CHICAGO 鈥� A unique survey confirms the vital role Local School Councils (LSC) play in preserving community-based decision-making, and identifies where continued investment could make it stronger. The 2025-26 LSC Engagement Survey, released by The 海角直播 (The Fund), included respondents from 64% of the 511 public schools in 海角直播with active LSCs 鈥� a critical anchor for school stability and community trust.

The Fund conducted the survey from August to November 2025 in partnership with the 海角直播 (CPS) Office of Local School Council Relations and Department of Principal Quality, with responses of 608 LSC members representing 325 public schools in Chicago. This research informs The Fund鈥檚 ongoing commitment to understanding what LSC members experience and what they need to strengthen relationships among principals, parents, teachers, and community members.

LSCs are school鈥慴ased governing bodies in CPS that typically comprise six parents, two community members, two teachers, one non鈥憈eaching school staff member, up to three students, and the principal. LSCs approve school budgets, select and evaluate principals, and oversee their schools鈥� Continuous Improvement Work Plans 鈥� three-year strategic plans that CPS requires every school to develop.

鈥淐hicago鈥檚 LSCs model is a national example of what community decision-making for public schools can look like,” said Heather Y. Anichini, Ed.D., president and CEO of The Fund. 鈥淭hese surveys clarify how we can invest in LSCs in ways that reflect their needs and strengthen local governance that is unique to Chicago鈥檚 public schools. The findings will continue to shape how we support LSC members and their school leaders going forward.鈥�

To complement the survey data, The Fund held five focus groups in early February 2026 with 36 LSC members representing 35 schools. The focus groups largely corroborated the survey findings

Top findings from the LSC Engagement Survey include:

• LSC members learn about their councils through school鈥慴ased and personal connections: 60% of respondents reported hearing about their LSC from school staff, current council members, or their principal.
• LSCs members see their councils as strong bridges between school and community: 75% of respondents said their council does a good job of connecting with community members and considering their input.
• Members generally have strong relationships with their principals: 83% of respondents agree that they work well with their current school leader.
• LSCs view themselves as strategic partners in their schools鈥� direction: Respondents ranked 鈥渕onitoring and approval of the CIWP鈥� and 鈥渁pproving budget decisions鈥� as the two top responsibilities of councils.听
• Several factors leave Chicagoans hesitating to join their LSCs: When asked about reasons that made them or people they know hesitate to join their council, respondents cited the time commitment for being a member (64%), lack of knowledge about schools (38%), negative associations with a previous LSC (22%), and language accessibility (6%).听
• LSC members feel prepared and supported, but a sizable minority think more training would be helpful: 86% reported feeling clear on their roles and responsibilities, and 79% know where to go for support, but a third (32%) thought more training would be beneficial. In open responses, members most often requested practical, hands-on training in several areas, including budget oversight, principal evaluation, and meeting management. Many also asked for clearer onboarding for new members; role-specific guidance for chairs and student representatives; and simplified, more accessible training formats.

In addition to the LSC Engagement Survey, The Fund provides programs to strengthen LSC effectiveness and relationships between principals and their councils. These include the LSC Working Group, which brings together parents and community members to design solutions to common challenges and develop tools that support the principal evaluation process.

In advance of the 2026 LSC elections on March 18, The Fund also held the LSC Election Accelerator Series 鈥� comprising virtual and in-person workshops 鈥� to help principals, assistant principals, parents, and community members reduce council vacancies and increase community engagement. More information about The Fund鈥檚 programs to support LSCs and school leaders is available in its 2025-26 Program Summary report.

鈥淥ver 20 years of research shows that principals have an outsized impact on student outcomes,鈥� said Anichini. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why it鈥檚 so important to ensure that LSCs function well and have collaborative, productive relationships with their school leaders.鈥�

About The 海角直播

The 海角直播 (The Fund) is a nonprofit organization that improves Chicago鈥檚 public schools by investing in the talented educators who lead them. Its data-driven strategies increase the number of strong leaders in Chicago鈥檚 public schools. The Fund鈥檚 program, policy, and partnership efforts are designed to meet school leaders where they are, to accelerate their growth, and to enable their retention.

Media Contact

Brooke Rayford
Senior Manager of Communications
brayford@thefundchicago.org
The 海角直播

Edited audio of Barry’s testimony is below, followed by an edited transcript.

