LSCs are a defining feature of Chicago’s public schools. Made up of principals, teachers, parents, community members, and students, LSCs play an important role in shaping a school’s future through decisions about budgets, school improvement, principal evaluation, and other key priorities. This model of local governance is most effective when LSC members and principals engage in shared decision-making and build strong, collaborative relationships.

The Fund recognizes the significant stakes in that partnership, which is why, for the third consecutive year, we have partnered with the Department of Principal Quality (DPQ) to offer the LSC Mentorship Program. The program pairs principals with experienced mentors who offer guidance through decision-making

In 2025-26, brought together 18 principals (six mentors and 12 mentees) across Chicago. Together, they logged 58 coaching calls, 20 LSC meeting visits, and four site visits. Behind each number is a productive conversation, a moment of guidance, or a principal who showed up for their colleague. Through the program, participating principals filled council vacancies, strengthened trust with parents and community members, and reported increased confidence in their leadership. By the end of the year, 100% of survey respondents said they would recommend the program to other school leaders.

For Dr. Joenile Albert-Reese, who is entering her 22nd year as principal at A.N. Pritzker Elementary, mentoring other principals felt like a natural fit. 鈥淭he school benefits most when the LSC and the principal are really a unit, are really a collaborative team working together for what’s best for the school,鈥� she said.

Katie Magnuson, principal of Skinner North Classical School, was drawn to the program for similar reasons. 鈥淚 find it really inspiring, especially helping either newer principals or principal colleagues to be able to problem solve and figure out solutions to things,鈥欌�� she said. 鈥淭he LSC mentor program really allowed me to do that, which I’m really grateful for.鈥欌��

Both mentors observed that the greatest challenges with LSCs rarely stem from bad intentions. More often, they arise from misunderstandings, unclear expectations, or gaps in communication. According to Magnuson, the solution starts with clarity. 鈥淎s a principal, it’s really about learning what people’s 鈥榃hys?鈥� are and then helping them see how their why matches the school’s needs.”

Elva Bahena, who is starting her third year as principal of Talcott Fine Arts and Museum Academy, is Dr. Reese鈥檚 mentee and joined the program wanting to make her meetings more effective.

鈥淒r. Reese mentioned being very proud that her meetings are under an hour. And I thought, 鈥極kay, that’s my goal.鈥� That just says she’s straight to the point. Everybody understands their role.鈥�

Kerrin Quezada, beginning her fourth year as principal at Moos Elementary, came to the program wanting to build on existing relationships. 鈥淚 felt really close with my chair and my co-chair because I was in regular communication with them. But I wanted to expand my relationship with the members I didn’t talk to as regularly.鈥�

Her mentor encouraged one-on-one check-ins with LSC members to get to know them better. “Until you have that sit-down with them and can really hear directly from them, that’s what allows you to build the relationship, build the trust, and make sure we’re all on the same page,鈥澛� Quezada said.

She also walked away with a practical strategy for principal evaluation: keeping a running record of evidence throughout the year rather than trying to pull everything together at the end. The impact was real, and the relationships she built carried beyond the formal evaluation process.

Both Principal Magnuson and Dr. Reese described the experience as mutually beneficial. Dr. Reese recalled visiting her mentees’ LSC meetings and how it felt to sit through long, seemingly unproductive meetings.

鈥淲hen I saw it happening in their meetings, I knew exactly what I’d done to get past that. It made me grateful for my growth,鈥� Dr. Reese said. But she was also learning. 鈥淪ome of the things my mentees were doing I had not thought of doing. They come with a refreshed brain and a new set of knowledge and skills, the new technology, the new stuff. It was kind of like a two-way thing.鈥�

Magnuson agreed with the sentiment. 鈥淚t’s the importance of always having a thought partner. The role can be lonely sometimes; there’s a lot that you’re holding and responsible for. And sometimes you just need someone to be able to talk to and really reflect with.鈥�

Magnuson said her favorite memory from the program was attending her mentees’ LSC meetings and watching them lead. 鈥淛ust seeing them in their own space shows the pride in the work that school leaders do and the thoughtfulness that goes into presenting at an LSC meeting. That was my favorite.鈥�

The relationships built through this program, Dr. Reese noted, don’t end when the program does. 鈥淚’ve spoken to both of my mentees even through this summer since school’s been out. You need someone in the seat whom you value, with whom you can get some feedback,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e have a relationship. They know I’m a safe space, and I trust that they’re a safe space as well.鈥�

