Thursday, March 19 Regular Board Meeting

001President Harden, before you begin today's meeting, I would like to read a few announcements. Good morning. Welcome to the March 19th, 2026 board meeting. Before we start the meeting, I would like to share a few safety points and next meeting announcements. Please note that the primary exit and entrance to the boardroom is the door which you use to enter this morning. If you're leaving the room, please use this door. The restrooms are outside the boardroom doors to your left. During the meeting, we ask that you keep all aisles and exits clear. If you need any assistance during the meeting, please wave the attention of one of our security officers. Mark your calendars for the upcoming meetings. The next ARC meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April 8th, 2026 at 10:30 a.m. The next board meeting is

002scheduled for Thursday, April 23rd, 2026 at 10:30 a.m. The ARK and board meetings will be held at 42 West Madison Street, Garden Level Boardroom. For details on how to register to speak or observe at the meetings and to learn about the speaker lottery process, please visit the Chicago Board of Education website cpsb.org. If you have any questions about registration or public participation, please contact the board office for assistance. Thank you for joining us today. President Harden, we are now ready for you to begin the meeting. >> Good morning everyone. Welcome to the Chicago Board of Education meeting. Today is March 19th, 2026. We're holding today's board meeting in the boardroom at CPS Loop office, 42 West Madison Street, Garden Level. I'd like to note that the board members, honorary student board member and senior leadership

003are physically present in the boardroom. Register speakers may join us in person or virtually if they've opted to do so. I'm President Shan Bi Harden on behalf of my fellow board members. Thank you for joining us today. The regular meeting of Thursday, March 19th, 2026 is hereby called to order. Board secretary, please call the role. >> Member Smith. Present. >> Member >> here. >> Member Bole. >> Here. >> Member Wallace. >> Present. >> Member Kuster. >> Present. >> Member Pope. >> Here. >> Member Rivas. >> Present. >> Member Brown who's joining us virtually via Zoom. >> Present. >> Member Ria Sierra. >> Present. >> Member Bannon. >> Present. >> Member Gutierrez. >> Present. >> Member Biggs. >> Present. >> Member Thorakura. Present. >> Member Zachor >> here. >> President Harden >> present. >> We have

00415 me members present. We do have a quorum. I'd also like to recognize Dr. Meline King, interim chief superintendent, chief executive officer. Elizabeth Barton, acting general counsel, Dr. Alfonso Carmona, acting chief education officer. Charles Mayfield, chief operating officer, and Destiny Singleton, honorary student board member. >> Before we get into today's business, I want to take a moment to express deep gratitude to the principles and staff at our high schools who have stepped up and continue to work tirelessly to welcome the more than 400 students transitioning from a spirit. Your commitment to ensuring that these students are supported from day one is a testament to the strength of our CPS community. Special recognition goes to Dr. Moran. She and the entire team at Shores High School are incredible. Dr. your administration, the teachers, and the staff

005have done an amazing job creating a truly welcoming environment for more than 250 students who have transferred to your schools in the to your school in the last two weeks. Most impressively, the sheriff's team has established a formal process ensuring every incoming student has a dedicated mentor by empowering current students to lead tours and act as peer guides. You aren't just showing them your building, you're showing them that they're part of a family that takes care of each other. Thank you for leading with such heart. This is just another example of the ingenuity and brilliance that happens every day throughout our district. So, let's take a moment to acknowledge. Over the last year, we've been honored to have Destiny Singleton serve as our honorary student board member. >> Member Singleton has been an outstanding addition

006to our board. Her leadership helped us center voices and quite frankly taught us how to better engage students more authentically and meaningfully in decisions that impact them. However, her term of the board will end in a couple months and we will soon be opening up the application period for next year's honorary student board member. Member Singleton, can you please share the details for the 2026 27 honorary student board member application so students know what they are invited to apply for? >> Um, thank you, President Harden, for that. Uh, good morning. The board of Thank you. [laughter] The Chicago Board of Education is seeking its next student leader to serve as honorary student board member of the 2026 to 2027 school year. The selected student will represent the interests and perspectives of all CPS students by

007attending monthly board meetings. The honorary student board member will also participate in the student voice roundt initiative which provides a platform for CPS students across the district to engage with CPS leadership and board members on various topics. The student body representative will receive a $1,000 scholarship to support enrollment to a 2-year or four-year college or university. To be eligible for this opportunity, you must be a rising junior or senior, current 10th and 11th graders, hold a 3.0 GPA or higher, or and demonstrate proven leadership experience. The application period opens Monday, March 23rd at 9:00 a.m. and closes Friday, April 24th, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. Visit cps.bou.org or beginning Monday, March 23rd to review, complete, and submit your application. Good luck to you all. >> Before we proceed, I do want to um note for the

008record that member Lopez joined the meeting at 10:37 a.m. >> Member Singleton, once again, you've set the bar high. Thank you for your leadership. The order of the meeting will be as follows. Honorary honoring excellence interim superintendenc remarks. There'll be committee updates followed by public participation. We'll go into recess, reconvene from recess. There'll be discussion of public agenda items. We'll vote on those items, go into cold session, reconvene from cold session, and then adjourn. Next, we'll have Chief Carmona please proceed with honoring excellence. Uh thank you, board president. Good morning everyone. Today's honoring excellence segment is devoted to our district's national board certified teachers or NBCTs. May I ask the team to come to the podium. Uh this year we honor 63 teachers who are earning this prestigious certification for the first time and 67

009who are renewing their MBCT status. This is one of the highest and most respected credential a teacher can earn. At its core the MBCT process is an acknowledgement that the strongest educators remain lifelong learners. These teachers welcome the chance to learn from their students, colleagues, and the leaders in their field. Embracing the belief that there is always room for growth. NBCTs integrate deep content knowledge, a strong student relationships, improving instructional strategies and practices to facilitate meaningful learning. They also strive every day to learn more about their students identities and their relationship to learning. Of this school year, at this school year, we had 3616 CPS schools have at least one MBCT MBCT MBCT and more than 38% of the district MBCTs are teachers of color. I want to thank our partners at the Chicago Teachers

010Union for collaborating with us to support so many CPS teachers through the NBCT process. Their nurturing teacher leadership program has a success rates of more than 90% as I learned today compared to the national average of 70%. So let's give it a round of applause to the nurturing teacher leadership programs to talk to talk more about MBCT program. Uh, I am now pleased to welcome CTu Vice President Jackson Potter. >> Thank you so much, Chief Carmona. Um, I want to applaud our nationally board certified teachers and their accomplishment today, their dedication to students, school communities, and their practice as excellent educators. In a world where we're seeing a lot of halftruths and rising fascism, great teachers stand in the gap and demand that our students are more critical and precise than ever. Our NBCTs went

011through a grueling and they'll tell you two-year process to refine their practice, adjust their pedagogy, and reflect on their teaching to improve it and fortify it. And they worked with colleagues across the city to achieve this distinction. It's proven that students of these incredible educators have higher levels of achievement, higher rates of attendance, better engagement, and stronger relationships. In fact, NBCT show improved metrics on everything related to student well-being and academic growth. I've seen colleagues with this credential teach at the highest level regularly. This wouldn't be possible without our partnership, CTU and CPS. We get it right multiple times each and every year and are in the top tier of districts nationwide. This makes for thriving school communities and our contract and agreement together made it possible by increasing the stipen friends BCTS that limits

012the oversight of you know intrusive reach evaluation so that they can continue to refine their practice. uh an agreement with principles that they cannot move these candidates out of their area of certification and funding support and this year more black and brown candidates than ever. We at CTU offer this through our quest center and our nurturing teacher leadership program. It's one of the best in the country. And this is very special to me personally because our sister, the late great CTU president Karen Lewis, who like you was a chemistry teacher. Um, she may may she rest in power, had this credential and renewed it during the 2012 historic strike, making true to her claim that good unions do great professional development. Thank you. Oh, Lynch or Caskky Davis needs no introduction. >> Thank you. Thank

013you, Jackson. Um, good morning, President Harden, Chief Carmona, board members, and our CEO, Superintendent, Dr. King, who I believe achieved your national board certification in 2004. Right. So, um, despite what Jackson said, I think I will introduce myself. That's okay. For those of you who don't know, I'm Lynn Chasksky Davis, director of teacher leadership uh for the Chicago Teachers Union Foundation Quest Center. I'm the manager of the CTU CPS National Board Certification Programming, former member of the board of directors for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, and most importantly, a former CPS early childhood teacher. I want to thank the CPS and the board of education for believing in the power of national board certification and continuing to support the labor management partnership that has developed almost 3,000 CPS national board certified teachers, NBCTs

014to date. We began with only seven 29 years ago and now since beginning our partnership 27 years ago, we are proud to boast having the third largest number of NBCTs of any district in the nation. We are honored that you recognize our 130 new and newly renewed NBCTs today with your resolution which we will distribute at our celebration on March 31st. And of course, we thank you for your continued financial support. I am proud of each of the 63 new NBCTs and 67 National Board certified teachers who re renewed or maintained their certificate this past year. The NBCTs being honored for their excellence by CPS today put their teaching to the test by voluntarily challenging themselves through a very rigorous certification process, analyzing and reflecting upon improving their practice daily and confirming they are teaching

015and leading to the highest standards in our profession. In order to become board certified, these teachers, librarians, and counselors completed a two-year performance-based peer-reviewed process demonstrating their proven impact on student learning, which I'm sure will be borne out in their new three-year reach evaluations. Those who renewed their NBC credential did it in one year. While National Board certification is about elevating the teaching profession, it is really about helping children achieve at higher rates. Recognized as the gold standard, research from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards has proven that higher standards for teachers means higher achievement for students. Additionally, a study by by our consortium on Chicago school research on the learning of CPS students taught by NBCTS bears this out and notes that NBCTS and CPS have a 5% higher retention rate than other

016CPS teachers. the nurturing teacher leadership, professional development, and NBC candidate support program of the Chicago Teachers Union Foundation Quest Center. And I thank you for your partnership. Your continuing investment in our teachers and their professional growth is essential to student and school success. This can only lead to good things for our students and our city. Our newest class of NBCTs is represented so well here today by bilingual early childhood teacher Katherine Sabion and AP math teacher Lauren Dunning. Katherine, I'm so nervous. It is a privilege to be here. Thank you so much. Um, as Lynn said, my name is Katherine Savon and I'm honored to stand before you as a national board setter for early childhood generalist and a bilingual fiscal teacher at Lloyd Elementary School. Pursuing National Board certification was not just a professional

017milestone for me. It was deeply personal. I'm a proud Latina born in Honduras. I'm an immigrant and a former eo English language learner. I know what it feels like to sit in a classroom listening carefully, watching closely, and trying to make sense of learning in a language that is not your own. Today, I see that same quiet resilience in my students, many of whom are navigating immigration challenges in our city while learning English and B and building foundational skills. At Lloyd Elementary School, my work centers on nurturing young children academics growth, social emotional development, and language acquisition during most formative years. Through the CPSCTU, nurturing teacher leadership national board certification support program. I learned to make language development intentional for young children. I now embedded oral language into play classroom daily routines and dramatic storytelling

018so students can practice asking questions, describing objects and expressing their ideas and interest. I document students conversations during center time to capture their language development thinking and interaction with peers which helps guide my instruction and better support their growth. I plan with clear language objectives so that students know how to use language to learn and communicate. As a result, my students are more confident using academic language, more willing to take risk, and more engaged in expressing their ideas and explaining their thinking. The national board process through your partnership program is training my competence and confidence. The rigor of the process pushed me to analyze my instruction and analyze a student's evidence and articulate why I teach the way I do. It transform instant into intention. It elevated play-based learning into documented a standard align instruction

019and it prepared me to serve multilingual families with a dignity and responsiveness they deserve. My journey however was not an easy one. During my candidacy, I experienced a life training medical emergency and multiple hospitalizations. There were moments when I wanted to quit. But the nurtury teacher leadership program, my mentors, my cohorts, that leadership wouldn't let me. They supported me through health challenges with compassion and accountability. They reminded me that I matter. That support is why I stand here today. As an immigrant neel CPS and CTU had given me the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to this city through their partnership funding, professional development and candidate support, I was able to achieve national board certification. I'm especially grateful that NBCTS are respected in our contract, that the annual stipen recognizes our expertise, and that NL program remains

020one of the most rigorous and highly regarded mentoring programs in the nation. Our school communities, especially those serving immigrants and multilingual families, need national board certified teachers. They need educators like us who understand language development, traumainformed care, plays, play-based learning, and culturally responsive teaching. They need teachers who see bilingualism as an asset. I want to thank CPS, the Chicago Teacher Union, Superintendent CEO Dr. King, CTU President Stacy Davis Gates, directors of CTU, CPS National Board Certification Initiative, Lynn Towski Davis, and all who supported this work, including all the members of the board. I want to thank my family, my daughter, Destiny Deagula, Jose David Deagula Savion, my husband, Jose Deagula. I want to thank Mr. Salgado, my school principal, Miss Gonzalez, who is here with me today, for all the support, for all the love,

021my family, for being there with me as an immigrant [sighs and gasps] and I'm so sorry because I'm very nervous. Thank you for today's resolution in my own in our honor. Thank you for believing in teacher leadership. Thank you for investing in in every certified teacher. Thank you so much for investing in us because when you invest in teachers, we invest in our children. When teachers are nurtured, a students strive. I look forward to celebrating together on the 31st. Thank you and God bless you. And now our AP chemistry, Miss Laren. Good morning everyone. Um, my name is Lauren Dunning. Um, I am a national board certified teacher um, in adolescence and young adult science. I teach AP Biology and AP Chemistry at Gwindelin Brooks College Preparatory Academy on the far south side of Chicago,

022which is also my alma mater. I once sat in the same classrooms today that I teach my students in. I'm responsible prepare for preparing them for the next generation of science. I began my teaching career with one simple objective. Show up and show out. Show up prepared. Show out for my students. For 12 years, my students have passed AP exams, enrolled in advanced science courses, and pursued STEM majors in college. But over time, I realized that strong outcomes alone were not enough. I wanted to better understand why my instruction worked when it did, when it fell short, and how to make success more consistent over for every student. That realization led me to pursue national board certification through the CPSCU nurturing teacher leadership program. The process was rigorous. It required studying professional standards, analyzing student

