The EAC is a group of around 30 principals and assistant principals (APs) that we convene throughout each school year. They provide feedback on the work we do to support their fellow school leaders. For the first time, the members of last year鈥檚 EAC used their shared experiences to generate recommendations for policy changes to address staff shortages in CPS. The shift away from student-based budgeting provided a relevant topic for the second year of the EAC鈥檚 policy work.

This year, the EAC had the advantage of the prior year鈥檚 experience with its policy development process, allowing the group to start its work more quickly. However, with CPS鈥� budget office already working on putting together next year鈥檚 school budgets, the window for having the EAC鈥檚 recommendations taken into account for the coming year鈥檚 budget process was short. To meet this timeline, the EAC condensed its process into just a few months, with the goal of presenting a completed memo listing its recommendations to CPS leadership in early March.

As they did in 2024, EAC members began the process by sharing their experiences, detailing the high and low points of their work with the new budget framework. These conversations revealed unfamiliarity and frustration with certain aspects of the CPS鈥� budget framework, leading to recommendations that focused on transparency and flexibility around foundation positions (those that are funded by the district for every school) and the Opportunity Index (a formula that directs resources to schools that are the furthest from opportunity). Through a number of conversations, we and EAC members refined their recommendations into a memo, which we shared with the CPS Office of Finance.

For its March 6 session, the EAC welcomed CPS Chief Budget Officer Michael Sitkowski, along with staff from the Office of Finance, to present their budget memo and engage in conversation with the district鈥檚 budget leaders. The EAC鈥檚 co-chairs, along with other members, supported their presentation by providing context from their own schools, sharing the experiences that led to the recommendations. CPS staff provided more detail on aspects of the district鈥檚 budget process and expressed appreciation for the recommendations to ensure principals are more involved in developing this process.聽

The EAC members at this session found it to be a valuable experience. The principals and APs shared that, while the upcoming budget season will still be challenging, they appreciated the opportunity to meet with district leaders and share their experiences directly. The EAC will continue to support CPS through the budget process by providing dedicated sessions for sharing effective budgeting practices in the coming months.

The EAC鈥檚 policy development process once again shows the value of elevating school leader voices 鈥� to both the school leaders themselves and to the district as a whole. In a system where principal autonomy has led to major advances in student achievement, it is critical to uplift the experiences of the leaders who shape student learning in over 600 school communities across Chicago.

The Fund regularly convenes an Educator Advisory Committee, a group of around 30 CPS principals and assistant principals (APs) who provide feedback on the work we do to support their fellow school leaders. When we brought this group together for the 2023-24 school year, they expressed a particular interest in learning more about the policy environment of CPS and developing policy recommendations to create conditions that would allow them to better serve their students.

Because this was a new type of work for our Educator Advisory Committee, the principals and APs took the lead in establishing a process for developing recommendations over the course of the year. They began by discussing the major issues they saw in their day-to-day work. These discussions revealed shared experiences of difficulty hiring full-time and temporary staff, which led the committee to choose staffing shortages as their broad topic for exploration.

From this starting point, the members continued to share their experiences and recognize commonalities that affected schools of differing sizes, locations, and student populations across the district. For example, many principals reported difficulties in hiring for specific roles, such as teachers serving students with disabilities or English learners. Challenges with district communication and finding temporary teachers also arose as pain points. Rather than just pointing out issues, however, the committee moved on to developing solutions that would help to address these problems, and refined them into concrete recommendations for policymakers at various levels, which they compiled into a memo.

It was important to our Educator Advisory Committee members that their voices be heard by decision-makers. For their last session of the school year, we invited CPS Chief Talent Officer Ben Felton, who oversees district personnel policies, to hear committee members present their recommendations. Felton offered feedback on the recommendations, shared some of his office鈥檚 existing and proposed strategies to deal with shortages, and engaged in dialogue with the school leaders present. We are also sharing the committee鈥檚 memo with additional policymakers, such as other CPS leaders, state legislators, and candidates for newly elected seats on the 海角直播Board of Education.