That sense of community is exactly what the program is designed to build. And it starts with getting the principal-LSC relationship right. 鈥淲hen you are transparent with your LSC, when you allow them to have a voice, and you consider their voice before you make a decision, they know you and your values,鈥欌�� Dr. Reese said. 鈥淭he school benefits most when the LSC and the principal are really a unit, a truly collaborative team working together for what’s best for the school.鈥�

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CHICAGO 鈥� A new survey of 1,033 海角直播voters, conducted by Embold Research on behalf of The 海角直播 (The Fund), finds that Chicagoans place strong trust in the educators closest to students, have significant questions about CPS finances, and are still getting up to speed on the historic November election for the 海角直播Board of Education (CBOE).

This trust in school-based educators sets the stage for current opinions on decision-making authority within CPS. Specifically, 76% of respondents trust teachers to look out for the best interests of 海角直播students, and 72% say the same for principals. This makes teachers and principals the most trusted voices in 海角直播public education. Notably, trust in principals has risen by 17 percentage points over the past year 鈥� the largest gain among all individuals or groups measured in the survey.

That confidence creates a clear preference for decision-making authority. When it comes to decisions that affect individual schools, respondents favor local, principal-led decisions by nearly 3-to-1 鈥� with 48% saying principals should be the main decision-makers on school issues, while 16% choose the central office and 16% favor the CBOE.

鈥淭he 3-to-1 preference for local decision-making reflects a clear belief that the people closest to students are best positioned to make responsive choices,鈥� said Dr. Heather Y. Anichini, CEO of The Fund. 鈥淭his finding is a powerful reminder that strong local leadership is essential to thriving schools, particularly in times of fiscal uncertainty.鈥�

Alongside strong beliefs about leadership, respondents have serious questions about CPS finances. Only 26% are confident CPS is spending taxpayer dollars effectively, which is down from 33% in 2025. The decline follows the August 2025 passage of the first budget by a partially elected CBOE.

Respondents are almost evenly divided on what approach should be taken to solve the , with 51% believing CPS needs more funding and 49% believing the district needs to spend its money more effectively. When asked which actions they would support to close the budget deficit, 59% chose reducing central office spending, and 24% chose reducing school budgets and staff. Taking out a loan to close the gap was the least-supported option, chosen by only 6%.

“Chicagoans don鈥檛 view the budget conversation as a simple choice between cuts and new revenue,” Anichini said. “They’re telling us that both fiscal responsibility and continued investment in students matter. People want to see resources directed to what works, and they want confidence that those resources are being managed well.”

Voter awareness of the upcoming Board election is improving, but more outreach is needed. Only 59% of respondents are aware that there will be an election for CBOE members this November, and 61% say they definitely will vote. Of those who do not definitely plan to vote, 52% say more information about the candidates would make them more likely to do so.

“This is a historic moment for the city, and Chicagoans are telling us they want to participate,” Anichini said. “The opportunity in front of us is to make sure they have the information they need to do that.”

Additional findings include:
There is a disconnect between public perception and parent experience in public schools. Just 17% of respondents give CPS an A or B grade overall. Among parents, 27% give CPS an A or B grade overall, while 71% give the school or schools their own children attend an A or B.

More respondents say CPS has gotten worse over the past year (41%) than say it has improved (13%).

A majority of respondents say they would be more likely to support board candidates with prior CPS experience, including those with experience as teachers, parents, principals, or graduates.

Methodology
Embold Research conducted this survey from May 14 to 26, 2026, among 1,033 registered voters in Chicago. Researchers recruited respondents using dynamic online sampling and stratified the sample to reflect the city’s population. The team performed post-stratification on age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, and the 2024 presidential vote. The modeled margin of error is 卤3.2%.

About The 海角直播
The 海角直播 (The Fund) is a nonprofit organization that strengthens Chicago’s public schools by investing in the educators who lead them. Each year, The Fund invests more than $2 million in programs that develop and support school leaders in hundreds of schools citywide. The Fund also conducts research and shares data to inform critical decisions in and about Chicago’s public schools. For 25 years, The Fund has been a trusted partner to school and district leaders across Chicago.