023work, recording my teaching, and reflecting deeply on how my students learn science. Through that work, I shifted my instruction from focusing primarily on correct answers to prioritizing scientific reasoning. Programs like AP Biology and AP Chemistry do not exist simply because they are scheduled. They exist because teachers are willing to build them. They exist because teachers are willing to defend high expectations and sustain rigor long before success is guaranteed. I am proud to be a part of a strong national board community at my school. Nearly every teacher in our 21 department STEM 21 person STEM department has pursued or completed the process. That culture of collective growth strengthens instruction for our students every day. Representation matters as well. Across Chicago public schools, only 4.1% of science teachers are black males. Among National Board Certified Teachers, that

024number is even smaller, 2.9%. Today, there are 68 National Board Science National Board Certified Teachers in science in Chicago public schools, and I hope that that number continues to grow, especially with black men choosing to teach science. I want to thank the Chicago teacher union and Chicago public school for their partnership and supporting the national board certification through the nurturing teacher leadership program. I especially want to thank Mr. Potter, Dr. King, and the many mentors and cohort members who supported me throughout this process. Your support ensured that none of us completed this journey alone. I am deeply honored by today's resolution recognizing this achievement. National board certification is not a finish line for me. It is a commitment to continue to refine my practice so that students from communities like mine leave the classroom prepared

025and ready for college. Thank you again and I look forward to celebrating with you guys on the 31st. All right, let's give another round of applause to our National Board Certified Teachers. And I'm not sure you notice how proud they are when they introduce themselves and they say national board certified teacher. It's a huge accomplishment. Congratulations uh to all 140 of you. Congratulations, President Horn. With this uh conclude the honoring excellence section of today's board meeting. >> Thank you, Chief. Board members, are any comments or questions? Member Paul? >> Yes. Over the years, I've had the opportunity to watch the nurturing teacher leadership program grow and develop to assist a couple of friends uh with uh some writing and editing as they proceeded through this program. And I just want to cite it as a

026beautiful example of the kind of cooperation that the district and the union can have to further the professional development and education of our students here in CPS, which is the goal that we all have. And I want to congratulate these wonderful teachers who spoke today and all of their colleagues who achieved this and wish them the best as they continue to help inspire the educational journey of our students. Have a great day. >> Thank you. There being no more comments, we're ready for you, CEO. >> Good morning. Sorry, before you proceed, Dr. King, I'm sorry. I do want to note for the record that board member Blae has joined virtually via Zoom at 10:43 a.m. Board member Rosenfeld has joined the meeting at 10:44 a.m. and board member Deberry joined the meeting at 10:53 a.m.

027Thank you. Good morning. I do want to thank our partners at CTU. I I especially Lynn Chaskky Davis. I do think that this is a gym within Chicago Public School. It is a shining example of partnership and also stability. And I don't I don't think people understand that the teachers go home after a long day of engaging with our babies or they go to class for two whole years. It is an amazing feat to re just to have that stamina to pursue the level of rigor that's required of them after a whole school day. So I do want to acknowledge and give a a huge nod and thank you for just the consistency and the partnership in this program. So alongside thanking uh our partners at CTU, I want to thank the NBCTs who joined

028us today. Your energy is palpable and uh it is welld deserved to have this recognition today from uh all of us at CPS and at the district leadership. As a former principal, I know firsthand the value ad that NBCTs bring to the school and the the entire school community. As a member of the CPS NBCT NBCT cohort of 2004, I know how transformative this journey can be. You know in the process and then after following the process the process challenges you to reflect deeply. You refine your craft. You can recommmit to your students in powerful ways. Our NBCTs embody the best of our profession by anchoring their expertise practice in one vital truth. The inherent brilliance of Chicago's children. When we invest in our teachers at this level, we invest directly in the success of

029every student in every school and every community. At the same time, um, as we say welcome to our wonderful NBCTs, we have to unfortunately say take a moment to say goodbye. This month, Nicole Milberg, our chief of teaching and learning, will be stepping down from her post. A 17-year veteran of CPS, Chief Milberg has served as a school network chief, the district leader, and has contributed decisively to mission the mission of driving every student with a rigorous, joyful, and equitable daily learning experience. I'm grateful for the passion and expert expertise Chief Milberg has brought to the CPS leadership team and I have no doubt she will continue to do great things in her next chapter because whether it's this current situation or something else, emotional support is critical for the success of our city's youth.

030Students are their most successful when they are part of a school community where they feel seen and valued and where trusting relationships are the norm. This is where social emotional learning comes in and why CPS was proud to celebrate March 2nd and March 6th as National SEAL week. With support from our school counselors and social workers, the latter of whom we also celebrate this month, CPS students develop the skills they need to be successful across a range of situations. And by subscribing to our healing centered framework, students and staff work together to build restorative culturally responsive school communities that are rooted in trust, respect, and a sense of belonging. I am proud of our district's commitment to SEAL and thank the many talented professionals who work hard every day to make this aspect of education

031a priority in our classrooms. Transitioning to the celebration of women histories month in our district. Throughout March, we proudly recognize and celebrate the women whose service as serve as educators, leaders, and support staff in helping drive the success of our schools and students every day. Overall, women make up 75% of the CPS workforce, giving our female students no shortage of role models to look up to. I want to call out a special female teacher in my la life life, Miss Paula Baron, who I believe may have worked with board member Pope at one point. Miss Baron was one of my favorite teachers in high school. I woke up every day at 8 a.m. to be on time for that social studies class, an 8 a.m. social studies class, and that was my favorite in attending

032her history class. It helped me to be begin to understand and appreciate my own history. Miss Baron passed away this January, but her legacy of helping young people find links between the past and present and the futures we wanted for ourselves lives on in her students. There are thousands of Miss Barons making a difference in our district, both in and beyond the classroom. Take Miss Kim, the beloved crossing guard supporting the students of Little Village Elementary. Her cheerful demeanor and warm smile set a positive tone for CPS students each and every day. It's clear how Miss Kim's students feel about her, and we were able to capture the power of that relationship one morning this school year. Let's take a look at a brief video. Good morning. Come on. Stop. Let's go. Come on. >>

033You're welcome. Appreciate you guys. You're welcome. Love you guys. Thank you so much. Oh, this is amazing. Wow. Good morning. >> Thank you for you. >> Thank you. >> Here. Thank you for doing this for us. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. You're welcome. Oh, you're welcome. Oh, you're welcome. You're welcome. >> I love you. Thank you. Thank you. Have a great day. Thank you. Thank you. >> You're welcome. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Hi, Emily. [laughter] Oh, wonderful. I thank God for Little Village and what it brings to the community. And it means a lot to me to be a crossing guard to help the people to know that I care. I thank you all so much from the bottom of my heart. We are proud to uplift all of the wonderful women on

034our staff like Miss Kim during Women's History Month. I also want to spotlight those members of our CPS community who are working clo working to close the gender gap when it comes to opportunities for our girls. This includes increasing female participation in courses like AP Computer Science. I'm proud to say that CPS has been recognized nationally for our efforts in this area, having received the College Board's AP Female Diversity Computer Science Award in multiple years. There's another event that I would like to highlight that's an example of female progress. The annual skills trades fair which has been nearly a hundred which has seen nearly 150 female student participants so far this year especially during Women's History Month. We are glad to see a growing interest among our female students in these types of careers which

035have traditionally been dominated by males. I had the pleasure of meeting two of these students this month at the skills trade fair event focused specifically on careers in the plumbing industry. Abby and Alejandra are CPS alumni who are now in their second year of a plumbers's apprenticeship. They were a part of our district's first ever plumbers bridge cohort and they are now supporting their female peers and pursuing similar paths in the trade. I was so impressed with these two young women and I'm so grateful to our labor partners for encouraging our girls to explore these opportunities through events like the skills trade fair. This annual experience provides CPS juniors and seniors with access and exposure to various industries including plumbing, construction, carpentry, and engineering. These events are part of our effort to provide high school

036students from around the city with direct access and insight into training programs, internships, and potential career opportunities. Providing our students with these life-changing opportunities is a collective effort. We want to recognize and thank the city agencies, City Colleges of Chicago, and our labor and corporate partners for their unwavering support and bringing this event to life for CPS. I'll move on to some major accomplishments by our students and educators during the month of March. First, a huge congratulations to Siraj, a sixth grade student from Lasal to Magnet School, who is the winner of this year's citywide spelling bee. This year's winning word, and we should ask everybody to spell it as I say it, is logo, which was an administrative title originating in the Eastern Roman Empire. I almost can't resist my desire to say we

037need to go back to understanding the origins of words, but maybe we need to find a way with the youth. How can we bring that back? Siraj is an example of the resilience so often seen among our CPS students. Undeterred by an early exit in last year's competition, he immediately pivoted. He changed his study strategy and returned in 2026 determined to succeed. And that he did. I am so proud of this young man and I know that our entire district will be rooting for him when he travels to Washington DC to compete in the scripts national spelling bee later this spring. Continuing our celebration of student resilience, I want to congratulate the boys basketball team from Marshall High School who captured the class 1A state championship last weekend. Down 10 points with seven minutes to

038play, the Commandos came roaring back to beat Goreville High School by a final score of 52 to 44. This was the school's first state championship since 2008 and their fourth overall. Congrats to the admirable admirals of Farragate High School who earned a fourth place finish in class 2A this season. Let's give them a round of applause, too. They can make a comeback. They can make a comeback next year. We applaud the coaches of these teams for nurturing the talent of their athletes and for teaching them about hard work, commitment, and sportsmanship and the players of these teams. We hope this was a wonderful season for all of you and we thank you for representing our district so well. I'll now move on to the major accomplishments of two of our school principles. JW Cubler of

039CICS Irving Park and Nicole Spicer of Bronzeville Classical School are among the seven finalists selected for the 2026 Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Leadership. Thank you. This award honors exemplary performances by a school leader who has had a lasting positive impact on their school community and who has delivered significant student growth while creating a culture of inclusivity. We will watch with anticipation as final decisions on this award are made later this spring. As impressive as our spelling be winner, the basketball champs, the teacher leader finalists, there are barely they are barely scratching the surface when it comes to the number of champions who are working and learning in CPS. This is why I'm pleased to share that our district will again be participating in Mayor Johnson's CPS champions event this later this spring. The

040purpose of this event is to honor students who excel in areas that are not always recognized. This this includes STEM, language, civic engagement, and more. School leaders and board of education members will nominate students. We're adding board members this year, so this is new. So, I will be looking for those entries. They will uh nominate students in grades 8 through 12. And the CPS Champions event will take place later this spring. I'd now like to thank everyone who visited schools yesterday, both to attend our spring parent teacher conferences and to vote this year in this year's LSC elections. I would like to see a hand of all those who voted. No, I'm just teasing. I'm confident that these were productive conversations between our teachers and families. Making that connection is so important in helping students

041reach their full potential. I had the pleasure of voting myself yesterday at Debt Elementary, and I applaud everyone else who took time out of their day to participate. We are proud to have had a record number of candidates running for seats this year. The more parents and community members that get involved in their schools, the better it is for our students. I look forward to working with our newly elected LSC's on on continuing to move our school communities forward. I now want to alert everyone to the upcoming community meetings around our district's capital plan. Between April 14th and April 28th, CPS will host five of these gatherings, both in person and virtually in both English and Spanish. These meetings will be an opportunity for stakeholders to share their feedback regarding the capital investments being planned

042by CPS for the upcoming year, especially given our financial limitations. CPS will continue to prioritize our most pressing facility needs, including repairing the repairs of roofs, building envelopes, and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems. We will also prioritize investments that help grow our successful programs, such as those in early childhood education and the fine and performing arts. But we also want to hear from our students, our families, staff, and community members about the capital investments that they feel would be the most beneficial to their schools. So, I strongly encourage everyone to participate in both the community meetings themselves and the capital plan survey that was shared with all staff and families earlier this week. Complete details about all of this, including dates, times, and locations for the upcoming community meetings, are available at cps.edu/c capital plan.

043I also want to remind everyone that spring break for all CPS students runs from Monday, March 23rd to Friday, March 27th. We want all of our students to have fun during their time off, but we also want to make sure that they stay safe and productive. We have shared spring break resources with all of our families, including the hours and locations of our safe haven sites and activities being provided through the Chicago Park District, the Chicago Public Library, and other city agencies and partners. Details on all of these resources are available on our website at cps.edu backspringbreak. I hope that all of our students and staff enjoy this welldeserved break and I look forward to seeing everyone back in class on Monday, March 30th, ready to finish the school year strong. Finally, I want to

044provide an update on how CPS is supporting students who are transitioning from Apira Business and Finance and Apira early college to new Early College to new schools in CPS. Changing schools midyear is extremely disruptive and frankly the lack of coordination and cooperation CPS has received from a spirit leadership has not made that process any easier on students. Nevertheless, I am pleased to share that the process of transitioning these students has been going well. Approximately 75% are already enrolled in new CPS schools and we will continue working with all remaining students to help them find a school environment that meets their unique needs. Students entering new schools are receiving a wide wide range of support from CPS, including immediate transfer of academic records with IEPs and five 504 plans being a top priority, assistance with transportation,

045whether it be the distribution of venture cards or setting up bus service for students who are eligible. wraparound services provided by a transition coordinator including mentoring, tutoring, technology access, and mental health support, the waiver of all student fees, and coordination with the IHSA regarding student participation in sports. CPS is also working with City Colleges of Chicago to give students pathways to complete their dual credit work so they can receive credit for the hours they have put towards their post-secary education. We are working with our welcoming schools to enroll students in the right classes to ensure educational continuity. I want to especially thank our CPS principles who are going above and beyond to make sure that the students coming in from Aspira feel comfortable, supported, and above all welcome in their new schools. At Sher High

046School, for example, a welcome event was held this week for Aspira students and their families. The goal of this event was to make Aspira students feel welcome and to let them know all of the extra all know about all of the extracurricular activities including sports that they can participate in during these final months of the school year. CPS has hosted several community meetings. We had one last night in fact and will continue to host meetings in support of families. We are also holding daily office hours to help ensure all Aspira families have the support they need during the transition and families are welcome to email or call our office of innovation and incubation at any time to receive support. All information and resources are available for a spirit families at cps.edu/aspira. Finally, I want to

047speak specifically to the needs of our high school seniors. We have assured these students and their families that their transcripts and credits are a top priority and that we will not allow anything anything to stand in the way of their graduation. At the same time, we are supporting students and families. We are working to hold Aspira accountable. Today we are recommending that the board of education vote to re revoke the aspir charters network to revoke a spirit charters network charter as of April 3rd 2026. We have we have not arrived at this decision lightly. It follows a period of intensive monitoring of Aspira's financial and operational stability, which CPS has determined to be severely lacking. Despite our district providing 2.55 million in emergency financial advances to help maintain school operations, Aspira leadership has failed to

