Chicago Public Education Fund

Systems, data & policiesprograms: eac, lsc, policy engagement, policy pilotsbased on national and local research, as well as over 25 years of experience in the chicago education context, the fund invests in building a culture of strong, local leadership in chicago. Our reports and data inform our programmatic and policy strategies, driving improvements in conditions and systems for school leaders. In 2024, we published two reports, continued and launched new advisory groups, and expanded our policy work to address current conditions and prepare for future ones.in 2024, chicago's board of education transitioned to a 21-member hybrid board, comprising both appointed and elected members. As such, we increased our work to elevate school leaders' voices and needs. We published three op-eds on timely school leader governance issues and priorities, spoke at public board meetings to advocate for school leader autonomy, and provided briefings. We also partnered with local organizations to host a student forum and two school leader forums. These allowed potential school board members to answer questions related to school leader and student experiences. We believe chicago's principals require the autonomy to respond to the unique needs of their school communities. In support of this belief, we published the chicago principal in comparison in 2024. This report highlights some of the ways the principal role in cps differs from that in other illinois school districts, including the number of students or staff a cps principal oversees and the unique autonomy granted to principals in the city.committed to leveraging real-time data, we continued our annual principal and ap engagement surveys, yielding over 900 responses in 2024 that illuminated school leaders' satisfaction levels and professional development needs as well as opportunities for additional support. We released a joint letter with cps to share findings and make recommendations for improving school leaders' satisfaction, such as affirming their ability to manage budgets, hire staff, and set curriculum. In 2024, we also published findings from our inaugural lsc member engagement survey in local decision-makers in our schools: a baseline report on chicago's local school councils. The survey results also led us to establish an lsc working group, comprising 22 lsc members representing 13 cps networks. Members developed a self-assessment tool to help their lscs reflect on practices and identify areas for improvement.

Educator engagementprograms: pawthe fund champions strong school leadership and its critical role in accelerating student outcomes. We connect with the broader community, leverage educators' knowledge and expertise to inform our work, and celebrate school leaders' innovation and leadership citywide. In 2024, we welcomed a new educator advisory committee (eac) cohort. The committee shaped the fund's agenda, generated programming recommendations, and fostered connections among school leaders across chicago. Composed of 38 school leaders, the 2024 eac focused on identifying implications of the proposed cps school funding formula and budget process, supporting the development of our principal and ap engagement surveys, and launching the fund's school leader innovation awards, which recognized an outstanding principal and assistant principal.in 2024, we also continued our annual citywide principal appreciation campaign during national principals month in october. The campaign included celebratory events for school leaders, such as free tickets to attend a chicago bulls game, and an event that highlighted stories from transformational school leaders while allowing school leaders to connect with each other. To extend the reach of these stories, we executed a robust social media campaign. We also partnered with the chicago transit authority and local organizations to feature strong school leaders on buses and trains throughout chicago.