In addition to gaining direct access to policymakers, the school leaders on our Educator Advisory Committee appreciated that this policy process allowed them to focus their energies on finding larger, systemic solutions to the issues that arise in their daily work. Working with other school leaders from across the district also allowed them to see the challenges of staffing shortages from a broader perspective, rather than just in the context of their own school buildings. Overall, participants reported that their process of policy development was a valuable experience, and many are interested in continuing the work next year.

Because CPS school leaders play such a crucial role in the success of their schools, we at The Fund recognize the importance of their voices in the development of policies that will impact the conditions in which they do their work. This is one of the reasons why we聽 conduct our annual in partnership with CPS, which are independently administered by the National Business Research Institute. Among other things, the surveys provide valuable data on what principals and APs see as areas for improvement in district policies. The work of our Educator Advisory Committee this year has provided another avenue for principal perspective in policymaking, one we hope to build on in future iterations of the committee.

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.聽

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.聽

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.

Positive Welcome

The main gates open half an hour before school starts. This past year, our start time was 8 a.m., and so our start time this coming year is going to be 9 a.m. I go out into the front entrance half an hour before school starts and welcome students into the building. The students come through the metal detectors and must get searched. It is a very traumatizing experience so we make it a point to mollify that with our own positive greetings. A lot of adults will give students hugs, or ask them a personal question. We try to make that transition into school a little more positive.

Nice to Meet You

The first hour or two will be spent meeting with parents. They mostly want to be heard, but they also want some resolution. Then, I鈥檓 usually in classrooms, doing informal or formal evaluations. I also do quick five minute check ins or I鈥檓 in team meetings. Here at Wells, we have the Care team meeting. It鈥檚 about digging deeper to see what social emotional issues might arise. On Tuesday, each grade level meets. On Wednesdays, I lead the Instructional Leadership Team meeting. Thursday is the day for departmental meetings. On top of that, on Thursday, we also have the transitional meetings for students transitioning in and out of high school. Throughout the four years here, students have the opportunity for postsecondary options. We create plans for that and then also we have on Thursday the climate and culture team meeting for the building. This includes interactions between adults. How do we make this a warm, welcoming place to work? Our meetings are very productive. Meetings take up 40聽percent聽of my time.

Inbox: 0

By that time I鈥檓 back in my office, I have many e-mails left in my inbox. Four o鈥檆lock is when I鈥檒l check my work e-mail again. I then have one-on-one meetings until 7 p.m., as students are still here. After that, and checking my e-mail one more time, I plan for the next day and leave by 8:30 or 9:00 p.m.

After growing up with strong influences toward education, Okab began his formal career as an ESL teacher in Kuwait, moving to Alabama later on to finish his degree in language arts and linguistics. In 1982, he became a CPS teacher and has been involved with public education in Chicago.聽 Since 2000, he has served as Principal at Peck School, a consistent and successful school on the southwest side of Chicago.聽 In spite of the 201% overcrowding and limited space, the instructional team at Peck has sustained the highest level of academic achievement for all his students.

Part of Okab鈥檚 journey in the field of education has been participation in the CPS Principal Fellowship in 2014-2015, a program sponsored by The Fund to provide a group of high-performing principals the chance to participate in a professional development program at Northwestern University鈥檚 Kellogg School of Management.

Okab said that the program itself was rewarding because it served as a platform by which principals could offer practical solutions to issues within CPS. 鈥淭he idea behind [The Fellows program] is great: to create the best practices in the city,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e are able to help come up with system-wide ideas and to help advise the central office.鈥�

On top of the chance to have his voice heard, Okab said he appreciated the opportunity to study at Northwestern, which provided the Fellows with a novel perspective on what it means to operate a school efficiently. 鈥淧articipants see how the business world works, how the businesses are being managed,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he school is a business and the parents and children are our clients. We are going to have impact by creating an environment that is conducive for productivity and results.鈥�

Part of Okab鈥檚 takeaway from the program was a greater commitment to technology in the classroom, which he says is an invaluable skill for students today. 鈥淚f you can give [students] skills to communicate and use technology, then they can use these skills to access everything.鈥�

At Peck, this commitment takes the form of laptops available to all students, as well as workshops for parents to learn about technology alongside their children.

