CHICAGO PUBLIC EDUCATION FUND

PROGRAMMATIC SUPPORTS (2023) THE FUND SUPPORTS PRINCIPALS AND ASPIRING PRINCIPALS THROUGH PROGRAMMING. FUND PROGRAMS ARE OPEN TO ALL EDUCATORS LEADING OR ASPIRING TO LEAD IN CHICAGO'S PUBLIC SCHOOLS. WE SERVE EDUCATORS ACROSS THE CITY IN MANY SCHOOL TYPES, INCLUDING ELEMENTARY, HIGH SCHOOL, CHARTER, AND DISTRICT. WE LEVERAGE REAL-TIME DATA ON SCHOOL NEEDS AND OUTCOMES TO IMPLEMENT THE MOST EFFECTIVE PROGRAMS FOR OUR PARTICIPATING EDUCATORS EACH YEAR. OUR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES (PLCS) ACCOUNTED FOR 286 (85%) OF OUR PARTICIPANTS IN 2023. PLCS ALLOWED SCHOOL LEADERS TO PARTICIPATE IN YEARLONG PEER-LEARNING GROUPS LED BY THE CITY'S TOP PRINCIPALS. PARTICIPANTS ENGAGED IN REFLECTIVE JOURNEYS DESIGNED TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND THEIR LEADERSHIP MORE DEEPLY, LEARN NEW SKILLS, ENCOURAGE INNOVATIVE PRACTICES IN THEIR BUILDINGS, AND ADVANCE POSITIVE SCHOOL CULTURE. IN ADDITION TO THE PLCS, WE OFFERED A DESIGN SUITE IN 2023. THIS SUITE EQUIPPED EDUCATORS WITH THE RESOURCES TO CREATE STUDENT-CENTERED SOLUTIONS TO PRESSING SCHOOL-BASED CHALLENGES. PARTICIPANTS FROM 25 SCHOOLS DESIGNED AND TESTED INITIATIVES TO IMPROVE TEACHING, LEARNING, AND SCHOOL CLIMATE. FINALLY, OUR TEAM MANAGED A MASTERCLASS SERIES AND LEADERSHIP BRIDGE, AN ASPIRING PRINCIPAL PROGRAM, IN 2023. THESE PROGRAMS EXPANDED THE RESPONSIVE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO LEADERS THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR.IN TOTAL, THE FUND'S PROGRAMS SUPPORTED 333 LEADERS IN 253 SCHOOLS SERVING 128,000 STUDENTS ACROSS THE CITY IN THE 2022-23 SCHOOL YEAR. OVER HALF OF OUR PARTICIPANTS WERE LEADERS OF COLOR: 44.4% AND 14.1% IDENTIFIED AS BLACK AND LATINO/A/X.

SYSTEMS, DATA, AND POLICIES (2023) THE FUND HAS INVESTED IN EDUCATOR TALENT IN CHICAGO FOR ALMOST 25 YEARS. IN THE LAST DECADE, WE NARROWED OUR FOCUS TO SCHOOL LEADERS. WE BELIEVE CHICAGO'S PRINCIPALS SHOULDER TREMENDOUS RESPONSIBILITIES, AND THEY REQUIRE THE AUTONOMY TO ACT ON THE NEEDS OF THEIR COMMUNITIES. AS SUCH, THE FUND IS DEDICATED TO BUILDING A CULTURE OF STRONG, LOCAL LEADERSHIP IN CHICAGO. WE VALUE OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS IN OUR SYSTEM-LEVEL WORK. IN 2023, WE WORKED MOST CLOSELY WITH CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS (CPS). OUR ANNUAL PRINCIPAL AND ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL ENGAGEMENT SURVEYS HELPED INFORM DISTRICT STRATEGY AND INFLUENCED MODIFICATIONS TO OUR PROGRAMS TO BETTER SERVE LEADERS. WE ALSO SUPPORTED CPS IN SURVEYING LOCAL SCHOOL COUNCIL (LSC) MEMBERS. WE LAUNCHED THIS FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND SURVEY IN OCTOBER 2023 TO LEARN MORE ABOUT LSC MEMBER SATISFACTION AND NEEDS FOR SUPPORT. WE ALSO PUBLISHED FOUR REPORTS IN 2023, INCLUDING "THE ILLINOIS PRINCIPAL: THEIR WORK, THEIR CHALLENGES, THEIR IMPACT." WE WROTE THIS REPORT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ILLINOIS PRINCIPALS ASSOCIATION, A STATEWIDE MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATION AIMING TO DEVELOP, SUPPORT, AND ADVOCATE FOR INNOVATIVE EDUCATIONAL LEADERS. THE REPORT INCLUDED DATA ON ILLINOIS PRINCIPALS, OFFERING INSIGHT INTO THEIR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES. IT ALSO HIGHLIGHTED THE STORIES OF LEADERS STATEWIDE TO DEMONSTRATE THE URGENT NEED FOR MORE LOCAL-LEVEL DECISION-MAKING IN CHICAGO AND BEYOND.