048provide a verified plan to fund operations through the remainder of the school year. Aspira has already informed the staff that their lack of funds will require closure of operations as of April 3rd. So this is the date which we recommend the charter revocation become effective. We have made it clear to Aspira's board of directors that their cooperation is essential moving forward, especially when it comes to the prompt and accurate transfer of student records. This is especially critical for our students with IEPs and 504 plans and for the 12th grade students who are preparing to graduate from high school in just a matter of weeks. Our chief education officer, Dr. Carmona, spoke directly to their spirit board this week, imploring them to do the right thing for our students and work with us to ensure a

049smooth transition. Whatever the outcome of today's vote, CPS will continue to support all Aspirit families with finding school environments where their children can experience the rigorous, joyful, and equitable daily learning experience they deserve. Unfortunately, this is a situation that we have been seeing more frequently. When charter operators suddenly close their doors, students, staff, and taxpayers have to hold the bag. This disruption is traumatic. Families scramble for new schools with little notice. Graduation plans are disrupted. Students are abruptly separated from their teachers and peers. Staff face layoffs and displacement. And the district is forced to expend additional resources that could otherwise be going to classroom learning. This instab in this instability disproportionately impacts black and brown students and students with specialized needs. We cannot allow this to be the status quo. Last week in Springfield, we

050filed in support of House Bill 5063 and Senate Bill 3391. This legislation would establish additional accountability standards to ensure operators are acting responsibly with public dollars. And it would give CPS additional tools to monitor and intervene if a charter operator's financial situation begins to threaten the stability of students and staff. At the end of the day, our obligation is to the students and family and we need additional safeguards in place to ensure we can meet this obligation. Mr. President, this concludes my prepared remarks. >> Thank you, Dr. King. >> President Harden, before we continue, the Spanish translator will now translate Dr. King's statement into um as a condensed statement. If you wish to receive the fully translated statement, please contact the board office for assistance. Certific National Board Certified Teachers. Fore Milberg. Fore speech. Social

051emotional estim Fore Baron. fores. particip. Fore the script Howards in Washington Wubler CIC Irving Park Spicer Classic at Bronzeville. Golden Apple. debt. particip. Capital plan. Safe haven. Spring break. Business and finance or Early college. Fore! Foreign! Foreign! Wrap around. E S I of Chicago. Second particular Masqueridos Foreimos transition. fortoeniors. responsib Charter. Emergency person. Transparenc. Dr. Carmon Before we proceed, Dr. King has a correction that she wants to um make an announcement about. >> If I just wanted to make the correction that if the revocation is approved today, the charter will be revoked as of April 4th. Again, just wanted to reiterate that the charter will be revoked effective April 4th. Um Chief Carmona, would you mind translating? Thank you. >> We'll now open the floor for questions or comments from the board. >> Members a

052core. >> Uh thank you president Harden. Um Dr. King, you mentioned SEAL as uh one of the elements of of your top. What's that? >> Oh, sorry. Um, I just wanted to highlight uh student voice as a really critical element of SEAL. Um, and I want to take a moment to acknowledge some input I've received from students at Lake View High School who in their social studies class were studying the CPS budget. Um, while they all supported prioritizing the classroom and what teachers need for effective instruction, they also highlighted some other things that they think we should prioritize. And I just want to take a moment to mention them. Um, I don't think most of us will be surprised by any of them. Um, so one of the things they mentioned was mental health supports,

053something we know that our honorary student board member Singleton has been prioritizing during her term. Um, they would like to see more investment in student afterchool programming and student supports including tutoring. They talked about facility needs and I do want to mention Lake View is the oldest school in CPS. It was built in 1886. So the students there see these needs every single day. Um, they mentioned sports equipment and technology that is not broken and food that tastes good. And then they also affirmed affirmed their hope for fair funding um and making sure that we are prioritizing the schools that have the most needs. So besides acknowledging that student work, I also want to salute the teachers who encourage their students to study the budget and communicate their priorities. And I hope that we will

054keep their ideas in mind as we work on the budget. Thank you. >> Are there any other questions or comments? There being none, we'll move to committee updates. Member Brown, please proceed with the update on black student achievement, please. >> Yes, sir. Um, can you hear me, sir? >> Yes, we can. Thank you. >> Okay. Okay. Thank you. Um, apologize for not being able to be there today. Um, he's working out with my son and uh had an old man injury. So, I I I'll be back, you know, ASAP. But um I want to say something uh before I read the statement um on the importance of the Black Student Achievement Committee, the urgency of it. I was having a conversation with an elder of mine who uh was part of the Black Power movement

055and he just really just opened my eyes to um sort of how history is is is taught when it's taught in through the lens of you know those that colonize and those that oppress. He said that the thing that made the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, uh, the Republic of New Africa, the US Organization, the Revolutionary Action Movement deemed enemies of America was not the fact that they were advocating for self-defense. What made them an enemy of America is that it was the care that they were distributing throughout the black community. You talked about the fact that the Black Panther Party for self-defense had a free breakfast program, that they had medical clinics, cickle cell anemia testing, uh, emergency housing, that the US organization in the Republic of New Africa started independent African- centered schools

056throughout the United States when they realized that in the current state of uh, education in the United States that they were not going to educate black field and to understand their identity, their purpose and their direction. And the response to these efforts was militaristic. Thousands of people killed uh political prisoners that are still in prison today. And this is significant because that baseless hatred of black people that has poisoned every institution that most of Americans take for granted has not missed our public school system. As we I think what we have to understand is that for decades Chicago public schools has not been a safe space for black children. and that that that lack of safety is indicative in the harms that have been inflicted over the last 20 years. So, I want to applaud

057the women and the men in our communities who saw it the urgent need to to identify a black student achievement committee. And I want to make one thing clear. It's not about what kind of pixie dust do we need to spray on black children to finally get them to learn. It's to create a safe space. the political will to do for black children, to create for black children what we so willingly create for others. Um, it is to create a safe space for black children not to have to be uh disciplined uh uh disproportionately, to create a safe space for their expectations not to be lower, to create a safe space for them to be able to stand on our shoulders. And I think we are committed to that work. But I want to thank

058my elder for sharing that wisdom with me. Um, not his opinion, but the wisdom of actually living through cities burning down in the United States in 1967 and 1968 and the the the mass incarceration of people that look like me because we just wanted a better world. Uh, with that, I'll read the statement. The BSAC planning team is currently in the application review phase for the Black Student Achievement Committee. received 492 applications from community members, educators, parents, students, and advocates who are committed to advancing educational outcomes and opportunities for black students in Chicago public schools. Applications are currently undergoing a blind rubricbased evaluation process conducted by a diverse team of reviewers to ensure a fair, transparent, and equitable review of each applicant's experience, perspectives, and commitment to advancing student achievement. Once the scoring process is

059complete, the BSAC planning team will develop a recommended group of committee member that reflects both the strength of the applicant pool and the committee's goal of maintaining a diverse membership in skills and geography across the CPS community. The recommended committee will then be shared with President Harden for his review and approval of the official committee members and all applicants will be notified of their application status once the process is complete. Applicants with questions may reach out to boecps.edu and updates will also be posted on cps.org. Thank you very much. >> Thank you, Member Brown. We'll now have an update on our special education advisory committee from member Bole. >> I'm happy to present the special education advisory committee update on behalf of board member Pope and myself who are co-chairing the committee. The SEAK planning

060team is currently in the application review phase for the special education advisory committee. We have received 115 applications from across the CPS community, including parents, students, educators, clinicians, disability advocates, and others committed to supporting students with disabilities throughout the district. The applications have undergone a blind rubricbased evaluation process conducted by a diverse team of reviewers to ensure a fair, transparent, and equitable review of each applicant's experience, values, and commitment to educational equity. In the coming weeks, the SEAK planning team will develop a recommended group of committee members that reflects both the strength of the applicant pool and a broad range of stakeholder perspectives. The recommended committee will then be shared with President Harden for his review and his approval of the official committee members and all applicants will be notified of their application status once

061the process is complete. Applicants with questions may reach out to b a c at cps.edu and updates will also be posted on the cpsb.org website. Thank you. >> Thank you for those updates. We'll now proceed with today's poke participation session. Thank you for joining to share your comments with the board and in compliance with the open Illinois open meetings act. Pull participation, sometimes referred to as public comment, is the portion of the board meeting or hearing that grants district stakeholders the opportunity to address the board with their concerns and comments. Note that public participation is the time for CPS board and its senior leadership to listen and hear from you rather than a time for dialogue from board members during or after your remarks. And while we can't discuss personnel matters, whole participation is a

062key component of transparent governance and it provides us as board members as well as senior leadership an opportunity to listen to everyone who has signed up to speak. The board takes equity of voice very seriously. And while we may not address your concerns during poll participation, CPS leadership is always present in our meetings and are able to address concerns as follow-ups after the meeting. As a district and as a board, we also have many other spaces for authentic dialogue. For example, each and every one of our board members hosts board office hours so that we may have a conversation. So, please use our website cpsb.org if you want to meet with the board member during office hours. We encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to meet with board members outside of a board

063meeting. And we thank you for your attention. As a reminder, union representatives will be allowed five minutes to speak before poll participation and any elected officials will be allowed at five minutes to speak at the conclusion of public participation. Board Secretary, please share the rules of public participation. >> Thank you, President Harden. Members of the public who registered to speak were given the option to attend in person or via an electronic format. For those who prefer to attend by an electronic format, they were given information to access this meeting by dialing a number and using their phone. We did this so that speakers with limited or no access to the internet or who may have weak internet connection could still participate using their phones. Also, members of the public may submit written comments for board

064of education meetings via the written comments form on the board's website at cpsboe.org or mailed to 42 West Madison Street, Garden Level. Written comments received between the day the public agenda was posted through 5:00 pm the day after the board of education meeting will be submitted to the board and published within five business days on our website at cpsb.org. Speakers, please listen while I provide directions for public participation. I will call your name and number when it is your turn to speak. For speakers joining us virtually, as a reminder to unmute, please enter star six. Once you hear your name, please state your name for the record. I will then start the two-minute timer. When there are 30 seconds remaining, I will inform you so that you can proceed to conclude your remarks to allow

065for the next speaker to begin. And for anyone standing with the speaker, note that in order to comply with the city's fire code, please stand along the glass partitions on the marked spots to keep clear. Thank you. President Harden, before we begin calling registered speakers from the speakers list, we do have union reps who would like to address the board. We'll begin with Jackson Potter, CTU vice president, who is here in person. >> All right, good morning or good afternoon almost. Um, you know, uh, last week delegates who are elected representatives in each and every school across CPS in our union voted overwhelmingly to support a national day of action on May 1st that started here in this town for labor rights, human rights, immigrant rights, civil rights. It was 1886. It's celebrated as International

066Workers Day. And the state encourages civic engagement of our students. It's why it uh has a state law passed by Rep. Sonia Harper that enables students to participate in a wide range of activities. Last year we had over 500 students participate. Many of them said it was the most memorable experience in their lives in terms of a field day of activity and engagement. We hope to replicate that times many more. And it's necessary. We're at a crossroads. I, you know, it's a a little known fact. I'm named after Jesse Jackson, Senior, who, you know, is, uh, lives, you know, large in our memory as a hometown hero. And I hope we can collaborate in making sure we have curriculum circles that celebrate his life and legacy across the district. I I will say the mayor

067at his funeral made a very compelling uh analogy to the Edund Pettis Bridge. Uh before I go there and and comment on that in ' 63 there was a children's march right and they fought police terror and racist uh apartheid like conditions in Birmingham with the civil rights movement starting to grow and voices of reaction at that time said why aren't these kids in school if not for that we'd still be living under a much more ruthless form of Jim Crow there are times in our history that require ires more of us. This is one of them. Democracy itself is not assured. Uh yesterday at Senate confirmation hearings, the replacement for Christine Gnome, you know, said nothing when asked about will you use ICE agents to interfere with people's right to vote. That's an easy

068question to answer. So when they've promised to send them back to Chicago four-fold this spring, we've got to be ready. That's part of what we're asking you to consider. So that Edmund Pettis bridge that Jesse Jackson and John Lewis crossed, they knew they'd be meeting a lot of resistance, a falank of soldiers in the middle of that bridge. But on the other side was the 1965 Civil Rights Act. We started with a racist effort to close and privatize schools in this town that has wrought havoc. and we're seeing the remnants of it with all these charters falling apart before our eyes. But this resolution you're going to pass hopefully today and the efforts to keep the conservatory and reabsorb shy arts and make sure a spir students and aero students have what they need and

069deserve from trusted adults. That is the light at the end of the tumble. That's when we get over the bridge. When we think about all the ICE terror and and the federal agents and the kidnapping and the threats to our schools families and communities in terms of their right to vote, when we think about a war that's taking a billion dollars out of school budgets every day and they are bombing schools abroad instead of funding them at home, that means we're reaching that bridge together in a very perilous moment. And to get to the other side means we got to have people power and we got to show people the way and we have to express it valiantly and we have to honor our agreements. We spoke in negotiations a little over a year ago

070where in 19-2 in our agreement it says that we will have the ability to trade a professional development day teacherdirected for another day in the school calendar before it was approved. That didn't happen this year as intended. We're holding you to it. We're saying no loss of instructional time, but we need to meet the moment and make sure our students have voice and give a give them a chance to participate. That's what we're asking for. We hope you will commit to that so that the collaboration we talked so you know uh positively about today will continue. Uh let's make sure that our school communities are given guidance and direction. >> You have 30 seconds remaining. We got a billionaire at the White House who's given tax breaks that's harming our people, depriving them of SNAP

071and Medicaid and vital services. We got a billionaire in the state house who won't tax the rich. Let's make them do it together. Thank you. >> Thank you for your comments. >> The next union rep is Jen Conan, CTU Charter Division Chair, who is here in person. Good afternoon, members of the board and CEO King. Today, you will hear loudly and clearly from many Shy Arts students, parents, alumni, and staff about what they need from the district. So, I'm going to focus my remarks on Aspira. Thank you, CEO King, for your remarks on Aspira and for your support of Aspira families. Today we are two weeks away from Aspira business and finance and apira early college formally closing. There are currently less than 50 students at the two campuses combined and very few of them