Testimony to the Illinois State Board of Education on December 17, 2025

Good morning State Superintendent Sanders and ISBE members. My name is Barry Tyler, and I am from The 海角直播, where we transform public education in 海角直播by investing in the talented leaders of our schools. At our core, we exist to ensure every student in Chicago鈥檚 public schools has access to an excellent education. As such, we strongly support the use of data as a key to long-term, sustainable school improvement and support thoughtful accountability systems at the state and local level.

Illinois has long been a national leader in data availability and access. A well-designed accountability system, driven by school and student data, can be a powerful tool 鈥� one that promotes transparency, advances equity, and helps schools continuously improve.

We appreciate several aspects of the proposed redesign, including the move to criterion-referenced scoring, more nuanced performance categories, and the intentional inclusion of student subgroups in accountability determinations.

We are encouraged that the proposed system retains two essential indicators, the first being student participation in a school climate survey. Research indicates that these surveys provide crucial information that can guide future improvements.

The second is a unit of measurement for student proficiency. These remain an indispensable marker for tracking over time. Indeed, statewide, the average ACT scores in 2025 were lower than those in 2015, and talking about that fact and why really matters.

At the same time, we want to underscore that accountability systems are only as effective as the data they produce 鈥� and how usable that data is for the public.

Leaders do not improve schools through labels alone. They improve schools through accurate, timely, readily available data that helps them understand what is happening across their buildings, within student groups, and over time. When leaders have access to district-wide and statewide context, as well as school-level details, they are far more effective at setting strategy, allocating resources, collaborating with school communities, and implementing interventions that actually ensure more students learn.

That is why transparency matters. We urge ISBE to publish clear analyses showing how schools would be rated under the new system compared to the current one, and to ensure that this information is communicated so that all stakeholders can understand.

Without this transparency, we risk creating a system that sorts schools in a new way without equipping them to improve upon previous years’ performance.

Equally important is preserving a holistic view of school quality. The proposed structure, as written, risks isolating indicators rather than highlighting the interconnectedness of student learning.

Attendance, growth, proficiency, readiness, and graduation are not separate levers 鈥� they are deeply linked. When systems reward performance on a single strongest metric, they can unintentionally encourage narrow strategies that boost short-term results at the expense of long-term student success.

Finally, accountability must be meaningfully connected to school improvement. Data should identify need AND guide action. Leaders need clarity on how designations translate into support, what evidence-based practices the state is prioritizing, and how resources 鈥� especially in a time of declining federal funds 鈥� will be deployed to help schools build sustainable improvement cycles.

We share ISBE鈥檚 dedication to equity and continuous improvement. We believe Illinois can continue to lead the nation by establishing an accountability system that is transparent, integrated, and user-friendly 鈥� one that empowers school leaders with the data they need to make informed decisions and better serve students across our state. And we are committed to assisting you in this process.

Thank you.

Claudia Ortiz took the helm as principal of Tarkington Elementary in 2021. She has 25 years of experience in 海角直播 鈥� 17 of them in the classroom 鈥� and leads with a deep commitment to equity, multiculturalism, and strong instruction, shaped in part by the fact that she is a first-generation college graduate.

Principal Claudia Ortiz of Tarkington Elementary School, 2025

Student-Centered Opportunity Driven by Data

When students returned to in person learning after the pandemic, Claudia worked to reimagine how Tarkington supported its most impacted students. She recognized that effective transformation had to be grounded in evidence, so she dedicated much of her first year at Tarkington to a rigorous process of data collection to uncover student and staff needs.听

Claudia visited classrooms, launched staff surveys, and reviewed student performance data to uncover the most pressing challenges. She saw that English learners and students with disabilities needed the most support, as they were struggling more than their peers with academics, inconsistencies in instruction, and emotional disengagement following the disruptions of the pandemic.

Informed by this data, Claudia worked with her leadership team to clearly identify student needs: stronger teacher-student relationships, more culturally relevant and engaging instructional materials, and an emotionally supportive learning environment. They began changing instructional practices around these findings, embedding social-emotional learning (SEL) into daily routines, facilitating more collaborative teacher planning, and integrating culturally responsive teaching strategies.

Implementation & Impact听

In 2021-22, Claudia and her team prioritized rebuilding instructional and behavioral systems at Tarkington Elementary. They adopted 海角直播鈥� Skyline English language arts (ELA) curriculum for third through eighth grades and aligned kindergarten through second grade dual-language classrooms with parallel Spanish-language resources to ensure coherence and equity. Teachers used the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) standards to plan lessons by starting with the end goals in mind. This helped them include high expectations in their everyday teaching.