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

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Her path through Chicago’s public education system is wide-ranging. She joined 海角直播 as the Manager of Performance Policy and, in 2021, became the Director of Education Strategy. There, she coordinated academic strategy across more than a dozen Central Office teams, led the redesign of the district’s School Quality Rating Policy (SQRP), and co-led the COVID-19 return-to-school task force. She also led the development of CPS’s “Start with Heart” back-to-school framework to help teachers prioritize identity and relationships in post-pandemic classrooms.

It was during her time at CPS that something crystallized. She led the team that calculated student outcome data for the district, preparing memos on graduation rates, reading, math, and on-track figures for City Hall each reporting cycle.聽

“Every single graph looked the same. The same student groups at the top. The same student groups at the bottom. Year over year,鈥� Lee said. “If the graph never changes, it’s not an accident. It’s a design. I needed to understand how the system was designed, where the levers were, and whether anything could actually move.”

Bridget Lee, Founding Executive Director of the Academy for Local Leadership (ALL Chicago)

From 2022 to 2023, Bridget served as Director of Engagement and Operations at The Fund, where she stewarded $50M in funder relationships and led organizational strategy during a period of rapid growth. She credits that experience with teaching her things she couldn’t have learned anywhere else.聽

“The Fund taught me how to run an organization,” she said. “How to focus work for high impact instead of just staying busy.” That mattered when she founded in January 2024 ahead of Chicago’s first-ever school board elections that November.聽

ALL鈥檚 work operates on three levels: informing community members about how the board works and what it does, helping them understand the power they now hold in the system, and translating that into concrete priorities they can bring directly to board members. ALL works with groups already deeply embedded in their communities, including Community Action Councils on the South and West sides, bilingual councils, and organizations serving undocumented parents. “We seek out groups that have been organized around education for a long time, that care deeply, but have maybe been shut out of decision-making processes.鈥�

Now, with elections for the first fully elected board coming this fall, she is working to ensure communities are not left behind. In its first year, ALL raised $2.4M and launched an inaugural 21-person cohort. By 2026, ALL had engaged more than 468 community members in governance workshops.

The Fund also shaped how Bridget thinks about fundraising and sustainability.聽

“How philanthropy moves, what it takes to build the case for investment, how to steward relationships that actually sustain a mission,鈥� she said. 鈥淪torytelling and strategy are not separate things. You raise $30 million by helping people believe in something, not just by presenting a deck.”

ALL 海角直播grew directly out of the conviction that it matters which stories are told and whose voices are at the table. To join ALL in building an equitable and just education system that works for young people, .

Looking ahead, Bridget sees three levers for lasting change: prepared leaders who understand the role before they seek it, empowered communities who hold those leaders accountable, and clear governance norms that define what effective school board leadership looks like in 海角直播right now.

“海角直播has everything it needs to give a world-class education to every single one of our kids,” she said. “Chicagoans actually agree on the goal. Every kid deserves a great public school. I’d add: one in their neighborhood. But the moment we get to the ‘how,’ we go to our corners. We fight to the death over our preferred approach, even when that means we win and kids lose. We have to stop doing that. We have to come to the table and improve this system one decision at a time.”

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Dr. King assumes this role at an important moment for the district. During her time as Interim Superintendent/CEO, she provided steady, capable leadership, guiding CPS through complex challenges while maintaining a clear focus on students, schools, and communities. Dr. King advanced a balanced FY2026 budget following an unprecedented series of community engagement efforts and coordinated support for students and families amid increased immigration enforcement. She also worked in partnership with the 21-member hybrid 海角直播Board of Education, helping to lay the groundwork for the transition to a fully elected board.

Superintendent/CEO King brings a deep, practical understanding of Chicago鈥檚 schools, shaped by decades of service in CPS, first as a teacher and then as a principal at two schools- Dumas Technology Academy and Courtenay Language Arts Center- as well as by her leadership in education policy for the City of Chicago.

鈥淒r. King has led through a period of significant transition and disruption with clarity, steadiness, and purpose,鈥� said Dr. Heather Y. Anichini, CEO of The 海角直播. 鈥淲hat distinguishes her leadership is her deep understanding of the day-to-day realities facing educators, young people, and communities in Chicago. She brings both the experience and the resolve to advance our shared commitment to young people even as fiscal challenges and governance changes persist, and community needs evolve.鈥�

We are encouraged by Dr. King鈥檚 commitment to advancing equity in the student experience and to strengthening opportunities for meaningful community voice and engagement. Her leadership reflects a clear focus on supporting schools and the people closest to students.