072are still coming to school. This school year has been hard for a spirit educators and families and it has been especially hard the last few weeks. In the fall, students come to school ready to learn and spend time with their friends. Educators come to work ready to teach, support, and counsel. It is the job of charter operators to ensure that the finances and management of the schools runs smoothly in the background. But that was certainly not the case at Aspira this year. In October, Aspira issued layoff notices for about 10% of its staff. Weeks later, educators and families found out from the news that Aspira didn't have enough money to make payroll. That meant that the schools could have closed at the beginning of December. Families and educators asked CPS for help and CPS provided

073cash advances to Aspira to ensure school continued. But Aspira needed one advance after another. And as Aspir's estimates of their deficit grew from 1.5 million to 2.5 million to 3 million to nearly 5 million, it became clear that Aspira's mismanagement threatened the survival of these schools. Educators asked repeatedly what Aspir's plan was to make it to the end of the year, and every time they got no answer. Families were told by Aspir executives that their schools would be open until the end of the year, no matter what was happening with Aspira's finances behind the scenes. They were lied to repeatedly by the organization they entrusted with the education of their children. By February, it was clear that ESP Espira needed more money than CPS could possibly provide. Aspira made it clear that to remain open,

074they needed CPS to hand over more money than is allowed by law. So CPS stepped in to protect students and their education. Aspira continued to tell families that their schools would remain open even though they knew they did not have the money. Aspira told families that if they transferred, students wouldn't graduate and students would lose credit for their current classes. Thankfully, Aspira educators and CPS continued to inform families of the situation and provided them with accurate information about their options. In the last few weeks, CPS and Aspira educators have helped 500 students transfer. The district recognized that this is a crisis situation where action was needed to protect children. There is still work to be done. Events for seniors graduations need to be planned. AP students need support to ensure they are ready for their

075exams. Students course placements at new schools may need review or correction. Aspira staff need to be hired at the district schools that are welcoming Aspira students so these students have educators that they trust right away at their new schools because it will help ensure students succeed through a difficult fourth quarter transition and can finish the school year strong despite this crisis. CPS has made moves in the right direction here and we urge the district to move quickly with these remaining issues. Now, let's zoom out for a moment. We are watching what happens to students, to educators, and the district when charter operators crash out and crash out hard. This is why the charter accountability bill in Springfield is so important. Aspira shows the holes in the system. If anyone asks you why there needs to

076be the same basic cash flow requirements that any sound enterprise would have, point them to Aspira. We are glad to hear that CPS supports this legislation as well. Aspira has forced this district to scramble because this district did not have a plan for Aspira crashing and burning. It is essential to have better guard rails both in CPS's charter renewal process and in state law. The board will be voting on the revocation of Aspira's charter today. Let's be clear, you are not voting whether to close two schools, no matter what Aspira's CEO Lopez or Inc. CEO Andrew Bruy may say. Thanks to reckless and unaccountable charter management, you have 30 seconds. These schools are already nearly empty and Aspira has announced that by April 3rd they will be closed. They will have no students and no

077teachers, pair professionals, counselors or social workers. Aspira has lost the trust of its families and educators, the trust of this institution, and the public's trust. So, let's be clear. This is not a closure vote. This vote is about whether the school board's purpose is to protect the rights of students or whether it is going to protect the so-called rights of charter operators to run their schools like private businesses into the ground. Thank you. >> Thank you for your comments. The next union rep is Tyrone Dao, CPAA executive secretary, who is here in person. Uh good morning, board president Harden, our superintendent, Dr. King, uh, Chief, uh, Carmona, Chief Mayfield, and all of our senior leadership. I bring greetings to you from our president, Kia Banks. My name is Tyrone Daell, secretary of the Chicago Principles

078and Administrators Association. I'll start off by saying thank you. I thank you to this board for your increased communication, your intentional outreach, and your direct engagement with us. We appreciate the growing dialogue with CPAA and the opportunities for meaningful collaboration. As we move forward, we ask that this collaboration continue to inform decisions that reflect the realities within our schools. Principles and assistant principles serve a unique and critical role in shaping the conditions for student success. Because we are responsible for implementing board policies, it is essential that our perspectives are included early and consistently in the decision-making process. As practitioners, we often identify potential challenges before decisions are finalized and our insight can help strengthen outcomes. As budget season approaches, we recognize the complexity of the financial decisions ahead. While we acknowledge the progress made across

079CPS, it is important that such progress does not come at the expense of school identity. Our schools, whether they're neighborhood, STEM, dual language, technical, vocational, Montasauri or middle school, and there are many others. They all reflect the diversity of our communities and play a vital role in student and family engagement. Protecting this progress requires preserving the people, the structures, and the resources that make it happen. Coordinators, specialized teams, and essential funding must remain priorities to sustain and build upon current gains. So, as you consider upcoming budget decisions, we respectfully ask that you keep these decisions in mind. Principles are responsible for implementing board decisions, but it is our students who will experience their impact most directly. We recognize the weight of this responsibility and appreciate your continued commitment. We urge you to maintain strong collaboration

080with CPAA, value the success of our specialty schools, and remain mindful of the students affected by these decisions. Thank you and be blessed. Thank you for your comments. The next union rep is Latana Marshall. Unite here one local one. Unite here local one secretary. Good afternoon. My name is Latana Marshall. I am the secretary of the executive board for Unite Here Local One. I'm here today standing with the hardwork cafeteria workers of Chicago public schools who feed the children in the city every single day. Every morning before students walk through the school doors, cafeteria workers are already there. They are preparing breakfast, setting up kitchens, and making sure that the students across the city have the food that they need to learn, grow, and to succeed. These workers are not just serving meals. They are

081serving care, stability, and dignity to our students. But today, the people who make this possible is struggling themselves. Many Chicago public school lunchroom workers earn about $1842 per hour or less in a city as expensive as Chicago. That is simply not enough. These are hardworking people who show up every day to support our schools. Yet many of them are struggling to pay rent, to buy groceries, to keep up with basic living expenses. The very people who feed Chicago students are sometimes worried about paying their helping their own families, and that's not right. Cafeteria workers are essential to to the success of our schools. When students have access to healthy meals, they focus better in class, they perform better academically, and they have the energy that they need to get through the day. These workers are

082part of one district that keeps our schools functioning. But over the past several years, many school kitchens have become underststaffed. >> [clears throat] >> workers. Workers are being asked to do more with less. One person may be cooking, serving, cleaning, stocking all at the same time. That's not sustainable and it's not fair. The workers are not asking for luxury. They're asking for fairness and equality. They're asking for wages that reflect the cost of living in Chicago. They are asking for enough staff to do the job safely and properly. And most importantly, they are asking for the respect for the work that they do every single day. Because the truth is simple. You cannot say that you support children if you refuse to support the workers who feed them. When we talk about investing in education,

083we cannot only talk about textbooks, buildings, technology, and art. We must also talk about the people who make our schools run. That includes the cafeteria workers who make make sure no child is sitting in a classroom hungry. As a fair contract for these workers, it's not just about a paycheck. It's about values. It's about recognizing that the people who make who who take care of the children deserve to be able to take care of their own families. Chicago is a city that prides itself on hard work um community and fairness. Those values should extend to the workers who support our public schools. Today, we're calling on you, the leaders of the city and the board of education to do the right thing. Come to the table and negotiate a fair contract, provide fair wages, accurate

084staffing, and show real respect for the workers who feed our children every day. Because when we take care of our workers who serve our children, we strengthen our schools and we strengthen our city. And let me be clear, CPS cafeteria workers are organized. They are united. And we will continue to stand together until they work till the workers receive a fair contract that they deserve. Thank you. >> Thank you for your comments. President Harden, we are now ready to call speakers from the speakers list and we'll begin with two speakers from North River. Young Mi Kim, speaker number one who's joining us virtually. Please enter star six to unmute. >> Hello, my name is Young Mi Kim. [clears throat] Good morning, members of the board. I've had the privilege of teaching middle school special education

085for the past 17 years at Chicago Public Schools. I am here today as an advocate for our diverse learners across the district to ensure that their IEPs are implemented with integrity. Our students require individualized and often intensive interventions to close the achievement gap. Proper staffing of teachers and pair professionals are essential to fulfilling the service minutes mandated for our students. At North River, we have been fortunate to have a dedicated team which has allowed us to meet the academic and behavioral needs of our students. However, as you know, providing the level of support our students require more than just a commitment from the staff. It requires the right space, resources, and an environment that supports their needs and opportunities for success. We are asking for your full support to utilize the available space on the

086third floor of our building. This transition is critical for three reasons. One is compliance. It ensures we meet mandated services service minutes in an environment conducive to learning. Second is intervention. It provides the privacy and space needed for targeted small groupoup work for both our diverse learners and our growing ELLL population who greatly benefit from smaller classes. 30 seconds remaining. >> Support and language equity. It provides us to move from making do in shared spaces to thriving in a flexible environment that supports every student from these needing uh intensive support to creating opportunities for enrichment with our advanced learners. So, by investing in staffing and dedicated space, you will help us bring on the progress we've made in creating an effective learning environment that our community and students deserve. Thank you for your consideration and

087time. >> Thank you for your comments. The next speaker is Jesse Portzner, speaker number five, who is joining us virtually. Please enter star six to unmute. >> Hi, I'm Jesse Porschner. Good afternoon. I've had the privilege of serving as a school counselor at North River Elementary School for the past 11 years. For over two decades, North River has been a pillar of the Albany Park community, a vibrant hub of dedicated parents, educators, and local partners. I am hoping to urge your support for our school's expansion to the third floor, a move that would directly address our critical capacity issues and enhance our ability to serve the Albany Park neighborhood equitably. North River is currently at a turning point. While we primarily operate with a one class per grade level, our enrollment has reached a critical

088ceiling. With the exception of 8th grade, our classrooms at are at or exceeding CAP capacity and we maintain an active weight list across all grade levels. Furthermore, our student demographics demographics has shifted significantly. Today, 70% of our students are English language learners and the majority are native Spanish speakers, many of whom are newcomers to Chicago. An expansion would allow us to move to two classrooms per grade, enabling the implementation of a dual language model. This approach is not merely a preference. It is a necessity for the academic, social, and emotional success of our students. It >> 30 seconds remaining. rigorous instruction in their native language while becoming proficient in English, fostering a truly inclusive environment. Our families are eager to grow with us, but our current physical footprint limits that potential. By approving this expansion,

089you are ensuring that North River can remain a unified, strong community that provides highquality, equitable education to the children of Albany Park deserves. Thank you for your time and consideration. Thank you for your comments. The next 15 speakers are from the Chicago High School for the Arts. Katie Casa Plat, speaker number four. Hello CPS board and community members. My name is Katherine Kasa and I am a sophomore musical theater major in Shy Arts. I'd like to say how incredibly disappointed I along alongside my peers have been with the way CPS has been handling our school. People like Miss Boyer Brown always seem to mishandle funding and our school has always been managed under an unstable administration and at the bare minimum have never been what we the students need or deserve. So when we found

090out that we were going to be absorbed by CPS, we thought we could finally stop worrying about our school and focus on our education. However, it feels as if nothing has changed. We were promised security and transparency. concerning our arts education. This is just just not the case right now. We were promised to work together and I being a member of the advisory council can say this has not been happening. But even now when we're more than halfway through the school year, we still don't know what the next year will look like. I don't know if I will be able to receive my professional training as a junior the way other students before me have had. All of those opportunities that I was looking forward to are no longer guaranteed to me. In our school

091day, I understand that our school day will look very different. However, our professional arts classes, the reason for us choosing the school, are absolutely non-negotiable. And I will say this again, they're absolutely non-negotiable. Every second of our conservatory classes count. So, I ask you, do not take away any time from our conservatory as it is essential for our students to be able to receive their pre-professional development and education. I also ask that you treat our teachers with respect, compassion, and the dignity they deserve as they have become not only mentors to rely on, but friends. for us to share precious time and >> 30 seconds remaining. >> They urge us to follow the difficult path of an artist while providing the support and opportunities that we as students need. And I assure you, if you

092get rid of these amazing teachers, you will lose the very essence of this amazing unique school. And they deserve a lot more than what they're given. And I truly hope that you don't don't disappoint our teachers, your students, or the families that rely on CPS. Thank you. >> Thank you for your comments. The next speaker is Caroline Rutherford, speaker number six. one for each. Hi, >> good afternoon. I didn't put that because I didn't know if it was going to be morning or afternoon. Members of the board and CEO King, President Harden, thank you for joining us last week at the Shy Arts community meeting. We heard you when you said the district needs to find uh needs some runway to figure out how we fund the conservatory model, and we really appreciate your desire

093to work with us. Our biggest concern is that while the district is finding the funding and building this runway, the school will be dismantled. The presentations we've seen um from CPS suggest that that is the plan. Things that we've seen, how do we shorten the school day to save money and match the schedule CPS is used to? How do we cut costs by removing and replacing the teaching artists who've made the Shy Arts Conserv Conservatory so successful? And we want to remind you the importance of the teaching artist who works as a professional artist while also educating our students part-time. Because our teaching artists are actively working as dancers, singers, musicians, journalists, and painters, they're able to bring the career of being an artist to our to the life for our students. And if the

094district moves ahead with plans to cut hours from the school day, we will be required to cut or replace most of the shy arts teaching artists. The board of education stood up to save this worldclass arts school. But how will we explain it if the first move that you all make is to fire all the arts teachers who made this school so successful? Parents are here today. Thank you. Parents are here today to present their commitment to a partner with CPS on filling in the funding gaps. That's what I've just passed out. >> You have 30 seconds. >> Shard's parents are relentless and organized. You've seen them here every month. They are committed to the success of this school. If CPS is committed to investing in this model, we can commit to a partnership from

095the Shy Arts community in fundraising. There are cities across the country that invest state funded public money into arts high schools similar to Shy Arts with extended school day maintaining three to four hours of concentrated arts discipline study taught by teaching artists. Do we want to be the city that says it's just not possible for our children? Will we will we be the school district that chooses to destroy ours? If the district does not commit to funding the school, then we will be forced into slashing academics and arts courses offered, firing all the teaching artists, and dismantling the conservatory, and it will cost way more money. >> If CPS decides to throw away this worldclass art school after the board committed to maintaining it, you will lose trust of the parents, students, staff, and the

096community. The conservatory is why our students are here. We have an opportunity to expand this model. Funding the arts is the goal that you have stated over and over again. Work with us and invest in the school our students love. Thank you. >> Thank you for your comments. The next speaker is Arya Hawkins. Speaker number nine. Good afternoon members of the board. I came to Shy Arts as a freshman in 2012, part of the first fully populated student body. After graduating and later earning my BFA, I became a teaching artist. I've taught with Goodman Theater, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and numerous others, serving over 1,600 students, working as both a working artist and educator locally and nationally. Shy Arts made that possible. It gave me my first exposure to teaching artists who modeled what it looked