By the 2022-23 school year, Claudia increasingly distributed leadership through the instructional leadership team (ILT) and a new dual-language ILT. These teacher-led groups met weekly to study the structure of IAR test questions, share teaching strategies through peer-led training, and demonstrate classroom practices that match the format of the IAR. Meanwhile, Tarkington鈥檚 multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) 鈥� a schoolwide framework that provides varying levels of academic, behavioral, and social-emotional support based on individual student needs 鈥� grew stronger. Claudia hand-selected teachers to lead targeted small-group interventions and intensive, individualized supports designed for students with the greatest academic or behavioral needs based on their instructional strengths and readiness to lead. She strategically elevated in-house educators into interventionist roles, offering coaching and leadership development to expand their impact.听

As part of her MTSS strategy, Claudia gradually built the Power of Two initiative, which focused on identifying students whose proficiencies were just below grade level for targeted support and frequent progress checks. Over time, teachers began using 海角直播’ rigor rubrics and walkthrough tools to provide weekly feedback and participate in peer observations, helping to create a schoolwide culture of continuous improvement. Survey data later showed that over 90% of teachers found the feedback cycles and peer learning to be valuable.

Tarkington鈥檚 matched its improved instructional coherence with robust social-emotional support. This included a schoolwide positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) system with monthly student celebrations, confidential mental health counseling partnerships, and a phone-free policy that reduced distractions. Together, these efforts led to fewer behavioral incidents and significantly higher student engagement. Between 2021 and 2024, Tarkington moved from “Targeted Support” to “Commendable” status on the Illinois Report Card.听

As Claudia looks ahead, she hopes to deepen teacher leadership across all grade levels and continue refining data-driven supports so that every student is both challenged and prepared for achievement.听

Apply This Learning

1. Build coherence through curriculum redesign.

Recognizing gaps in the existing curriculum, Claudia led a schoolwide shift to the Skyline ELA framework, starting with third through eighth grades. For early grades, especially in dual-language classrooms, Claudia secured Spanish-language curriculum materials that mirrored Skyline鈥檚 rigor and structure. Today, all students across grade levels receive coherent, high-quality instruction, and teachers use a shared framework and language to plan and assess student learning.

2. Invest in shared leadership and teacher growth.

At Tarkington, teacher voice and leadership are central to school improvement. Claudia nurtured a distributed-leadership model, restructuring the ILT and inviting teachers to lead professional development, model lessons, and even conduct classroom observations using 海角直播-aligned rubrics. Peer visits became common practice, building trust and a culture of collaboration. Teachers receive weekly feedback on instruction, and many choose to engage in coaching and book studies. Every teacher leader is carefully selected based on interest and readiness to support peers, not just experience alone.

3. Ensure equity through MTSS and SEL support.

Claudia鈥檚 vision for equity includes strong academic and social-emotional support systems. Through initiatives like the Power of Two, students just below grade-level proficiency are grouped together to receive extra tutoring from teachers, with their progress closely monitored. At the same time, SEL is embedded throughout the school: The team implemented a PBIS system to recognize and celebrate positive behavior while reducing distractions from cell phones by introducing secure phone lockers.

Jump to the Full Memo

海角直播 (CPS) faces a projected $734 million deficit for fiscal year 2026. This is a significantly larger deficit than the $229 million shortfall that informed the school-level budgets principals built and Local School Councils approved earlier this summer. By state law, the 海角直播Board of Education must pass a balanced budget by August 30. This memo considers four strategies for closing the budget deficit before that deadline.

1. Close the deficit with cuts.

Cost reduction is necessary based on the deficit’s size and the budget’s structure, but options that avoid school-level cuts are limited this late in the planning cycle. Through July, CPS identified about $165 million in savings through reductions to central office staff and services. Closing the remaining $550+ million gap primarily through cuts would significantly affect students鈥� learning experiences. Other central cuts options are possible but limited and likely insufficient, including additional staff reductions. For example, moving to 2019 central-office staffing levels and limiting centralized discretionary spending could save another $60 to $70 million, but would reduce services to schools. Furlough days, which have been used in the past, could also reduce the gap. Each potential furlough day saves the system about $15 million. This option would require collaboration with the district鈥檚 labor unions.