As Dr. King steps into this permanent role, the work ahead remains significant. Sustaining progress will require continued investment in school leadership, clear and consistent communication with those closest to students, and ensuring schools have the resources and flexibility needed to meet evolving student needs.

The 海角直播 remains committed to partnering with Superintendent/CEO King and her team to strengthen these conditions and support strong student outcomes for every student in Chicago.

Congratulations, Dr. King. We look forward to the work ahead.

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Across the city, Local School Councils (LSCs) bring together principals, school staff, parents, community members, and students to help guide their schools. This unique model of local governance ensures that the people who know a school best have a seat at the table when important decisions are made.

At their best, LSCs are more than advisory bodies. They are partners 鈥� working alongside principals on annual budgeting and long-term strategic planning.

For Hamed Flores, principal of Madero Middle School in Little Village, that partnership is essential.

Flores believes that strong schools are built by strong teams. And for him, Madero鈥檚 LSC is a key part of that team.

鈥淎s principal, I don鈥檛 see myself as the one running the LSC,鈥� Flores says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 more about building a team that can work together, where everyone is accountable for both successes and opportunities for growth.鈥�

That collaborative approach is paying off.

Madero鈥檚 Involved Families score on the 鈥� which was already strong 鈥� jumped 16 points between 2024 and 2025, rising from 81 to 97. The increase reflects deep trust and engagement between the school, its families, and the broader community.

Flores is now sharing what he鈥檚 learned with other school leaders through The Fund鈥檚 LSC Mentorship Program, where he is mentoring two principals as they strengthen their relationships with their own councils.

Principal Hamed Flores of Madero Middle School, 2025

Why Local School Councils Matter

LSCs play a powerful role in Chicago鈥檚 public schools. In addition to collaborating with school leaders on budgets and school improvement plans, councils also evaluate and hire principals.

Council members are elected and serve two-year terms, with no limit on how long they can continue serving.

For many Chicagoans, being on an LSC becomes a long-term commitment to their schools. Some parents remain involved for decades 鈥� first as parent representatives while their children are students, and later as community representatives to continue supporting the school. Others join multiple councils as their children move from elementary to middle and high school.

2026 Local School Council Elections

Chicago鈥檚 latest biannual LSC elections took place on March 18, 2026. They were an opportunity for families and community members across the city to get involved in school leadership.

To support schools through the election season and beyond, The 海角直播 (The Fund) offers programs that help principals lead and engage their councils as strategic partners, strengthen council effectiveness, and encourage broader community participation.

Earlier this year, The Fund hosted the LSC Election Accelerator Series, a set of flexible in-person and virtual workshops designed to help principals, assistant principals, parents, and community members reduce council vacancies and increase engagement.

The sessions focused especially on schools with persistent LSC vacancies and low participation. Participants received ready-to-use outreach materials along with strategies to build more inclusive election and participation processes.

The Fund is also continuing to learn from school communities themselves. The organization recently conducted its second LSC Engagement Survey, complementing its annual School Leader Engagement Surveys and helping guide future investments in supports for principals and councils.

Learn More

Interested in getting involved or learning more about LSCs?

Explore these resources:

• 听听

You can also learn more about The Fund鈥檚 work with LSCs in the 2025-26 Program Summary report.

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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.聽
• 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%).聽
• 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

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CHICAGO 鈥� The 海角直播 (The Fund) recently announced the appointment of Dr. Julie Morita, president and CEO of the Joyce Foundation, to its Board of Directors. A nationally recognized leader in public health and philanthropy, Dr. Morita brings deep expertise in policy reform, racial equity, and cross-sector collaboration to The Fund鈥檚 mission of ensuring every 海角直播public school has a high-quality principal.

鈥淛ulie Morita is one of Chicago鈥檚 most effective and compassionate civic leaders, and we are incredibly proud to welcome her to the Board,鈥� said Heather Anichini, President and CEO of The Fund. 鈥淗er career has been defined by a relentless pursuit of equity 鈥� whether through health care or philanthropy. Julie understands that student success relies on strong systems and strong leaders. Her experience managing complex policy issues and large-scale investments will be invaluable as we work to support the educators leading our city鈥檚 schools.鈥�

At the Joyce Foundation, Dr. Morita oversees the annual charitable distribution of $65 million, aimed at advancing racial equity and economic mobility in the Great Lakes region. Previously, she served as executive vice president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, where she led programming that addressed systemic barriers to health.