097like to actively practice within and provide access to the arts landscape of Chicago. As a senior, I had a teaching artist, Natalie Shammy, who taught integrated arts, a class where students collaborated across disciplines and created original work while learning what it means to live as a working artist. She walked us through her income, her budget, how she built a sustainable life as an artist. She challenged us to imagine futures beyond the starving artist trope. This was one of the most valuable lessons I received. If we lose access to our teaching artists, we lose access to local working artists who understand Chicago's arts landscape. We lose a wider pool of black and brown educators who reflect our students lived experiences. And we lose real preparation for professional life in the arts, not just academic study. We

098also have to be realistic. It is incredibly difficult to find and retain board-certified educators across all artistic disciplines. Without that, we cannot sustain a viable competitive program. At the same time, we risk displacing the teaching artists who built this institution by removing their stability. You have 30 seconds remaining. >> While continuing to benefit from their work, my career exists because of Shy Arts teaching artists. They continue to offer mentorship, employment opportunities uh because they are active in their field. There is no art school without artists. Teaching artists are essential to this model and any future one. Scholar artists need teaching artists. Scholar artists deserve teaching artists. If we want to invest in Chicago's youth and its arts landscape, we must keep teaching artists in the classroom. Thank you. >> Thank you for your comments. The

099next speaker is Britt Darwin, speaker number 11. Good afternoon, President Harden, Dr. King, and members of the board. My name is Britt, and my daughter is a freshman at Shy Arts. This time last year, we were living in Texas when we got her acceptance email. That email for us as parents meant that our dreams of moving our child to a city that accepts and celebrates diversity and um bodily autonomy and that love is love was becoming a reality for our child. And for our child that meant that her dreams of being on Broadway were becoming a possibility because of the conservatory model. Shy Arts has changed our lives and we deserve to offer that same opportunity to all of the children and families across Chicago. And that is the responsibility of the people in this

100room, of the board leadership, of CPS leadership, of this community, of the parents who stand with me, of the children who are standing behind me. We stand before you and challenge you to seek this opportunity with curiosity. curiosity and asking how might we instead of we can't. So with that, I'm going to frame most of my remarks around that one question of how might we how might we stabilize and strengthen Shy Arts without dismantling the very programs that have made it >> 30 seconds remaining. We've recently learned that the current CPS model does not include a budget to support the conservatory and eliminating the conservatory is essentially closing Shy Arts. So, how might we protect what already works? Instead of forcing Shy Arts into a standard CPS mold or bear bell schedule, let's think about

101what might be possible if we actually fund the conservatory model. And finally, how might we think bigger? Shy arts is not an outlier. It's a model. It should be the flagship. This is a chance for CPS to expand and not shrink arts education. >> Please conclude your move CPS's stated commitment to the arts that it's more than just words. So, how might we as a collective, how might we keep Shy Arts alive and make sure that we continue to provide an avenue to change the lives of our students? You can do that by funding Shy Arts. You can provide us with the time for fundraising opportunities and you can truly partner with us. You cannot save a school by erasing its soul. Thank you for your comments. The next speaker is Samantha Gonzalez, speaker 12.

102Hello and good afternoon Chicago school board members. My name is Samantha Gonzalez and I am a junior musical theater major at Shy Arts. I would not be who I am without the rigorous training at the school. Before I came to Shy Arts, I had zero training. Now I'm a signed actress. I haven't just found something I love. I found something I'm dedicated to. After graduation, I plan to get my undergraduate in theater with a double major in political science and continuing my education to law school. I am able to make these plans because of the opportunities I have had at Shy Arts. Classes like professional development, stage combat, dance, theater studio. All of these classes have helped me explore my medium even further and deepen my craft. I've had the ability to work with so

103many incredible teaching artists, too. Thanks to their connections, I have performed in multiple productions with Looking Glass Theat's Young Ensemble. I was a winner in August in the August Wilson Monologue Competition. And as of last month, myself and a friend directed a studentled show. Teaching artists put these opportunities in my lap and have advocated for my future on their behalf, not because they had to, but because they wanted to. So, I'm here to do the same thing for them. I believe people who have put me on the stage to graduate should watch me cross. My fellow students and I deserve the opportunity of prestigious arts training. We ask you to fund the only public art school within the city that has students from every single ward. The world as we know it is actively defunding

104the arts and dismantling spaces for young people. What we need you all to do is make sure that Shy Arts is able to be one of those places. >> You have 30 seconds. not another story about one of them who closes and loses its programming and community. Please protect our arts and our education and our teaching artist. Thank you. >> Thank you for your comments. The next speaker is Jillian Counts, speaker number 15. >> Hello, my name is Jillian Counts. I'm a teaching artist in the creative writing department at Shy Arts and I'm a CTu member. My writing has been published across literary journals and nominated for literary prizes including the best American short stories. The current model proposed by CPS will not only destroy the conservatory program, but it will undo what makes Shia

105Arts special and integral to our artistic community. The work I do in the classroom reorients a high school English brain to read and write like a fiction writer. I challenge my students to write and to read to understand their voices. My students are my colleagues in the classroom. I guide them in learning the art of literary craft, in defining their artistic visions, and declaring the impact they want to make in the literary community. A post-secary creative writing program will expect students to know how to critique their careers work, to understand how to articulate the goals of their own work, and to discuss how the elements of narrate narrative operate in their fiction. An artistic process is not extracurricular. It is nurtured. It is rigorous and it is intentional. Our participation in Chicago's artist communities and

106in our disciplines gives us the credibility to nurture this these young artists careers. We speak with true earned knowledge about what it takes to be a working artist. The conservatory program nurtures these relationships because of its intensity. And because of this, we understand who our students are as artists. Recasting our courses to be optional or additional recasts our relationships to be optional or additional. >> You have 30 seconds. >> I've been teaching across higher education institutions for 5 years and I choose to teach at Shy Arts because of the rigor, because of the discipline and the commitment to artistic integrity. Working with Chicago's young authors feeds my writing practice. Um, the community we build in the classroom is a foundation for Chicago's literary future. All of my fellow teaching artists are teachers in their own

107right and deserve to be recognized as such. We are proud to be represented by the Chicago Teachers Union. Please know that Shy Arts without the conservatory model as it currently stands is no longer Shy Arts. Thank you. >> Thank you for your comments. Before I call the next speaker, I do want to remind um that those that are standing with a speaker will need to have their passes stand with the particular speaker that is speaking. Otherwise um you will need to be seated because we need to comply with the city's fire code. The next speaker is Luciana Dominica Pacili, speaker 17. >> Good afternoon members of the board. My name is Luchiano Dominica Pacile and I'm a sophomore vocalist at the Chicago High School of the Arts. [clears throat] Throughout my time at this school,

108I have had the honor of working alongside so many talented and driven students. The teaching artists have been the greatest mentors of my life. They have provided me with pre-professional instruction, instilling drive and passion that allows me opportunities, experiences, and a future that I will not see without them. Because of them, I have accessed auditions, competed for scholarships, and enrolled in singing and acting opportunities at the Goodman Theater, as well as numerous universities. Not to mention the talent who comes to discover us here at Shy Arts due to their relationships and reputation. The conservatory method at Shy Arts is such a state-of-the-art model that positions us as a serious as serious freethinking artists who will make a giant impact in Chicago and worldwide. Because of the daily schedule, we are granted the time to build

109ourselves as a whole and taught on the most solid foundation for success. Our teachers, schedules, and conservatory hours are integral to the legacy of Shy Arts. At Shy Arts, we are a family. After months of hard rehearsal and prep, we recently finished a four-night performance of our musical In the Heights, where a group of us made something beautiful, leaving the school and community in awe of our work. This is Shy Arts. This is why the school the way it is matters. Please protect and fund our entire schedule with its conservatory model, our teaching artists, and our diverse community. I would not be able to be a part of this without you protecting and upholding our school's core values. >> You have 30 seconds. Thank you for your comments. The next speaker is Alexander Cookman, Speaker

11019. Good morning and hello again to you all. My name is Alex Cookman. I'm a social science teacher at Shyarts High School and the academic union delegate. I am concerned that the CPS proposal to cut our 8 to 5:00 p.m. school day short will have a severe and detrimental impact on academic rigor at Shy Arts. By pushing art classes from the afternoon into the 8 to 2 p.m. interval, we will displace important academic course offerings such as ethnic studies, upper level Spanish, AP Spanish, psychology, financial algebra, and more. For the past four years, I have had the honor of teaching ethnic studies at Shy Arts. This course was offered in response to consistent student demand for a more well-rounded historical education that centers the lives and experiences of people of color. Between restrictive laws and

111the teaching of critical race theory, DEI, and ethnic studies by name, this class is effectively banned in 20 states and counting. Earlier in this meeting, Member Brown touched on our shared obligation to teach diverse history as a means of correcting past deficiencies. This work is made all the more urgent in an era where such inquiry is being actively criminalized. I could say more about the transformative power of ethnic studies. But you don't have to take my word for it. I have a small sample of written responses from students about what the opportunity to take ethnic studies in high school has meant to them. Quote, I want to thank you for teaching me history from the perspective of different ethnicities. It helped me to have an open mind and showed me things in the world that

112we should change. 30 seconds. This is the reason why I'm voting this year. Quote, I wrote a response to a college application question and mentioned how your class has influenced my art and what I want to do with it. Quote, I wish I could make my parents take this class. Quote, I really like that one project where I designed a social justice campaign. I really like the freedom I had doing that and it was something I felt passionate about which made it easier to do. This is my 15th year as an educator and here is one rule I live by. When students tell you, I want to learn this, you say yes. I am asking you to please say yes to a format for Shy Arts that says yes to academics and arts. That says

113yes to depth and rigor. And that says yes to the youth of the city of Chicago seeing themselves, their families, and their histories in the curriculum at a time when so much of the rest of the country wants to tell them no. Thank you. >> Thank you for your comments. The next speaker is Mariah Hicks, speaker number 20. Good afternoon. My name is Mariah Hicks. I am a sophomore vocalist here at the Chicago High School for the Arts. I would like to express my sincere gratitude for your time and your willingness to keep and open this school to so many amazing students. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to speak, to be seen, and to be a part of a decision that shapes our school and our futures. as Shy Arts, we want our

114school to stay true to what it is. And one of the most important parts of that is our conservatory. Every morning, I am able to wake up knowing that I'm going to a place where I get to pursue what I love. This is because our conservatory teachers has walked the path before us so that we can run towards the path of so many amazing opportunities and possibilities. You voted to save Shy arts and I want you to save its uniqueness as well. Our conservatory teachers extended family to us and they have demonstrated for years that they can successfully mold us into pre-professional young artists by imparting specialized training from their experience as professional artists. Before Shy Arts, I did not even know that theater was a part of me. I came here as a vocal

115student, but it was my conservatory teachers, their belief in me, and their love that opened a door I never knew existed. They saw something in me before I saw it in myself. Because of them, I have had so many opportunities that changed my life in numerous ways. Things like the Goodman Theater, In the Heights, the Lambie Project, and so many more memories I will carry with me forever. Every one of those experiences came from those teachers who cared enough to guide me, to challenge me, and help me discover who I truly You got 30 seconds remaining. >> Our conservatory teachers begin be bring expertise and skill and we cannot afford to lose them. Shy arts is so much more than a school to us. It has been the place where people saw our potential in

116us long before we ever saw it in the mirror. So many of us walked through those doors unsure of who we were and shy arts gave us room to grow into something bigger than we ever could imagine. So I ask you from a place of deep gratitude and love, please work to ensure that we can preserve the conservatory by funding it as part of our school day and keeping the teaching artists who are working there to shape our young professionals because shy arts is not just our school. It is our home. Thank you. >> Thank you for your comments. The next speaker is Juan Herrera, speaker number 22. TP isinguist. Black API and showcase. New York. AP Now I'll do in English. CPS board. Good morning. My name is Janera. I am a teacher of

117Spanish as second language and editor Spanish at the Chicago High School for the Arts. First, I want to sincerely thank you for all the work that you have done to help our school continuing to exist. But Shars is the conservatory and we need to maintain the professionalism that this represent Latino immigrant. I want to mention that Shy is also a Latino community with many multilingual student. For many of them, Shars is a safe space where art allows them to express themselves, find their voices and focus on something positive. especially considering the difficulties many immigrants families had faced this year. But today I also want to share why Shy Arts is so important and why is a truly unique school. Shar is not a special only because the arts not solely because of the professional level

118of teacher of the status support of a student. At Shay we produce professional level artist production lead by a student such as the Latin black the API and prultural showcases where academic teacher also support a student during school hours to help this project succeed. This is an important example where you can see the combination of the arts with the academics. also speaking about my class for international women's month as a final project they will create in a museum style exhibition discussing a showcasing the Latin American woman who had make an impact in their respective conservatories is if we switch to a traditional a torific schedule we risk losing many of the academic and conservatory classes that all students benefit from and need to gain greater recognition and national universities we currently have a comprehensive Spanish

119program for Both heritage and second language student both focus in developing proficiency and a second language are providing access to the seal of pilitery exam and university level courses such as AP Spanish. Losing these classes means losing academic and financial opportunities at top tier universities. The magic of Shayars lie in the community. We build with our students. Here we don't just teach here. We advise, support, celebrate their talent, I giving them the tools to become the best professional they can be. Shy is my family. That is why today I ask for your support so that Shars can maintain a sustainable schedule, retain his teaching artist, and continue to offer the high level artistic and academic training that our community deserves. Thank you so much. >> Thank you for your comments. The next speaker is Casey

120Weldon, speaker number 26, who is joining us virtually. Please enter star six to unmute. Casey Weldon, speaker number 26, please enter star six to unmute. Good afternoon. I'm Casey Weldon, a visual arts instructor at Shy Arts, a CTu member, a professional artist, and a proud graduate of the Alabama School of Fine Arts, which has been a successful arts high school for 55 years with notable alumni such as Leverne Cox, Mitzky, and Suzanne Collins. Fame aside, I look to many of my fellow alumni and see all the good they do as artists and activists. Shy arts graduates are equally awe inspiring movers and shakers. The Alabama School of Fine Arts, ASA for short, is publicly funded, admission by audition, and tuitionfree. In 2025, ASA received $ 122.6 million in public funding for 370 students enrolled. A