If schools absorbed the full cost of cuts, the system could lose over 900 teacher positions and $179 million in discretionary spending, equivalent to cutting more than 1,400 teachers and other staff.

The public strongly opposes this approach: Only 26% of voters (22% of parents) support reducing school budgets. Principals already report that budgets are strained, too. About half say budget changes, limited resources, and facility challenges are already significant burdens.

2. Use borrowing to close the gap.

Borrowing would postpone painful choices and could provide a bridge to more permanent solutions. However, tough choices will eventually have to be made, and borrowing could heighten CPS鈥檚 long-term financial risk.

CPS already holds $9 billion in bond debt, pays $817 million in annual interest, and has a credit rating below investment grade. The district鈥檚 last round of operational borrowing (2016 through 2018) still costs about $200 million annually. Additional borrowing risks a credit downgrade, making future borrowing of any kind more expensive. Capital borrowing remains an urgent need, considering the district鈥檚 aging buildings and its $14+ billion maintenance backlog.

Voters also recognize these risks: Only 8% support borrowing to close the gap.

3. Secure additional revenue from the city and/or state.

Like most districts statewide, CPS plans to raise its property tax levy to the legal cap. CPS is also assuming $300 million in tax increment financing (TIF) surplus revenue for 2026, and it will receive an additional $50 million in state funding. Still, the budget gap looms large. In the near term, the most practical option is more TIF surplus dollars, which the city has used before. In the long term, new revenue must come from collaborating with the city and state, and it may include legislative changes.

海角直播voters prefer additional state support over loans and more cuts: 53% favor new state revenue.听

4. Resolve the MEABF payment question.

The current deficit assumes a $175 million CPS payment to the city of 海角直播for costs related to the Municipal Employees Annuity and Benefit Fund (MEABF). CPS is not legally obligated to make this payment and did not do so for nearly a century. It only contributed between 2020 and 2023, when federal COVID-19 funds were available. With those one-time funds gone, continuing to assume this cost would force deeper cuts or new borrowing if not paired with offsetting revenue.

Public support for an MEABF payment is weak: Only 25% of voters think CPS should take on this payment. CPS and the city could work toward a long-term, jointly beneficial solution 鈥� potentially with state participation 鈥� that does not immediately burden school budgets.

The Bottom Line

Despite the challenges, there is broad agreement on two fundamental points:听

• In the long term, CPS needs a coordinated, sustainable revenue strategy to fix its structural budget deficit, address pension cost inequities, and stabilize the district鈥檚 finances to serve student needs.听
• In the near term, the least disruptive path for young people starts with avoiding additional school cuts in fiscal year 2026.听

With those assumptions in mind, the most fiscally responsible path for 2026 likely includes no operational borrowing, declining the optional MEABF payment unless offsetting revenue is identified, and securing additional city dollars through an increased TIF surplus. Arriving at the right balance within this context will require continued collaboration across the district, city, and state.

Introduction

As 海角直播 (CPS) faces a projected operating deficit for the 2026 fiscal year (FY26), city and district leaders are weighing high-stakes budget decisions. Years of compounding cost pressures 鈥� from inflation and labor agreements to pension costs and the expiration of federal funds related to the COVID-19 pandemic 鈥� have created structural gaps in CPS鈥� finances. The question now is not whether to act, but how.

What makes this moment especially urgent is the status of school-level budgets. In May, CPS distributed funding allocations to principals based on a working deficit of $229 million. Certainly, principals and community members understood that there were likely additional cost demands. However, principals have submitted those budgets, and Local School Councils (LSCs) have already approved them. These budgets are now built into school-year 2025-26 (SY25-26) planning. Reopening them at this point, just weeks before the start of school, would be disruptive and unprecedented.听

We now know that CPS faces a total deficit of $734 million for FY26. That represents a $505 million gap compared to the $229 million deficit principals worked within earlier this summer. That gap comes from changes in assumptions about revenue and expenditures:

Revenue Assumptions

• $300 million less in assumed additional state and/or local funds (since such revenue isn鈥檛 committed at this point)

Cost Assumptions

• $175 million in additional costs to reimburse the city of 海角直播for the Municipal Employees Annuity Benefit Fund (MEABF) for FY26
• $30 million in additional costs to transition five schools from the Acero charter network to CPS management

Through July, CPS had identified about $165 million in cost savings, leaving a gap of $569 million. CPS also received around $50 million in additional state funding, narrowing the gap further. By state law, the 海角直播Board of Education must approve a balanced annual budget by August 30, 2025. The vote requires a majority of the 20 members to pass, with the board president breaking a tie.听

This memo outlines four scenarios that have emerged in public debate and private discussions, and that were discussed at a series of five CPS community feedback sessions in July:

1. Close the deficit with cuts.
2. Use borrowing to close the budget gap.
3. Secure additional revenue from the city or state.
4. Resolve the question of the MEABF payment.

