Testimony Delivered to the º£½ÇÖ±²¥Board of Education on March 5, 2025

Good morning.

I am Mariel Laureano, a director at The º£½ÇÖ±²¥, an organization that provides leadership development programming to over 350 º£½ÇÖ±²¥school leaders.

As a former principal, I know firsthand the importance, responsibility, and challenges of managing a school budget.

This is a difficult task in a district that is only funded at 79% adequacy — 79% adequacy!

And yet, this board is being asked to approve a $175 million pension payment that CPS is not legally obligated to pay. That one choice will prevent CPS from having enough revenue to cover the new teacher’s contract. We understand that borrowing now is not an option.

I served through CPS’ last financial crisis. For 10 years, I led Prieto Math and Science Academy, a dual-language neighborhood elementary school in Belmont Cragin. Between 2014 and 2017, CPS ran consecutive budget deficits of over $1 billion — just like the projected shortfalls in CPS’ five-year outlook today.

I saw firsthand what that meant in schools like mine: impactful staff cuts, loss of student supports, and frustrated parents.

If you choose to make this payment, CPS’ only way forward for next year’s budget is to borrow again. Please don’t take that risk. Instead, prioritize the needs of school communities.

Use CPS’s revenue for labor agreements for teachers and principals.

Do what’s right for principals. For teachers. And, most importantly, for students.

When it comes before you, we encourage you, vote no on this unnecessary pension reimbursement.

Thank you.

The survey responses inform our programming and help us to work toward our mission to improve public schools in º£½ÇÖ±²¥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’ 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’ 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. 

SEL — for students and adults — 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 º£½ÇÖ±²¥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. 

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 º£½ÇÖ±²¥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’s 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.