Julie Morita, CEO of the Joyce Foundation

In her nearly two decades of service with the 海角直播Department of Public Health, including serving as commissioner from 2015 to 2019, she led the implementation of Healthy 海角直播2.0, a four-year plan focused on achieving health equity by addressing the conditions in which people live, learn, and work.

Born and raised in Chicago, Dr. Morita is a lifelong advocate for justice, deeply influenced by the experience of her parents, who were detained in Japanese American internment camps during World War II. She has served as an advisor to the White House, the CDC, and the National Academy of Medicine, and earned her medical degree from the University of Illinois Chicago鈥檚 College of Medicine.

鈥淚 have spent my career working to dismantle systemic barriers so that families and communities can thrive, and education is a fundamental pillar of that work,鈥� said Dr. Morita. 鈥淚 have long admired The 海角直播鈥檚 data-driven approach and its unwavering belief in the power of school leadership. As a 海角直播native, I look forward to working with the Board to ensure that our principals have the resources and support they need to help every student reach their full potential.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. The Fund is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2025, underscoring its enduring commitment to collaborating with partners across Chicago鈥檚 education sector to redefine school leadership in the city.

Media Contact

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

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CHICAGO 鈥� The 海角直播 (The Fund) recently announced the promotion of Mariel Laureano from senior director of educator supports to chief, innovation and continuous improvement. In this newly elevated role, Laureano will lead The Fund鈥檚 strategy to design, test, and scale innovative solutions that strengthen school leadership and improve student outcomes across the city.

鈥淢ariel is a builder, a listener, and a relentless problem-solver,鈥� said Dr. Heather Y. Anchini, The Fund鈥檚 president and CEO. 鈥淪he brings a rare combination of classroom insight, system-level experience, and operational discipline. As chief, innovation and continuous improvement, she will help The Fund and our partners move faster from promising ideas to measurable impact for Chicago鈥檚 students.鈥�

During her tenure as senior director of educator supports, Laureano led cross-partner initiatives that expanded access to high-quality professional learning for school leaders and their teams, improved data use in schools, and streamlined the process of surfacing and sharing promising practices across the city.

鈥淚鈥檓 honored to serve Chicago鈥檚 educators in this new role and this next chapter,鈥� said Laureano. 鈥淥ur schools are full of creativity and urgency. My goal is to co-design with leaders and partners, test what works, and scale it. As always, our decisions will remain student-centered and continue to be guided by data.鈥�

Mariel Laureano, chief, innovation and continuous improvement, 2025

In her new role, Laureano will:

• Drive innovation pipelines that identify school- and network-level challenges and rapidly prototype solutions with practitioners.
• Strengthen continuous improvement systems to ensure that insights from pilots are translated into sustained, citywide practices.
• Deepen partnerships with 海角直播, charter and network partners, philanthropy, and community organizations to align resources to what works.
• Elevate educator voice to ensure the perspectives of principals, teachers, and students shape strategy from design through implementation.

About The 海角直播

The 海角直播 (鈥淭he Fund鈥�) is a nonprofit organization that accelerates student learning in 海角直播by investing in strong school leadership. In partnership with Chicago鈥檚 public schools and community, The Fund designs, tests, and scales solutions that help principals and their teams create the schools that students deserve. Learn more at thefundchicago.org.

Media Contact

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

Editor鈥檚 Note: This announcement is effective November 12, 2025. Quotes and descriptors can be customized with additional biographical details or partner acknowledgments upon request.

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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.

The post The Importance of Transparent Data and Thoughtful Accountability Systems for Sustainable School Improvement: Testimony to the Illinois State Board of Education appeared first on The 海角直播.

Principal Barton Dassinger of C茅sar E. Ch谩vez Multicultural Academic Center won the Growth Leader in Elementary Schools Award. Principal Brian Kelly of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. College Preparatory High School won the Growth Leader in High Schools Award.

The organization announced the awards at its annual Principal Storytelling Evening on October 16 at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry. Mayor Brandon Johnson and interim 海角直播 Superintendent/CEO Dr. Macquline King delivered remarks at the event before four principals told inspiring stories from their careers as leaders. The event is part of the Principal Appreciation Campaign, a citywide effort led by The Fund that celebrates school leaders every October.