While each has trade-offs, this document aims to provide context and analysis of their implications for CPS鈥� financial future and the start of the upcoming school year.

Scenario 1: Close the deficit with cuts.

Under this scenario, CPS would cut up to an additional $569 million, which would severely impact school budgets and the student experience.

Cutting school staff and resources to balance the budget would be devastating. To reach $300 million in cuts, the average school could lose:

• 听2 allocated teacher positions (8% of staff)
• 听$366,000 (67%) in discretionary funds, equivalent to more than two teachers or other staff

Across the district, schools could lose 903 teacher positions and $179 million in discretionary funding, equivalent to cutting more than 1,400 teachers and other staff. No school in CPS can bear these reductions without significantly impacting students.

Principals already note the strain their budgets are under, even before any such catastrophic cuts. In :

• 19% of principals state that more financial resources for their school would improve their impact as a principal (ranked second out of eight options), an increase from 13% in 2024.
• 53% of principals state that budget changes, 48% state that limited resources, and 47% state that facilities and supply challenges significantly impact their school communities (second, third, and fourth out of 20 possible options).

Such cuts are also extremely unpopular with the public at large. According to an April 2025 poll, only 26% of 海角直播voters (and 22% of parents) support reducing school budgets.

CPS鈥� current FY26 budget cuts have already affected facilities, food service, academic support, and transportation. More cuts of this magnitude could have serious negative consequences for students.

The district could make other cuts as well. CPS could further reduce the number of staff in its central office. For example, cutting back to its 2019 staffing levels and reducing centralized discretionary spending might save another $60 to $70 million, but this would also further reduce services to schools.

The district could also use furlough days as it has in the past, which would reduce the gap more. Each furlough day saves the system about $15 million, and there are seven days without student attendance built into the calendar that could be used. Of course, this would also require a partnership with the labor unions representing school leaders, teachers, and other staff. Overall, it would be difficult to fully close the deficit through cuts alone.听

Scenario 2: Use borrowing to close a budget gap.

Given the obvious risks from school budget cuts, many have asked whether CPS can borrow its way out of this crisis. But borrowing is not a long-term solution. It may delay the pain, but it won鈥檛 prevent it.听

Voters understand this: Just 8% of 海角直播voters support borrowing to close a CPS budget gap.

Aversion to borrowing is well founded, given that a large share of the current CPS deficit is due to debt service costs from previous borrowing.听

CPS currently holds $9 billion in bond debt and pays $817 million in interest yearly. Its credit rating remains below investment grade. It last borrowed to cover operational gaps from 2016 through 2018. Those loan payments currently cost the district $200 million annually. Any borrowing to cover operational needs may lead to a further credit rating downgrade, making future loans even more expensive.

If CPS chooses to borrow and receives a downgrade, it will pay three times:

• First, through the interest costs of the new debt.
• Second, through the forgone savings for debt refinancing of previous higher-interest debt.
• Third, through incurring higher interest costs for future debt that it must issue in coming years to make needed capital repairs. The average facility in CPS is over 85 years old, and the maintenance backlog is over $14 billion. These repairs must be covered by taking out more loans, which would become even more expensive, allowing for less capital improvement.

Given these dynamics, borrowing to cover a budget gap is extremely risky, and it gets riskier as the amount of borrowing increases.

Scenario 3: Secure additional revenue from the city and/or state.

CPS’ revenue generation is very limited. Over 50% of its revenue comes from property taxes. However, CPS can only increase taxes to the rate of inflation or 5%, whichever is lower. All FY26 budget scenarios assume CPS increases its tax levy to this maximum limit.

Thus, additional revenue must come from the city of 海角直播or the state of Illinois. Voters support additional revenue to close the gap: 53% prefer new state revenue, and 32% support additional city contributions.