121state and city much smaller than Chicago sees that a high investment in the arts is worth it. The Shy Arts community is ready to partner with CPS in this endeavor because we know our scholar artists are the future. Like Shy Arts teaching artists, the ASPA arts instructors are professional artists and not licensed teachers. Artists working in the field teach through their lived experience. My students get my industry knowledge on creating portfolios and artist statements to apply to art schools, grants, residencies, and more. The specifics of our model make this training possible. When I attended ASA, I had two 90-minute art classes a day, but they have since altered their schedule to having one long art period from 2 to 440, just like Shy Arts. My former art instructor and mentor said it had been the

122best decision for students and the quality of work. >> Proposed schedule for Shy Arts would be a detriment to the school and would destabilize our student body. Cutting down our school day will lower the quality of instruction and destroy the curriculum we've worked so hard to develop. Please don't dismantle this vital program. Invest with us in Shy Arts as an investment in our city, in our students, and in our future. Thank you so much. >> Thank you for your comments. >> The next speaker is Luna De Laena, speaker number 27. Good afternoon. My name is Vin Delpena or Luna if you like and I'm a junior creative writer at the Chicago High School for the Arts. And for months now, the students, staff, and parents of Shyards have been fighting for the school to stay

123afloat and for the conservatory model to remain intact. And while I'm extremely grateful that the board unanimously voted to absorb Shots into CPS, I cannot stress enough the importance of the conservatory model and our teaching artists. For creative writing in particular, my classmates and I would have never made it so far without the help of people who have firsthand experience in publishing, including poets, novelists, and editors. We've learned not only how to hone our craft, but also how to navigate the industry, our future career paths, and the selection process when it comes to publishing a literary magazine. Just this year, several of my classmates are applying to be named the Chicago Youth Poet poet laurate. Several of us, myself included, have won gold and silver keys in the Scholastic Art and Writers Competition for original

124poems, essays, and fiction. And now, the junior writing class is working on a literary magazine that receives submissions from writers of all ages from around the globe. I asked the board not to be so quick to dismiss the creative writing conservatory as just another English or language arts class. As vital as those classes are, they do not give young >> 30 seconds remaining >> resources and motivation to blossom into accomplished poets, novelists, essays, screenwriters, playrights, and so on and so forth. Without the teaching artists of Shy Arts, I would have never spread my wings as a writer the way I have now. I think of all the kids like my freshman year self, young, ambitious kids of color fighting to be seen in a world actively trying to stamp them out. In a world where

125anti-intellectualism and the suppression of free of free thought is on the rise, the written word grows more and more powerful. I ask that you think of these future dreamers, creators, and world shakers, and give them a chance to make the communities a better place by finding a way to fund conservatory hours and to make sure our teaching artists remain a part of the fabric of shy arts. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you for your comments. The next speaker is Adriana Guzman, speaker 28. Hello everyone. My name is Adriana Guzman Baron. I am a sophomore dancer at Shy Arts. I want to take this moment to really speak from the heart about our school. Shy Arts is a place where I've grown, learned, built many friendships and memories. There is no other school like

126ours. Shy Arts is a safe and sacred place in Chicago. This place has given me so many reasons to keep showing up, to keep trying, and keeping believing in my future. In my English class earlier this year, we were writing essays on what we believe. And I wrote about how I believe that dancing can help you tell your own story. Dancing helps me fully express who I am. The way I choose to move, my style, my improvisation, the way I move and flow my body reflects my personality, my identity, my inner world, anything I'm going through mentally and physically. This is why I believe you should keep our conservatories as part of our school. Our conservatory takes both advanced and novice dancers, and we all learn from each other. Miss Tracy is our department head,

127and I don't know what I would do without her. She is always there for us and she takes time to form a connection while still teaching us discipline. There's no other like her. And I know students in other conservatories feel the same way about their arts teachers. We need funding for our specific pre-professional conservatory programs so that we can keep learning alive for many more students after me. I know a lot of people say this >> 30 seconds >> another place for students to learn but for me it's much more than that. This school has helped who I am is where I discover my passions, build friendships and learn lessons that I will hold on for the rest of my life. Please keep our conservatories as part of our school day so I can keep

128building my skills and passions for dance. Thank you. >> Thank you for your comments. The next speaker is Taishan Johnson, speaker 29. [snorts] >> Good morning. My name is Tyan Johnson and I'm a sophomore vocalist in Shy Arts. I would like to start off by saying we appreciate the board for officially deciding to absorb the school and keep it open. But just keeping the school open is only one step and maintaining the conservatory model and staff positions is the next one. Our conservatory model and our teaching artists make charts what it is and they both have a collective responsibility in making the school so special. For starters, the conservatory model as the way it is is pivotal to our futures. These specialized classes on our transcripts can help us get into colleges and the time

129spent in our conservatory classes allow us to receive important and individualized instruction on developing our artistic skills. This time also allows us to bond as peers and devote our focus to our art together, letting us not only work on improving our individual art skills, but how we use these skills to make art with each other. This time is precious, and we do not want these almost sacred periods of learning to be jeopardized. The conservatories as a whole are what bring the arts to shy arts. And our teachers bring life and character into these classes. They come from far and wide, and as working artists, many have extremely busy lives and schedules outside of school that they manage for us. Students at Shy Arts have bonded with their teachers and have grown comfortable with them. In

130many ways, our teachers have become family for us and they not only teach us our academics and art, but help us find a specific and unique passion in them. Together, our [snorts] teachers and our conservatories give us many opportunities and experiences that wouldn't be available anywhere else. For example, I recently had the opportunity to participate in the um what's it called? the MIA's all state choir which would not be possible without the help from music teachers named Miss Ba, Mr. Cortez, and Miss Burton. I gained insight from the experience on how to manage my time between being an academic student and a and an artist. And truthfully, that's what Shy is about. Learning how to become a professional in so many different ways. I urge you to keep this pre-professional training in place by funding

131our conservatory program and creating a path for teaching artists to remain a core part of Shy Arts. Thank you. >> Thank you for your comments. The last speaker from Chicago High School for the Arts is Quinn Connley, speaker 30. Good afternoon, members of the board. My name is Quig Codley. I am a sophomore at Shy Arts in the creative writing program. I would first like to thank the board for their attempts to preserve the conservatory model as much as possible. I understand how difficult it could be to reser to try their best to reserve such a unique model for the conservatory. With that being said, ever since my first day of being at the school, I noticed how different the conservatory teachers's understanding of their respective art was. When I met my poetry class, I

132get the feeling that our teacher really understands what each and every student is trying to write and encourages us to be more experimental with our work. I feel that same way with our fiction class as our teacher makes a point to show us the many different ways to write fiction. I say this all to say that creative writing is an art and it can be whatever you want it to be. I feel like I believe that the that this is what makes our current conservatory model special. The teachers understand that we are artists and that we need the freedom to stretch the boundaries of what writing and storytelling could be in our own way. If we were taught by academic teachers, we wouldn't have been given the freedom to explore different genres and styles of

133writing that could be that could only be understood and taught by experienced authors. As a sophomore, I know there is still much more for me to learn about writing, and I don't want that opportunity to be taken away. I personally support the idea to ha to have the conservatory classes stay the same and be taught by the current conservatory teachers, but to also be supervised by a registered CPS teacher in order to meet the CPS's guidelines. I once again thank the board for their attempts to preserve the conservatory model and I trust you to work with students, parents, and teachers to provide a to find a way to provide funding for the conservatory. Thank you. >> Thank you for your comments. The next two speakers are from Hogan Elementary School. Marne Willinson, speaker number three.

134Good afternoon. I'm Arie Willinson. Yesterday, more than 80 Albany Park community residents came out to vote in the North River LSC election. Turnout that may be unprecedented for an elementary school LSC race. They were met at the door by North River's principal, Haime Sanchez, who spent the day intimidating voters and electioneering. A retired school teacher voted early in the day, then returned later with her husband. While he voted, she reported that Sanchez approached her when she came to vote, demanding to know whether she was there, quote, supporting the school or from Hogan. As a retired teacher, she felt the election should be voided and rerun due to the principal's behavior. She was not alone. Another community resident went to vote and the principal immediately confronted him, asking whether he was there, quote, for the North

135River election or for Hogan. This voter knew his rights and voted, but states, "It's very possible and easy to imagine that other voters left after being confronted." The principal accosted yet another voter both before and after he voted. On his way in, Sanchez thanked him for coming to support North River. On his way out, the principal said, "Thank you for voting for North River. At least I hope it was for North River." Sanchez approached a different group of four community voters and lectured them on their way in, conveying that if they were not there to vote for people who cared solely about North River, they shouldn't be there. Electioneering >> 30 seconds remaining. >> Thank you. Electioneering also occurred throughout the building with parents being asked to vote for specific candidates. One of our poll

136watchers overheard a teacher tell Sanchez she wasn't sure she had done enough to persuade voters. Another community resident overheard adults in the building telling voters who to vote for. During the afternoon, Sanchez made a PA announcement thanking parents for voting and stating that he was quote hopeful that the results would be what they wanted. Our poll watchers stayed at North River until 900 p.m. last night because the final numbers could not be reconciled. The election judges reported that the total number of community and parent voters was 193, but there were 225 white ballots. >> Please conclude your remarks. >> I'm doing so. This election requires both an audit and a new election. The Albany Park community showed up yesterday. We are not going away. We will be here at every board meeting until CPS holds

137a public hearing on the use of the space vacated by Aspira Hogan Middle School. Thank you. >> Thank you for your comments. The next speaker is Meg White, speaker number eight. >> As an Albany Park homeowner for more than a decade, I've long recognized disinvestment in my community, but only recently have I seen the corruption that maintains that disinvestment. When I first saw the overcrowding at Hogan Elementary, I figured all Albany Park schools were underresourced. Surely they all had classes in the library, confidential se counseling sessions in hallways, and art class on a cart. Then I heard a teacher from the lotterybased school down the street ask this very board for more space so they could open a second art room and a science lab. At first, I assumed the portfolio team had a legitimate

138reason to reject Hoggin's collocation request. Then they ignored foyer requests when the community asked why. Then I saw the fake formulas CPS used to make it look like Hogan wasn't overcrowded. Then I saw the doctorred slide CPS created to falsely suggest Hogan's enrollment is falling. At first I assumed CPS needed more information to support this flourishing school. Then I learned CPS leaders were using their supervisory authority to silence Hogan's principal. Then I heard from LSC members and candidates being bullied and denied information that should be public. Then LSC's began redacting information from community meetings. Then I saw electioneering and voter intimidation firsthand during yesterday's LSC elections. At first, I assumed CPS needed to hear the community's love for Hogan. Then CPS said the deal was already done without community input. Then they remain students for

139our advocacy by threatening to take away prek classes or blocking its budding dual language program. I don't want to believe that there's a conspiracy to crush neighborhood schools. But CPS's wholesale denial of facts, logic, and community input reinforces that conclusion. I am not a parent or a teacher. I am just a Chicago disgusted by this pattern of abuse. If you want to destroy neighborhood schools and give their resources to for-profit lotterybased institutions, I cannot stop you. But at least have the decency. >> Please conclude your remark out page 48 of your strategic plan because it is a lie. Thank you. Thank you for your comments. The next speaker is Claude Holmes, speaker number seven, who's joining us virtually. Please enter star six to unmute. hear me? >> Yes, please proceed. >> Okay. Good afternoon to

140the members of the board. My name is Claude Holmes Jr. and I've been an educator of Aspira Antonio Pantoa High School for over 15 years. Given our current situation and the decisions that have brought us here, I will be direct. The leadership that we have seen from both Aspira's board of directors and CEO Lopez has led to a loss of confidence within our community. And at this point, I sincerely hope that they are considering what responsible leadership looks like, including the possibility of stepping aside to prevent further harm to the organization. Though, while those decisions unfold, our immediate focus must be towards the ongoing efforts for our students and our staff. Now, first I'd like to thank CPS and the board of education for working closely with the Spear families to ensure a smooth and

141supportive transition for all of our students into new schools. We know that this transition must be handled with urgency, clarity, and care. But at the same time, we must also think about our teachers and other critical staff who are best prepared to help students succeed through this diff difficult transition. These are the individuals who have spent years, especially with our seniors, building relationships, providing support, and preparing them for this moment. With major milestones approaching like prom, senior events, and graduation, it is only right that these educators have the opportunity to continue supporting the students that they have invested so much in. Now, there are open positions across >> 30 seconds remaining. that you actively work to ensure that our teachers, parents, counselors, and social worker are given a fair opportunity to transition into these roles

142and follow their students. This is not just about employment. It is about allowing them to finish what they started and to stand with their students during these final meaningful moments. This is not just about logistics. It is about dignity. It is about respect. It is about recognizing the commitment that both students and staff have made over the years. It is also about ensuring students transition successfully that they have educators who they know and trust in the new schools. Therefore, this moment is a call for action and today we are asking for such action. Work with CPS not only to transition students but to ensure that the educators who helped shape them are not left behind. Thank you. Thank you for your comments. The next two speakers are from the Academy for Global Citizenship. Aaron Fischer,

143speaker 10. >> Good afternoon. Uh, first off, I'd like to say uh unscripted that I stand with Shy Arts. Um, my name is Aaron Fischer. I'm the middle school math teacher at the Academy for Global Citizenship. Uh thank you for your invitation for me to speak uh to the board. Uh the reason I'm speaking right now is because one of my students inspired me to be here. Uh she told me about her recent experience speaking in front of the board and encouraged me to do the same. When I told her that she inspired me, she said, "That's something you can say to them. At AC, not only do the teachers inspire the students, but the students inspire the teachers." Honestly, [snorts] these are the types of experience that I encounter at AGC every day. Students

144and teachers trading inspiration, joy, and positivity. A sixth grade student recently joined our community. She is a family friend of one of my daughter's friends in our prek program. At a recent playd date, the mother of my daughter's friend asked, "Arec teachers really as happy as they seem?" I asked her why she asked me that, and she explained that my new sixth grade student was telling her about how all of her teachers are happy and fun. My reply was, "Yes, teachers are really that happy at AGC." 10 years ago, when AGC's principal at the time found me on Indeed and reached out, I was struggling to decide whether to stay in the classroom. When I told her that I was considering seeking her other opportunities and taking a break from teaching, she suggested I come