鈥淭he Fund celebrates Chicago鈥檚 public school principals year-round,鈥� said Dr. Heather Y. Anichini, CEO of The 海角直播. 鈥淪ince 2015, our October appreciation campaign has inspired a coalition of organizations and communities to recognize the essential role principals play in shaping school culture and accelerating student learning citywide.鈥�

The awards celebrate principals who have achieved exemplary postpandemic growth in their schools. The Fund鈥檚 School Leader Celebrations Committee, which includes 海角直播school leaders and members of community organizations, selected Dassinger and Kelly from a pool of finalists, four in each category:

Finalists for Growth Leader in Elementary Schools Award

• Barton Dassinger, Ch谩vez Multicultural Academic Center
• Meghan Duffy, Audubon Elementary School
• Yalil Nieves, Peterson Elementary School
• Donnell Rader, Beasley Academic Center

Finalists for Growth Leader in High Schools Award

• William Hook, 海角直播High School for Agricultural Sciences
• Paul J. Karafiol, Lake View High School
• Brian Kelly, King College Prep
• Jennifer Sutton, Von Steuben High School

The finalists were identified by assessing multi-year performance metrics for every public school in Chicago. Each finalist then submitted supporting materials and staff endorsements. The committee used a detailed rubric to carefully evaluate the submitted materials and school data. Important considerations included:

• Improvements in student attendance
• Growth in Illinois Assessment of Readiness scores for elementary schools
• Rising graduation rates for high schools
• Growth in the Effective Leaders rating on the 5Essentials Survey

Barton Dassinger has been the principal of Ch谩vez Multicultural Academic Center for over 15 years and has 20 years of leadership experience in 海角直播. He recently received the Award of Excellence from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). Under his leadership, Ch谩vez earned the Exemplary School designation from ISBE in 2024, the highest tier in the state. Among the many data points that impressed the committee, Barton has significantly reduced kindergarten through eighth-grade chronic absenteeism at Ch谩vez, lowering the percentage of students missing 18 or more days from 37% in 2022 to 6.3% in 2025.

鈥淚 felt overwhelmed with pride for our school community when I received this award,鈥� said Principal Dassinger. 鈥淥ur students鈥� outstanding growth is a result of their sustained hard work and that of their parents and all of our staff members.鈥�

Dr. Brian Kelly is in his seventh year as principal of King College Prep, where he has expanded dual-credit access, strengthened supports for students with disabilities, and sustained high Freshman On-Track performance while increasing graduation rates. A 2025 Cahn Distinguished Fellow, 2024 Golden Apple Award recipient, 2023 ISBE Administrator of Excellence, Dr. Kelly also coaches leaders as the founder of Fullbody Leadership and mentors emerging principals through the 海角直播Leadership Collaborative and the Golden Apple Foundation. In recent years, he has driven a 20% gain in ninth- and 10th-grade reading and math performance and increased seniors鈥� scholarship offers from $1.9 million to over $33 million, two of many outcomes that impressed the selection committee.

鈥淚 feel deep gratitude for our staff, students, and families. Their trust makes bold work possible, and this honor belongs to King College Prep,鈥� Dr. Kelly said. 鈥淭his award affirms that equity-driven, student-centered leadership changes lives, and I am proud of our Jaguars and the educators who make that promise real every day.鈥�

鈥淐hicago鈥檚 strongest principals are curious, committed leaders who use data to spot opportunities others might overlook,鈥� said Dr. Anichini. 鈥淏arton, Brian, and all of this year鈥檚 Growth Leader Award finalists provide tangible examples of transforming numbers into stronger student experiences. At a time when we might be collectively struggling to find clear instances of what鈥檚 working, they show us what excellence looks like 鈥� constantly innovating to ensure students are in school and learning every day.鈥�

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About the Principal Appreciation Campaign

For 10 years, The Fund has proudly led Chicago鈥檚 citywide Principal Appreciation Campaign, a collaborative effort with 海角直播, the city of Chicago, and valued partners like Aon, BMO, the Field Museum, the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, Intersection, Northern Trust, and William Blair. As part of Principal Appreciation Month every October, this campaign celebrates the exceptional work of Chicago鈥檚 school leaders and their positive impact on students, teachers, and communities.

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. The Fund is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2025, underscoring its enduring commitment to collaborating with partners across Chicago鈥檚 education sector to redefine school leadership in the city.

Media Contact
Zach Jacobs
zjacobs@thefundchicago.org

The post The 海角直播 Announces 2025 Principal Award Winners appeared first on The 海角直播.