Revenue from the city can come via tax increment financing (TIF) surplus funds. The city has declared TIF surpluses in past years, and CPS receives around 55% of any such surplus. Although the amount of funding CPS has received in TIF surpluses has dramatically increased over the past decade, from $62 million in 2015 to $300 million in 2025, there is an opportunity for even more TIF surplus funding in 2026.听

While CPS is already assuming $300 million in TIF surplus revenue, consistent with last year’s contribution, the mayor must declare a TIF surplus, including the already assumed amount, with a final budget approved by the 海角直播City Council before the end of December. That gives this path advantages over the other revenue options, which would take longer to realize. Recent reporting indicates the city of 海角直播faces a $1 billion budget shortfall, so it may be looking to additional TIF surpluses as an option.

The other revenue option is through the state of Illinois. State revenue accounts for around 28% of CPS revenue, and, according to the state鈥檚 evidence-based funding formula (EBF), CPS is only at 79% of its adequacy target. CPS, like most districts in the state, is underfunded.

At the same time, the state has many conflicting budget priorities. In May, it passed an increase in new funding for K-12 education of about $300 million. In addition, the state will not approve a new FY27 budget until May 2026. Securing additional funding for CPS requires action by the state legislature and the governor. Although a special session this summer or fall is possible, it is doubtful, given the state鈥檚 current financial outlook and a lack of motivation across the legislature to solely offer CPS emergency assistance. If the state does provide more funding, it would not likely occur until next spring, especially since no current bill is ready for the Illinois General Assembly to consider. For reference, some revenue solutions, like a progressive income tax, require a constitutional amendment, which failed in 2020.

Over time, state revenue options could include:

• Increase EBF funding for all districts in the state faster.
• Modifications to the EBF that increase funds sent to 海角直播and similar districts, through recognizing poverty concentration or modifying cost assumptions on special education.
• Increased state support for CPS teacher pension costs, perhaps through a graduated merger with the state system.
• Approval for increased local tax levies to support CPS beyond the current ones.

In this moment, additional revenue from the city through a TIF surplus is the only realistic option in the near term. While it does require political coordination and a shared strategy between CPS and the city, this scenario presents a path that minimizes disruption, preserves school programming, and honors the time already invested by school communities.

For more information on potential revenue sources, see the 鈥淧otential Revenue Options鈥� table at the end of this memo. Kids First 海角直播also published 鈥溾�� in July 2024.

Scenario 4: Resolve the question of the MEABF payment.

The $734 million deficit includes an assumption of a $175 million payment to the city of 海角直播for costs related to the Municipal Employees Annuity and Benefit Fund (MEABF). This pension system covers municipal employees, including CPS employees who are not certified educators. The district is not legally obligated to cover this cost and did not do so for nearly 100 years. It reimbursed the city from 2020 through 2023, with COVID-19 funds. Of course, those funds are no longer available, and making this payment now requires cuts elsewhere in the CPS budget or additional borrowing. As already noted, neither is an attractive option.

The public has signaled its disapproval politically: Just 25% of voters support CPS taking on this responsibility.

Working with the city to identify a long-term solution that meets both institutions鈥� needs may be possible. Perhaps the state could identify a new dedicated tax levy that the 海角直播Board of Education could raise, or the state could absorb the normal cost of pensions for CPS employees covered by the MEABF, as it does for CPS teachers. Such options would again require a coordinated effort over several months.

Ultimately, CPS is not legally required to make this payment, and doing so would require more revenue to avoid borrowing or additional cuts.

Key Considerations for Balancing the Budget

• Level of school cuts: Schools cannot bear additional budget cuts without profoundly impacting students and without significantly reworking their existing plans for SY25-26. School-level cuts would be disruptive in all contexts, though other efficiencies and savings may be possible.
• Borrowing: Successfully taking out more loans is never guaranteed, and adding debt now will create additional challenges later. Even if it is possible to close a gap in FY26, what happens in FY27, in FY28, or beyond?
• Additional revenue: The city of 海角直播can declare an additional TIF surplus, resulting in additional revenue for CPS. This requires the support of the mayor and City Council. The state legislature adjourned on May 31 and will not return until a six-day session in October. Its next full session begins in January 2026.
• MEABF: Given considerable financial pressures, including risks to school budgets, it is challenging for CPS to assume a $175 million payment that it is not required to make. At the same time, CPS and the city can work together to identify a sustainable solution.

