The Chicago Board of Education has officially passed a new five-year strategic plan for the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), aiming to lay the groundwork for creating 'equity-driven' schools within the district. In a unanimous 7-0 vote, the Board cemented a future where student success will be measured through a holistic lens and where resources will be distributed with an acute intent to bridge opportunity gaps. As reported by NBC Chicago, the 47-page document reflects a deep desire to right historical wrongs and dismantle long-established inequities, especially those affecting Black and Latinx/e students, students with disabilities, those in temporary living situations, and English learners.
In an ambitious move, the CPS is committing to quickly shift focus from a culture of labeling and ranking schools to one that holds both the district and individual schools accountable for student success. "Accountability for student success is shared between the district and the schools," CPS said in a recent statement. This seismic change is part of a broader strategy to increase student attendance at neighborhood schools as opposed to far-flung, highly ranked institutions, as highlighted by CBS News Chicago. The plan also calls for the reduction of class sizes and a continual move away from standardized testing as the sole measure of student achievement, owing to the limitations imposed by federal and state mandates.
Nevertheless, the plan has not been met with universal acclaim. The Chicago Teachers Union contends that while the document recognizes disparities across the district, the current policies enacted by CPS CEO Pedro Martinez are criticized for deepening inequality instead of ameliorating it. "The best parts of the district's Strategic Plan are taken right from our contract proposals, the same proposals the district is actually fighting at the bargaining table," the union articulated, revealing a clear disconnect between the union's aspirations and the district's actions. Furthermore, on the day of the board's vote, the union advocated for Martinez's replacement, demanding leadership more attuned to the community's educational needs.
The fiscal sustainability of the new strategic plan is another pressing concern, especially as CPS contemplates a future less reliant on federal stimulus funds. "One of the silver linings of the pandemic is we receive a record in-flow of resources from the federal government," Martinez told CBS News Chicago. He emphasized the critical importance of "smooth out those resources," acknowledging that the impending depletion of federal assistance necessitates a meticulous strategy for the district's financial stability.