Okab鈥檚 commitment to providing the best education possible stems from a desire to be an outstanding leader. As a recipient of the Community School Leadership Award from the Federation for Community School and Kathy Osterman Award for Outstanding Supervisory for the City of Chicago, Okab strongly believes that 鈥渨e are here to provide the best service for the people we are serving. If you want to be a leader you have to be a servant. You have to be a model, an example,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his is our way of working 鈥� it鈥檚 hard work, but this is the way it should be done.鈥�

***

Born in Mexico City, Salvador Perez immigrated to the United States in his mid-twenties in search of the 鈥淎merican Dream.鈥� He worked in several fields 鈥� picking tomatoes in farming fields, building at construction sites and laboring in factories. For nearly thirty years, he has embarked on a journey to fulfill a fierce thirst for knowledge that drives his life.

For Salvador, education was the means to achieve his dreams. He earned multiple degrees to support his ambitions, including a Master鈥檚 Degree with a concentration on Bilingual Special Education. Encouraged by these accomplishments, Salvador sought an opportunity to help him lead and advocate for his students: National Board Certification (NBC), the teaching profession鈥檚 only national credential.

In Funds 1 and 2, The Fund seeded the 海角直播 (CPS) NBC program to support a large, diverse population of CPS teachers interested in pursuing NBC. This comprehensive program recruited, supported and prepared teachers as applicants and mentors. The Fund collaborated with the program to develop its unique component: a focus on developing cohorts of teachers who undertake the certification effort together and work to improve whole schools.

鈥淲hen you enter into the process of NBC,鈥� Salvador said, 鈥渢hen you understand that you dare to become a better teacher. You learn about best practices. You see your peers, your mentors, modeling them for you, and they provide the tools, the resources; all the things you need to grow, to be better.鈥�

When Salvador earned his NBC in Early Childhood Education, with a concentration in English as a New Language (ENL) and Bilingual Education, he joined more than 2,000 CPS teachers who achieved NBC and witnessed its power to accelerate student outcomes. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e able to transform the educational process to create a greater impact on students鈥� academic development,鈥� Salvador said.

For the past 17 years, Salvador has refined his instruction, championed his students, and touched hundreds of lives at Boone. Today, Salvador鈥檚 pursuit of educational excellence continues; he is working toward his Doctorate in Early Childhood Education. 鈥淭his time and space,鈥� he said, 鈥渋s my opportunity to nourish the future of our society.鈥�

鈥淚 was lucky to find someone who supported me,鈥� Gerardo said. 鈥淭he principal helped me get my certification as a teacher here. And through a process of effort, work and study, I became a teacher in 海角直播.鈥�

After earning his teaching degree from National-Louis University, Gerardo taught reading, math and technology to fourth, fifth and eighth graders. Gerardo earned his master鈥檚 degree and Type 75 certification from Northern Illinois University and secured an Assistant Principal position. By 2009, Gerardo was named Principal of Tonti Elementary School.

When Gerardo joined The Fund鈥檚 in 2013, he was committed to bringing parents, educators, community organizations and businesses together to benefit the children of Chicago. Through the EAC, he was able to collaborate with his peers and develop new ideas for his school.

鈥淭eachers definitely need support from the administration,鈥� Gerardo said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an eye opener to see the possibilities and to understand that we don鈥檛 have to continue doing the same things 鈥� teaching students the same way and expecting the results to be different. We have to change.鈥�

***

Gerardo is an alum and a previous participant in The Fund’s .