While no path is without trade-offs, and all decisions have future consequences, avoiding significant school cuts offers the most direct route to preserving what matters most: continuity for students, predictability for educators, and trust between the district and the communities it serves.

Potential Revenue Options

See Full Survey Findings on

The 海角直播 (The Fund) has released the results of its annual Principal and Assistant Principal (AP) Engagement Surveys 鈥� the longest-running and largest surveys of school leaders in Chicago. Conducted in April and May and analyzed this summer, the surveys reveal significant findings about the satisfaction and needs of school leaders across the district. More than 900 principals and APs participated.

Overall, principal and AP satisfaction is up slightly year-over-year (from 63% to 64% for principals and from 73% to 76% for APs), but principal satisfaction rates have yet to return to pre-pandemic highs.

The survey found strong support for maintaining 海角直播鈥� (CPS鈥�) system of local decision-making and principal empowerment. A staggering 95% of principals stated that the ability to allocate school resources and develop their budget, as well as hire their APs, significantly impacts their effectiveness. Sixty-one percent of principals expressed the need for increased responsiveness and support from the CPS Central Office, and 60% wanted more autonomy in allocating resources.

鈥淭hese survey results show that school-level decision-making is a cornerstone of what makes Chicago鈥檚 public schools desirable for school leaders,鈥� said Mariel Laureano, Director of Educator Supports for The Fund, and a CPS principal for more than 10 years. 鈥淐PS leadership wisely named this as a core principle guiding their budget this fall, even as they shifted to a new budgeting approach. It鈥檚 vital that we continue to lean into what makes 海角直播unique for school leaders as we compete to retain and attract talented education leaders. As a school leader, I valued local control, and the vast majority of my colleagues continue to do so today.鈥�

The Fund鈥檚 annual Principal & AP Engagement Surveys provide a valuable view through the perspective of the leaders in Chicago鈥檚 public schools. With an annual frequency, 10 years of data for principals and three for APs, a high response rate (consistently over 70% among principals in district-operated schools), and independent administration by an expert survey provider (the National Business Research Institute, or NBRI), these surveys are a unique tool for anyone interested in understanding school leadership in Chicago.

Other key survey findings include:

• Principals want to spend more time on instructional leadership. Seventy-four percent of principals say they receive clear guidance on the district鈥檚 instructional vision, but principals chose instructional leadership 2 to 1 over all other answer choices when asked what would most improve their impact as a principal, including more resources, more staff, and professional development.
• Principals are deeply concerned about chronic absenteeism. Sixty percent of principals named it a significant challenge.听
• Principals don’t yet fully understand the shift to an elected school board. While 61% of principals are aware of the upcoming elected school board governance changes, only 24% feel that communication from CPS regarding these changes is sufficient. Additionally, just 22% say they understand how the elected school board will affect their school communities.
• Principals want more tailored development opportunities. Only a slight majority of principals (58%) and APs (51%) are satisfied with the current professional development offerings, indicating a need for more responsive and relevant training opportunities.
• Most principals are satisfied with their managers. Eighty-four percent of principals reported receiving regular support and feedback from their network chief or deputy chief, with 81% acknowledging that this support has improved their practice.

About The 海角直播

The 海角直播 (The Fund) is a nonprofit organization that improves Chicago鈥檚 public schools by investing in the talented educators who lead them. For over 20 years, we have worked with our public, private, and philanthropic partners to redefine what it means to lead a public school.

About the Principal and AP Engagement Surveys

Each year since 2014, The Fund has invited all of Chicago鈥檚 public school principals to participate in our annual Principal Engagement Survey. The survey, which is available for eight to 11 weeks for any 海角直播public school principal to complete, gauges principal experience during the previous school year to better understand principals鈥� needs citywide. We then use the survey results to inform our program and policy work to support Chicago鈥檚 school leaders. High-level results for 2024, 2023, 2022, and 2021 are available at .

In 2022, we introduced the AP Engagement Survey. The survey similarly seeks to understand the experiences and needs of all of Chicago’s public school APs. The findings help inform our current programming and improve the support we provide to APs throughout the year. The survey results also shape our aspiring principal pipeline strategy. High-level results for 2024, 2023, and 2022 are available at .

Media Contact

Cheyane Bligen, The 海角直播, cbligen@thefundchicago.org

The survey responses inform our programming and help us to work toward our mission to improve public schools in 海角直播by investing in the talented educators who lead them. For the first time, we are excited to announce the program changes that are informed by the survey before the start of the school year. Based on the survey data, and discussions with members of our Educator Advisory Committee, we are:

1. Providing more support for principals鈥� professional development.

87% of participating principals want more time for professional learning and development.