145check out the school. After the panel of teachers were finished interviewing me, it was my turn to ask questions. The first question I asked was, "How many schools are in this network?" You have 30 seconds remaining. >> Their reply baffled me when they said, "This isn't a network of schools. It is just one school. There won't be any more schools. We are working to get better, not bigger." This is the essence of AGC and this is what has kept me coming back for 10 years with no end in sight. This is why my daughter now attends AGC in the early childhood program. Uh Alice was born with Down syndrome and the love and understanding that and the support that she has received from the staff and students at AGC has been instrumental to her development

146and success. This is why I'm standing in front of you today. There is no place like AGC. And for these reasons and many more, I ask that you renew our charter for the full 10-year renewal. Thank you very much. >> Thank you for your comments. The next speaker is Kelly Bernson, speaker 18. Hello, my name is Kelly Brinen. I'm the MTSS team lead and a former third grade teacher at the Academy for Global Citizenship where I've worked for over a decade. I'm here today to advocate for 10-year charter renewal for the school that has shaped both my career and my family. AGC is not your typical charter school. ACC is located on Chicago southwest side in a new state-of-the-art living building that refle reflects what we believe that school should sustain both the environment and

147the people inside of them. AGC is a school intentionally curating a culture of curiosity where rigorous academic standards live alongside creativity, student voice and deep respect for children. Through our international bal laora and dual language approach, learning is inquirybased, experiential, and rooted in nature, giving students meaningful opportunities to engage with the world around them. AGC is an incubator of educational innovation, grounded in a deep commitment to social justice in our city. Our students are challenged academically, supported emotionally, and empowered to see themselves as capable problem solvers and global citizens. But today, I'm not just here as an AGC teacher. I'm also here as an AGC parent. I choose to enroll my own children at AGC, a kindergartener and a third grader, because the school I believe in professionally is the same school that I trust

148to shape my children's values, academic skills, confidence, and their overall. You have 30 seconds remaining. And that choice is my testimony. >> At AGC, we ask what does each individual need to thrive? And as a parent myself of a child with a complex disability, I bring a critical and informed eye to inclusive education. And I can say with confidence that AGC makes bold and intentional decisions in partnership and in service to the disability community. AGC aligns with CPS's best practices. We prioritize access to grade level instruction, co-eing, and learning in the least restrictive environments. Through progressive co-teer models and collaborative support systems, students of all abilities learn together, and everyone benefits. At AGC, inclusion is not an add-on. It is at the foundation. It is in the best interest of the Chicago Public School Board

149to grant the Academy for Global Citizenship the longest possible charter renewal, 10 years, so that this community can continue delivering the kind of public education that all students deserve. Thank you. >> Thank you for your comments. The next speaker is Christopher Smith, speaker 13, who is joining us virtually. Please press star six to um unmute. Good afternoon and thank you uh to the board and everyone present. My name is Christopher Smith. I'm the founder and executive director of the Libya Dreams Foundation and I'm here as a supporter of the new charter for Chicago collegiate uh charter school. Uh we are a community partner with the school and we operate a food pantry out of the school and we think that uh multi-year renewal will be best because we are really making strides over the last

150year and a half as becoming a community hub and Chicago collegiate has been a major major propon um part of it. We've been operating pool programs for four years prior before prior to our um coming into the school and it has never been as robust as now. We feed over a thousand people a month that comes through all the different programs we have that's operated based out of um Chicago collegiate. Um this partnership is making it a true resource for the community where one in four people with kids are experiencing food insecurity. Uh the parents of the students are given first priority and the families in the households are able to save um about $1,000 annually just being able to come into the pantry each week. and that helps them with things like bills, rent

151and other resources for the kids that come to school fully formed and ready to learn. Um they get fresh produce, frozen meats, milks, milk and eggs, a variety of shelf stable foods >> and it helps stable all the other things that ensure that the family will be in the community and um be successful. U we experience >> it's a dignified shopping experience for the people. So they come in and they feel um feel good. It feels like a shopping experience where they can come in this client choice and it's like going to a mini shopping uh shopping mart inside of the school that they go to. So this gives the kids a sense of um of belonging to something bigger than just what's in their household or what's in their community. So it's very important

152to get the longest renewal possible to Chicago leaders. Thank you. >> Thank you for your comments. The next speaker is Gabriella Hernandez, speaker 14, who's joining us virtually. Please enter star six to unmute. Okay. Washington. >> [clears throat] >> conflict of interest. for director. Okay. Uh, good morning board members. I would like to begin by thanking board member Rias for visiting Kern High School last week. We also formally invite members Brown and all interested members to meet with our LSC chair and parents representatives. Our goal is to uphold Mayor Haro Washington's vision, a school system rooted in authentic communityled governance. Unfortunately, that vision is currently being undermined by e-way gladities in an abuse of power. We wish to bring the following uh concerns to your attention. illegal appointment process. In January, after two parents resigned,

153the interim principal unilaterally provide only 24 hours to solicit applications without notifying the LSC. Furthermore, an LSD member can ask the deciding vote to appoint her own husband, a clear evaluation of the CPS code of ethics regarding the appointment of relatives to violation of the state law. We have documented multiple violations of the open meeting act including the denial of public participation. Most notably a forum committee was formed and forum question were established without a formal LSU vote by passing OMA guidelines for transparency. Additional high stakes votes have been [clears throat] conducted without Spanish translation violating both civil rights and CPS equity policies. Three, ethics [clears throat] and conflict of interest. Multiple parents representatives have failed to disclose the relatives working within the school directly violating the CPS code of ethics. Four, hostile environment. This

154procedural failures [clears throat] led to a non-eing staff member taking a legal action and two parent assignment. The vacancy intended to be filled today exists because of this hostility and this person has ties to three LSC members including two relatives. This is the definition of nepotism. If you proceed with the appointment of the non- teaching staff representative Clemente, you are empowering a stack LC to elect a principal whose selection process is clearly the subject of active investigation by our AIC, the ethic committee and the Illinois State Attorney. Our request to the board, we add that the board defer the appointment of the nonspeching staff representative to the implemented LC. It is imperative that all formal investigations conclude before any further seats are filled or a principal contract is offered. We ask for the time and

155oversight necessary to ensure that the principal selection process is fair, transparent, and legally sound. Thank you. >> Thank you for your comments. The next speaker is Mary K. Richardson, speaker number 16. Good afternoon, CPS board members and CEO, Dr. King. Uh, my name is Mary Kay. Richardson and I am the proud principal of Elma Thomas Early Childhood Center, a dual language school. At Thomas, we serve our city's youngest and most vulnerable learners. 80 to 85% of our students are multilingual and over 48% are children with disabilities. Currently, over 46% of CPS students are Latina. Yet, we have only 44 dual language schools in the entire district. This is a staggering gap in service. We don't just need to protect what we have. We need a robust expansion to serve our families. Instead, we are here

156discussing the potential removal of the very roles that these programs make possible, our dual language coordinators. In a school like mine, the dual language coordinator is not an extra staff. They are the instructional architects who ensure that a child with a disability in a home language other than English receives a cohesive, rigorous education. They provide the specialized coaching our teachers require to bridge languages, a skill set that does not exist in a gener general education vacuum. Moreover, early childhood is the foundation for all future learning. If the dual language transition isn't handled expertly at age three and four, the gap in literacy starts even before they hit kindergarten. If you remove this role and shift the focus purely to compliance, you are effectively dismantling the program's integrity. You have 30 seconds remaining. >> Furthermore, you

157are shifting that specialized workload directly onto the principal's desk. This is unsustainable. A principal cannot be a compliance officer, a special education administrator, and a dual language instructional expert simultaneously. To ask this of us is to invite burnout and systemic failure. If the board is committed to educational equity for our Latin students, you must protect the dual language coordinator role. Compliance is a legal baseline. Our students deserve excellence. Please do not balance the budget on the backs of our youngest learners and the leaders who serve them. Thank you. >> Thank you for your comments. The next speaker is Thomas Gatuso, speaker 21. Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen of the board and CEO King. I am Dr. Thomas Katuso, principal of Sullivan House High School and a proud member of Youth Connection Charter School. A year

158ago, we went through the renewal process. In that process, by the way, it also included financial and educational transparency. The result was a four-year contract proposal to Youth Connection. In its current form, however, the contract takes away or limits much of the charter autonomy that makes YCCCS inherently unique and historically successful. We seek to continue to fairly negotiate with CPS, focusing on the following points. to honor the intention of Illinois charter law to enhance not disable our partnership with CPS to restore hold harmless funding to return YCCS to the CPS office of innovation and incubation which more accurately reflects what a charter school should look like and to enhance results over regulation. Fun fact number one, Sullivan House celebrated its 50th anniversary this school year as one of the oldest charter schools in the country.

159Fun fact number two, over 10 years ago, Katrina ravaged New Orleans, as everyone knows. What a lot of people don't know is that New Orleans is now a completely charter city because of the lack of educational space and finances that resulted because of Katrina. >> You have 30 seconds remaining. members of their educational school board and political leaders visited Chicago as Chicago even 11 years ago was still a center for charter schools. They visited multiple schools and they visited Sullivan House at the end. One of the things I'll never forget is that upon leaving our school, they stated, "This is what a charter school should look like." I encourage and invite all of the board members to attend any of the youth connection schools that are in your district. I know some of you already

160have and hopefully you can also say at the end this is what a charter school should look like. Thank you. >> Thank you for your comments. The next two speakers are from Hancock College Preparatory High School. Christina Kamargo, speaker 23. Good afternoon, Co King and board members. I am Christina Kamalgo, a parent representative of the Hancock College Prep LSC. I was reelected yesterday. I come before you today to share my concerns about a failing democracy and what is Chicago's first democracy school. There are many things that I could speak about today, but I will keep focused on what is relevant at this moment, the LSC elections that just took place last night. At our election yesterday, we had about 400 ballots turned in, uh, the highest in our school's history. However, this election cycle was

161filled with many irregularities along the way. Before the applications for the new election cycle opened, we had a community member interested in the community red vacancy on our LSC for this school year due to an ongoing litigation with our principal. She did not apply for that vacancy, but instead applied for the 26 to 28 LSC community position. Our school our school's principal challenged this community member's application along with those of three others of whom I'm aware of who also submitted for the 26 28th term. All challenges were denied and the candidates moved forward. Not only did these applicants advance, but the three who stayed in the race won by a large margin. The questions the board should consider are what is the implication when a principal repeatedly files a false challenge? What does it say

162when a principal challenges popular and respected members of the Hancock community? How does a principal find it reasonable to challenge respective cand respect respected candidates but not a candidate who has a sitting member of RLSC as an open investigation dealing with a breach of ethics surrounding confidential principal eval evaluation documents which were illegally and prematurely shared with the principal. These aggressive 30 seconds remain challenges can only lead representative elects like me fearing what is to come in this post-election challenge window. The principal selective challenge of representatives who are favored by the democracy of Hanok community should raise concerns with this board in calls for close monitoring. Yesterday, over 400 members of the Hanok community showed up and made their voices heard. Democracy still has a place at Hancock. It can still be preserved. I hope

163some of what has happened at our school serves as a lesson on what to avoid in the next election cycle. For board members, in this post-election challenge timeline, I task you today with examining some of these unethical practices and identifying solutions to preventing individuals from filing false challenges. both here at Hancock and at every single school in the district. Thank you for your time. >> Thank you for your comments. The next speaker is Ivon Sanchez, speaker 25. Sorry, I'm a little tired from yesterday. Good evening. My name is Ivonne Sanchez and I'm a um I'm a proud parent represent um representative at the local school council at Hancock. It is not a surprise that my daughter is part of this community as Hanok is known as the first democracy school in CPS. However, that despite

164the promise, I stand here today with concerns and fear not only for myself but for my daughter and other students and staff. At Hancock, there is a pattern of harassment, abuse, and retaliation against members at the LLC, including student representatives, PPLC members. This is not an isolated uh issue. It's an ongoing and deeply troubling. From the very beginning of my journey in the LLC, I encountered barriers. The application was not publicly posted and when I finally obtained it and submitted it, I was questioned about how I got it rather just starting the process. In that moment, I made it made it clear that it was not going to be an easy path and still I chose to move forward um uh because I was committed uh as a role model to my daughter and a

165role model to my community. Today I'm speaking on behalf of the Hanok community because from the Hancock community of now and in the past um because we believe that the abuse um sorry I need to take a deep breath. Today I'm speaking on behalf of the Hancock community past and present who have experienced what we believe is abuse of power under Dr. Harper. These are consistent patterns of behavior that must be taken serious. I urge the board to conduct an investigation of these concerns. This is not just about incidents and it's about accountability, safety, and liability to CPS. She has done so much that if Hank community rises up and speak up, they have a legal case. I am currently compiling testimonies from individuals who are brave enough to come forward and share their experiences

166and I will be submitting these documentations to you all so you could revise them. Our students deserve a safe, respectful and truly democratic environment. I kindly ask for your action please. Thank you. Thank you for your comments. The last speaker is David Epstein, speaker 24. Good afternoon. My name is David Epstein. I'm here representing Intrinsic Schools. We've applied for a seven-year extension of our charter. Thank you for allowing me to speak today and thank you for your service to Chicago students. Your work is critical and much appreciated. I've served on the intrinsic school board since our initial charter in 2012. Over these 14 years, I've seen firsthand that academic success is built on a foundation of stability and rigorous oversight. The intrinsic board takes its role in governance and fiscal management very seriously. We're an

167intentionally small group of nine. In addition to a former CPS principal and a parent of three intrinsic students, our board has expertise in finance, law, business, and nonprofit leadership. We know that without a solid financial footing and regulatory compliance, we would not be able to guarantee our students the stable, secure educational environment they deserve. Our finance committee meets monthly to monitor enrollment, cash flow, and expenditures. Every every year we budget for multiple scenarios in order to remain prepared for any fiscal landscape. We've had a strong balance sheet and a clean audit every year since we opened. Our general operations are fully sustainable on public dollars, but we also raise significant philanthropic dollars, which we use exclusively for student enrichment and special initiatives. We're requesting a seven-year renewal for three critical reasons. You have 30 seconds

168remaining. >> First, for our families, we're a 72 school, which means that a seven-year term would assure parents that their children can start and finish their secondary education at the same school. Second, staff retention stability is an important uh factor for our educators as well. A long-term commitment from the district would go a long way in allowing us to retain the highquality talent that is the key to any educational system. And finally, efficiency. Interest paid on facility financing is money not used for education. The longer the commitment we are able to get, the better financing rates we're able to get and the more money we'll have available to invest in our students. And investing in students is after all what it's all about. Thank you for your partnership and your commitment to the intrinsic community.

