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School management
Chicago Public Schools is finalizing its budget plan for next school year, and for many schools, that will mean significant changes to the number of staff positions.
Amid wider budget cuts, Chicago Public Schools cut funding for assistant principals on campuses with fewer than 250 students. It made some exceptions, and many other small schools are using discretionary dollars to keep their seconds-in-command.
It’s the latest in an ongoing back-and-forth between Republican federal officials and Chicago Public Schools.
In a district survey from the fall, most principals and custodians who responded said staff cuts have made it harder to keep schools clean.
Chicago Public Schools is renaming the Cesar E. Chavez Multicultural Academic Center after the famed farmworkers’ rights activist was accused of rape and sexual abuse.
A majority of the Board of Education and the CTU are pushing for schools to close for students that day during a nationwide protest. But Macquline King said the district should continue instruction and ‘minimize disruption for families.’
A Chalkbeat analysis suggests that the district’s joint initiative with its teachers union hasn’t yet given its 20 pilot schools an edge over other high-poverty campuses when it comes to academics and school climate.
A Chalkbeat analysis found that staff turnover, unspent dollars, and community partner tensions have been key challenges for the 7-year-old program.
District officials are considering a request from Cisneros’ principal and advisory council to move the charter that CPS is absorbing onto a district campus.
Enrollment declined among most student groups, including Black and Hispanic students, as well as those learning English as a new language and those who live in temporary housing.
The overhaul is aimed at saving money and directing more money directly to schools. Some sources told Chalkbeat a new structure that aligns with Chicago’s school board electoral districts would replace the current network structure.
The district is proposing changes that would require employees to give more notice before taking religious holidays and would include explicit language allowing the district to fire employees who are found abusing sick days.
In a note to families, a school district official detailed how the district’s belt-tightening could be felt day-to-day at schools.
More than 1,450 staff at schools were laid off Friday. Budget documents posted online indicate the school-based workforce could shrink by more than 450 positions.
The program started in seven Chicago schools in 2019. Today, it’s expanded to about 400 schools.
Since an influx of migrant students began arriving in Chicago in 2022, the number of Chicago Public Schools required by state law to open a bilingual program increased by about 20%, according to records obtained by Chalkbeat and Block Club Chicago.
The union said Monday that 85% of members voted on the deal over the course of last Thursday and Friday. Of the ballots cast, 97% ratified the agreement.
The tentative four-year contract would raise teacher pay, add prep time for elementary school teachers, and increase recess time for students.
Two surveys from the Illinois State Board of Education and the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendent of Schools found that schools around the state are starting to see more teachers entering the classroom.
Chicago schools unions fight over growing pool of staff for students with disabilities