We are investing over $1 million in our core programs for 2023-24. We aim to serve more than 200 principals through our Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). Based on survey feedback, we will offer Illinois Administrator Academy credits for free through select semester-long PLCs. We will also offer our traditional yearlong PLCs focused on topics ranging from community partnerships, instructional leadership teams, and Local School Councils. Participants in yearlong PLCs will be eligible to receive a stipend for continued learning.

For principals leading schools in communities with high student mobility, we are launching a new, two-year fellowship program. The Malott Educator Fellowship will provide support to qualifying elementary school principals in years three through seven.

2. Renewing our commitment to adequate, equitable resources and principal flexibility.

57% of participating principals want more resources, and 53% want more flexibility in how resources are used.

We know adequate, equitable resources are required for the hard work that school leaders do. In the year ahead, we will share budget adequacy and equity analyses with elected officials and other local and state leaders. We will publish reports that shed light on the positive impact of increased funding and on the need to maintain and grow funding levels. Our past case studies and reports highlighted equity and the need for adequacy.

The survey results also showed that many principals value the flexibility to use resources in ways they know will best serve their school communities. We know there is a relationship between increased leadership latitude, joyful student learning, and positive school culture. Supporting school leaders鈥� ability to lead with local needs at the center is critical to increasing principal satisfaction and keeping them in their role.

Our continued investment in the Summer Design Program (SDP) and the Design Challenge are avenues for principals to pursue change that makes a difference for the communities they serve. Participation also helps build capacity across their leadership teams. In our Design Studio format, teams work together to build future solutions for the challenges they are experiencing today.

3. Investing in social and emotional learning (SEL) supports.

58% of participating principals want more support with student SEL, and 50% want more support with personal mental health.听

SEL 鈥� for students and adults 鈥� continues to be a topic that matters to leaders citywide. Our PLC and Masterclass catalog for 2023-24 includes several educator-led opportunities to learn and deepen practices related to well-being.

Beyond the existing program catalog, we will bring principals together to discuss issues of trauma and loss in their personal and professional work and to build a supportive community. We plan to pilot this initiative in 2023-24.

More broadly, our educator newsletter and social media channels will include a focus on educator and student well-being in 2023-24. We will intentionally highlight proven tools, strategies, and experiences designed to improve mental health for adults and social and emotional skills for students.

Finally, we would like to thank 海角直播principals for their commitment and leadership. We remain grateful every day for all that they do, and we look forward to working with them to support their schools and communities in the year ahead.

The survey responses inform our programming and help us to be a catalyst for accelerating student learning by supporting school leaders. This year, we are excited to announce the program changes that are informed by the survey data before the start of the school year. Based on the survey responses, and discussions with members of our Educator Advisory Committee, we are:

1. Providing more support for AP professional development.

88% of participating APs want more time for professional learning and development.听

We are investing over $1 million in our core programs for 2023-24. We aim to serve more APs through our extensive catalog of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). Our PLCs include topics exclusively for APs who are looking to move into the principal role. The semester-long PLCs offer Illinois Administrators Academy credits for free, and participants in yearlong PLCs are eligible for a continued-learning stipend.

2. Creating additional opportunities to build skills for the principalship.

51% of participating APs would pursue the principal role if their principal left tomorrow.

The survey also suggests areas in which APs want more development. In response, The Fund is offering Masterclass workshops on budgeting, entry planning, and performance evaluation. The workshops are led by expert principals. Masterclasses are open to all 海角直播APs citywide, and we encourage them to participate.

3. Investing in social and emotional learning (SEL) supports.

50% of participating APs want more support with their mental health.

SEL for both students and adults continues to be a topic that matters to school leaders across Chicago. Our PLC and Masterclass catalog for 2023-24 includes several educator-led opportunities for APs to learn and deepen practices related to well-being.

More broadly, our educator newsletter and social media channels will include a focus on educator and student well-being this year. Specifically, we will highlight proven tools, strategies, and experiences designed to improve social and emotional skills for students and mental health for adults.

We would like to once again thank Chicago鈥檚 APs for their leadership and commitment. We are grateful for all that they do every day, and we look forward to working with them in the coming academic year to support their schools and communities.