Overview Jump to the Full Memo Chicago Public Schools (CPS) faces a projected $734 million deficit for fiscal year 2026. This is a significantly larger deficit than the $229 million shortfall that informed the school-level budgets principals built and Local School Councils approved earlier this summer. By state law, the Chicago Board of Education must… Read More »| Chicago Public Education Fund
On Thursday, July 31, The Fund’s chief public affairs officer, Nelson Gerew, was invited to testify at the Illinois House Executive Committee subject-matter hearing on HB4017. This bill would potentially reestablish the Chicago School Finance Authority (SFA) to oversee and support the financial integrity of Chicago Public Schools (CPS). Identifying that HB4017 is one approach and that there are many other perspectives on possible solutions to find financial stability in CPS in both the shor...| Chicago Public Education Fund
The Fund’s chief public affairs officer, Nelson Gerew, testified before the Chicago Board of Education on Wednesday, July 9, 2025. He pointed out that if Chicago Public Schools (CPS) does not close its projected $734 million budget gap for fiscal-year 2026, it may have to cut thousands of educator positions, leading to larger class sizes and stalled academic progress. He urged the Board of Education, district leaders, and the city of Chicago to find sustainable revenue and prevent further c...| Chicago Public Education Fund
A Guest Post by Principal Paul Riskus of Walt Disney Magnet School| Chicago Public Education Fund
Our Mission| thefundchicago.org
CEO Pedro Martinez led Chicago Public Schools (CPS) by listening to and empowering school leaders. The results of this strategy are clear: improved elementary reading achievement, expanded career and technical education programs, and strengthened school safety. When Pedro began his tenure as CEO in 2021, following the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, school leader satisfaction… Read More »| Chicago Public Education Fund
SURVEY RESULTS HERE June 16, 2025 CHICAGO — A new survey of nearly 900 Chicago Public Schools (CPS) principals and assistant principals shows a notable rebound in job satisfaction — but also reveals a troubling drop in the number of school leaders who feel adequately supported to do their jobs. The 2025 Principal and… Read More »| Chicago Public Education Fund
The Fund’s chief public affairs officer, Nelson Gerew, testified before the Chicago Board of Education on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. He detailed several key points from The Fund’s recent poll of over 1,100 Chicago voters. Overall, voters favor more revenue from local and state sources to support Chicago’s public schools and do not want short-term budget solutions, such as borrowing. More than 75% of people surveyed believe that principals, not central office or the board, should have the...| Chicago Public Education Fund
New poll finds broad support for new revenue| Chicago Public Education Fund
The Fund’s senior director of Educator Supports, Mariel Laureano, testified before the Chicago Board of Education on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. She spoke from her perspective as a former CPS principal who led schools through several budget deficits. Mariel asked the board to support principals, Local School Councils, and school communities through the budget challenges facing CPS in fiscal year 2026, stressing transparency and school-level autonomy and flexibility. The video of her testimony ...| Chicago Public Education Fund
Thomas A. Hendricks Elementary Community Academy is a neighborhood school serving 230 students in Fuller Park on Chicago’s South Side. Before the 2024-25 school year, Hendricks’ relatively small size meant that Principal Anika Murphy generally didn’t have room in her budget to hire an assistant principal. Anika took pride in focusing on the student experience and the support her team gave her, but she recognized that being the sole administrator in the building was spreading her too thi...| Chicago Public Education Fund
Every school deserves strong leadership, but ensuring staff and students have what they need to succeed is difficult to do alone. That is why assistant principals are essential in schools across Chicago. They are the behind-the-scenes strategists, the culture keepers, the connectors, and the champions of students and staff. Danielle Pearse is an assistant principal who exemplifies the value, heart, and hard work of the role.| Chicago Public Education Fund
Our team at The Chicago Public Education Fund (The Fund) wants to make Chicago the best place to be a public school principal. The role of school leaders in Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is unique in many ways, from the students they serve to the autonomy they enjoy in their positions. These conditions are directly or indirectly determined by policy — including codified practices of the district, city ordinances, and state law. Amid unprecedented shifts in the policy landscape surrounding CP...| Chicago Public Education Fund
