is charged with governing the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), setting policies, governing operations, and charting the direction of current and future programs.
A list of board members (with headshots) is here. Board members are currently appointed by the mayor. In 2021, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a bill into law that will gradually transition to a 21-member elected school board over the course of 2024-2027.
A list of CPS executive leadership is here.