The Chicago Board of Education approved and ratified an agreement between the teachers union and Chicago Public Schools, along with a budget amendment allocating $139 million in funding to cover it, at a meeting Thursday.
The two sides reached a $1.5 billion four-year deal in early April, amid a large budget deficit and looming attacks from the federal government on public schools with diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, programs. The morning before Thursday’s board meeting, a federal judge blocked President Donald Trump’s directives to use civil rights enforcement to eliminate DEI practices in schools, although it remains to be seen how the ruling will be upheld.
But at the monthly meeting, Chicago Teachers Union representatives and district officials celebrated the newly approved contract, which they said centers equity. Thursday’s agenda items focused on initiatives directed toward the district’s diverse student population.
“At my South Side school, our students are 100% minority, and 96% of them are considered economically disadvantaged. We’re labeled hard to staff by (the Illinois State Board of Education) and have other unique challenges,” said Erin Bell, who received two National Board teaching certifications. “So let me be clear, our students deserve excellence.”
Outgoing CPS chief Pedro Martinez celebrated the end of the negotiations process, which he said avoided “the kind of labor strike that has been so disruptive to our families in the past.” He also recognized the difficulty on the horizon, as CPS faces a projected budget shortfall of $529 million for fiscal year 2026.
“What we know for certain is that our financial outlook for the next several years is challenging, and we must work together to find new revenue to better fund our schools,” he said, urging CPS students and staff to travel to Springfield next week to advocate for more funding from the state.
Martinez, who was fired in December, was nominated to be the commissioner of Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education on Tuesday, moving the district, its board, CTU and Mayor Brandon Johnson toward closure of more than a year of rancor as they debated how to settle a the new teachers contract and shore-up the underfunded school district and its $9.9 billion 2024-25 budget. Martinez’s tenure with CPS ends in June.
Martinez outlined next steps for the district: to familiarize school leaders with the contract and implement it using the $139 million in additional funding from taxing districts. CPS officials say there is sufficient funding to cover the first year of the contract, but specifics for the remaining three years remain unclear.
Adding to the uncertainty is a notice the U.S. Department of Education sent on April 3, demanding that states and school districts sign a certification against DEI policies or risk losing hundreds of millions in Title I funding for students who fall below achievement standards. Title I dollars are allocated to support the proficiency and achievement of students from primarily low-income families.
“We’re doing everything we can to shield as much as we can, as we plan for the upcoming budget season,” said Ben Felton, the district’s chief talent officer, in a presentation touting the CPS teacher recruitment process to board members. “But maintaining staffing levels will require additional revenue, and there’s no disillusionment around that.”
To address disparities that persist between Black students and other student groups in terms of discipline, academic achievement and access to rigorous academic courses and extracurricular activities, the school board passed a resolution codifying its Black Student Achievement Committee, chaired by board member Jitu Brown, of District 6 on the city’s West Side.
The committee will “develop strategies and recommendations for Black student achievement and opportunity,” the agenda states. The district launched its five-year Black Student Success Plan in late February, which aims to improve educational experiences and outcomes for Black students.
Student achievement should be taken into account in the search for a new superintendent, added Lafayette Ford, vice chairman of the Black United Fund of Illinois, in public comment. On Thursday, the board approved the interview process for the district’s next leader, who will join later this year.
The search process will include interviews and focus groups with teachers, students, principals, staff, union leaders and community partners. Board members applauded that effort Thursday.
At the last hour, board member Karen Zaccor amended a resolution in response to a complaint that she said she’s received about a lack of Spanish-language online captioning for public comment. Several board members raised concerns that they hadn’t seen the language beforehand, but the language change passed 17-3.
“I know we can’t wave a magic wand and make it happen … but I think it’s important to make that commitment,” she said, before the vote.
Also, for the fourth consecutive month, the board again delayed a vote on charter school renewals. Charters have been a contentious topic in recent months, following the announced closures of seven of 15 schools in the Acero charter network last October.
In February, the board voted to keep five of those Acero schools open, which some board members said could set a new precedent, as school boards have not historically stepped in to financially support charters.
Charters receive funding from CPS but are responsible for managing their day-to-day operations with those funds. Their renewal terms have gotten shorter in recent years.