169>> Thank you for your comments, President Harden. This concludes public participation. >> Great. Thank you. A couple quick comments before we go into a short recess. Uh there's not a member of the board who doesn't appreciate and value the work that our lunchroom workers provide every single day. And so we're just going to ask district leadership to provide an update on the labor talks to the board so we understand where things are and be prepared to share that with the community at our next board meeting. Second relatedly uh shy arts community know that no final decisions have been made and so we will continue to work collaboratively to understand well we understand the importance of the preservation of the conservatory. It is the uniqueness of the conservatory that actually makes it challenging for the district

170to uh identify resources that match it. It's external resources that allow the conservatory to exist the way that it is. And so we have to find those external resources so that the conservatory can be preserved. Our commitment is to help find that. As I said at the community meeting, we need to work collaboratively and have a runway in order for that to occur. So I just want to be clear that the conservatory is not going away by our actions. We are committed to it and we'll continue to stay committed to it. Thank you. With that, we'll move into a short recess. Board member Bannon, do you have motion mo1? I move that the board take a 30 minute recess. >> Is there a second? >> I second the motion. >> Thank you. I'll proceed with

171a roll call. Member Smith. >> I. >> Member Lopez. >> I. >> Member VeZ. >> I. >> Member Bole. >> Yes. >> Member Wallace. >> I. >> Member Kuster. >> I. >> Member Pope. >> Yes. >> Member Rosenfeld. >> Yes. >> Member Rivas. >> Yes. >> Member Brown. Member Brown, >> you must be having technical. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Thank you. Member Rio Sierra. >> Hi. >> Member Bannon. >> Hi. >> Member Biggs. I >> member Thodakura. >> Yes. Remember Blaze, >> member Gutier, sorry I I didn't see you come back. >> No problem. I >> Member Zachor. >> Yes. >> Member Deberry. >> 17 eyes, zero naz. This motion is adopted. The meeting of the board of education is reconvened. Board members will now open the floor for questions or comments on items of

172the public agenda. I'd like to note that the following public agenda items RS2, the resolution to authorize appointment of members to local school councils to fill vacancies and PR5 authorize the second and final renewal agreement with Jones Lane America's Inc. or facility management and building engineering services will be separate votes taken after MO3. So you can provide your questions and comments for those items before we pro proceed with each separate vote. Board members, are there any comments or questions on the public agenda before we move to the consent agenda or anything you want removed from the consent agenda for a separate vote? We'll now proceed with the vote on public agenda items. for secretary, please proceed. >> Thank you, President Harden. I'll proceed with the items on the public agenda. Read the board report numbers

173and the brief titles. I believe member Biggs has motion2 regarding the record of proceedings. I move that the record of proceedings of the agenda review committee of February 11th, 2026 and board meeting of February 26, 2026 prepared by the board secretary be approved and that such records of proceedings be posted on the Chicago Board of Education website in accordance with section 206B of the open meetings act. >> Is there a second? >> I second the motion. Thank you. I'll proceed with a roll call. Member Smith >> I. >> Member Lopez >> I. Member VeZ. >> I. >> Member Bole. >> Yes. >> Member Wallace. >> I. >> Member Kuster. >> I. >> Member Pope. >> Yes. >> Member Rosenfeld. >> Yes. >> Member Rivas. >> Yes. >> Member Brown. He's not here. Member Rio Sierra.

174>> I. >> Member Bannon. >> I. >> Member Gutierrez. >> I. >> Member Biggs. >> I. >> Member Thorakura. >> I. >> Member Zachor. Yes. >> Member Deberry. >> I. >> 16 eyes, zero nazs. This motion is adopted by the board. >> President Harden. And I'll continue with a resolution that does not require a vote. RS1 resolution Ray National Board Certified Teachers Class of 2025 and 2025 maintain national board certified teachers. President Harden. This item just needs to be accepted by the board. >> Please mark received and filed. >> President Hardell will continue with items that do require a vote. As you noted earlier, separate votes will be taken at the end of all consent agenda votes. EX1, transfer funds. EX2, amend renewal of this bureau charter school agreement with conditions. President Harden, this amendment

175is necessary to effectuate the emergency revocation of the charter and the agreement. Additionally, for the record, the data in the report was updated from April 3rd, 2026 to April 4th, 2026, and this item was drafted on agenda. The final report will be included in the agenda of action. I'll continue with OP1, authorized extension of the lease agreement with 4600 SouthKey LLC. OP2, authorized extension of the lease agreement with Messiah Evangelical Lutheran Church. PR1 amend the pre-qualification status of and new agreements with various vendors to provide educational technology and digital resource services. President Harden this amendment is necessary to add 103 new vendors. I'll continue with PR2 authorize the second final renewal agreement with youth advocate programs inc. PR3 authorize the third renewal agreement with various notfor-profit organizations for sustainable community school services. President Harden, for

176the record, I would like to note an extension for board member Gutierrez on PR3 as a whole. An abstension for board member Biggs for the following vendor on PR3, Southwest Organization Project. Number 13, an extension for board member Brown for the following vendor on PR3, Kenwood Oakick Community Organization. Number seven, an extension for board member Lopez for the following vendor on PR1. SGA Youth and Family Services number 12. I'll continue with PR4. Authorize the first final renewal agreement with various vendors for medical related equipment and supplies. Personal protective equipment and the purchase, installation and maintenance services of automated external defibrillators. PR6 authorize the first and second final renew renewal with Herk Rentals Inc. PR7 authorize the pre-qualific qualification status of and new agreements with various vendors to provide various trades works for the operations and

177maintenance program. PR8 report on the award of construction contracts and changes to construction contracts for the capital improvement program. PR9 authorize the first renewal agreement with active internet technologies LLC. PR10 authorized the first and second final renewal agreement with Converge One Inc. President Harden, these items do require a vote. >> So moved. >> Is there a second? >> I second the motion. >> I'll proceed with a roll call. Member Smith. >> I. >> Member Lopez with a noted abstension on the vendor on PR3. >> I. >> Member. >> I. >> Member Bole. >> Yes. >> Member Wallace. >> I. >> Member Kuster. I >> member Pope. >> Yes. >> Member Rosenfeld. >> Yes. >> Member Rivas. >> Yes. >> Member Brown with the noted abstension on PR uh vendor on PR3. >> He's not online.

178Member Rio Sierra. >> I. >> Member Bannon. >> I. >> Member Gutierrez with a noted abstension on the full report of PR3. I >> member Biggs >> with the noted abstension on the vendor on PR3. I'm sorry about that. >> Thank you. I >> member Thodicura. >> I >> member Zachor. >> Yes. >> Member Deberry. I >> 16 I's zero naz on the reports from EX1, EX2, OP1, OP2, PR1, PR2, PR4 and then PR 6 through PR10 and the count on the report for PR3 is 15 eyes, zero NAS, one abstension. These matters are adopted by the board. President Harden, I'll continue with additional items on the public agenda that do not require a vote. PR11, Chief Procurement Officer Delegation of Authority Report for January 2026 and Chief Financial Officer Report for January 2026. EX3

179report on principal contracts new. EX4 report on principal contracts renewals. AR1 report on board report recisions. President Harden, these items just need to be accepted by the board. Please mark received and filed. >> President Harden, I'll continue with an item from the acting general counsel that does require a vote AR to amend the continued retention of various outside council law firms. President Harden, this amendment is necessary to increase spending authority for one outside council law firm. And for the record, I'd like to note an extension for board member Gutierrez for the following law firms on AR2. Burke Warren McKay and Saratella PC Meer Brown LLP and Greenberg Trrower LLP. President Harden, this item does require a vote. >> Is there a motion? >> So moved. >> Is there a second? >> I second the motion.

180>> I'll proceed with a roll call. Member Smith. >> I. >> Member Lopez. >> I. >> Member BZ. >> I. >> Member Bole. >> Yes. >> Member Wallace. >> I. >> Member Kuster. >> I. >> Member Pope. >> Yes. >> Member Rosenfeld. Yes, >> member Rivas. >> Yes, >> member Rio Sierra. >> I >> member Bannon. >> I >> member Gutieras with a noted abstension on law firms on AR2. >> I >> member Biggs. >> Yes. >> Member Thodicura. >> I. >> Member Zachor. >> Yes. >> Member Deberry. >> I. >> 16 eyes. Zero naz. This matter is adopted by the board. President Horn, I'll continue with items from the interim superintendent chief executive officer that do require a vote. Ex5, adopt finding that pupil as a non-resident of the city of Chicago indebted or

181non-resident tuition. EX6, adopt finding that pupil as a non-resident of the city of Chicago indebted for non-resident tuition. President Harden, these items do require a vote. >> Is there a motion? >> So moved. Is >> there a second? >> Second. >> I'll proceed with a roll call. Member Smith. >> I. >> Member Lopez. >> I. >> Member VeZ. >> I. >> Member Bole. >> Yes. >> Member Wallace. >> I. >> Member Kuster. >> I. >> Member Pope. >> Yes. >> Member Rosenfeld. >> Yes. >> Member Rivas. >> Yes. >> Member Brown. >> I'm sorry, he's not on. Member Rio Sierra. >> I. >> Member Bannon. >> Hi. >> Member Gutierrez. >> I. >> Member Biggs. >> Yes. >> Member Thorakura. Yes. >> Member Zagor. >> Yes. >> Member Deberry. >> I. >> 16 eyes, zero

182nazs. These matters are adopted by the board. >> President Hard. I'll continue with an item from the board that does require a vote. RS3 resolution approving interim superintendent chief executive officer's recommendation to dismiss educational support personnel. President Harden. This item does require a vote. >> Is there a motion? >> Some move. Is there a second? >> I second the motion. >> I proceed with a roll call. Member Smith. >> I. >> Member Lopez. >> I. >> Member VeZ. >> I. >> Member Bole. >> Yes. >> Member Wallace. >> I. >> Member Kuster. >> I. >> Member Pope. >> Yes. >> Member Rosenfeld. >> Yes. >> Member Rivas. >> Yes. >> Member Rio Sierra. >> I. >> Member Bannon. >> I. >> Member Gutierrez. >> I. >> Member Biggs. >> Yes. >> Member Thorakura. >> Yes.

183Member Zachor. >> Yes. >> Member Deberry. >> I. >> 16 eyes, zero nays. This matter is adopted by the board. >> President Harden. I believe board member Smith has motion. MO3. >> Page 10. >> Yeah. I move that the board adopt the minutes of the closed session meetings of February 11th, 2026 and February 26, 2026. Pursuant to section 2.06 of the Open Meetings Act, board members uh reviewed these minutes and determined that the need for confidentiality exists. Therefore, the minutes of the closed session meetings held on February 11th, 2026 and February 26, 2026 shall be maintained and confidential and not available for public inspection. >> Is there a second? >> Yes, I second. I'll proceed with a roll call. >> Member Smith, >> I. >> Member Lopez, >> I. >> Member Veles, >> I. >>

184Member Bole, >> yes. >> Member Wallace, >> I. Member Kuster, >> I. Member Pope. >> Yes. >> Member Rosenfeld. >> Yes. >> Member Rivas. >> Yes. >> Member Rio Sierra. >> I. >> Member Bannon. >> I. >> Member Gutierrez. >> I. >> Member Biggs. >> I. >> Member Thorakura. >> I. >> Member Zachor. >> Yes. >> Member Deberry. >> I. >> 16 eyes zero nazs. This motion is adopted by the board. >> President Harden. We will now proceed with a separate votes as notice earlier as noted earlier with a separate vote on RS2 resolution authorize appointment of members to local school councils to fill vacancies. This item does require a vote. >> Is there a motion? >> So moved. >> Is there a second? >> I second the motion. >> We'll now open this matter

185for discussion. Are there any comments before proceeding to the roll call vote? >> Uh Mr. President, I move to divide the question so as to consider the appointment of the non-teer from Clemente High School separately from the appointment of the student from Prescott Elementary School. >> Is there a second? >> All moved. >> Officer with a roll call vote. Member Smith. >> I present. >> Member Lopez. I >> member VeZ. >> I >> member Bole. >> Yes. >> Member Wallace. >> I >> member Kuster. >> Hi. >> Member Pope. >> Yes. >> Member Rosenfeld. >> Yes. >> Member Rivas. >> Yes. >> Member Brown. I'm sorry. Member Rio Sierra. >> Hi. >> Member Bannon. >> Hi. >> Member Gutierrez. >> I. >> Member Biggs. >> Yes. >> Member Thorakura. >> Yes. >> Member Zachor. >>

186Yes. >> Member Duberry. I >> 16 I's zero nazs. This motion is adopted by the board. The original resolution 26-0319- RS2 is now split into two separate independent main motions. The appointment of the student at Prescott and the appointment of the non-teer at Clemente. >> Mr. President, I move to table the motion regarding the non-teer appointment from Clemente High School to our next regular board meeting on April 23rd, 2026. >> Is there a second? >> I second. >> We'll open the matter up for discussion. I I'm just going to say um you know we've received numerous um pieces of information about uh problems occurring related to um the elections or appointments of people to the LSC. Um we're this isn't to take any position but just to honor a request for an investigation to occur

187prior to moving forward. member Kuster. >> I'm sorry it's still on from voting. I apologize. >> Are there any other comments or questions related to this matter? If not, board secretary, please proceed with the roll call vote. >> Thank you. Proceeding with the roll call vote on the motion to table the non-teer appointment from Kente High School to the next regular board meeting on April 23rd, 2026. Member Smith. >> I. >> Member Lopez. I >> member VeZ. >> I >> member Bole. >> Yes. >> Member Wallace. >> I member Kuster. >> I >> member Pope. >> Yes. >> Member Rosenfeld. >> Yes. >> Member Rivas. >> Yes. >> Member Brown. >> Yes. >> Member Rio Sierra. >> Hi. >> Member Bannon. >> Hi. >> Member Gutierrez. >> I. >> Member Biggs. >> Yes. >> Member

188Thorakura. >> Yes. >> Member Zachor. >> Yes. Member Deberry >> I. >> 17 I's zero nazs. This motion is adopted to um for the non-teer appointment to officially be deferred to the next regular board meeting on April 23rd, 2026. The next item is the appointment of the student from Prescott Elementary. We'll now open that up for discussion. >> Oh, Mr. Chair. >> Yes, sir. I'm sorry, I have my hand up. I just want to also just request that we get a report uh from local school council relations on the status of the investigation maybe at the the um the next ARC meeting. >> Noted for Clemente. Yes, sir. >> Are there any comments on the Prescott Elementary School? There being none, we'll proceed with the roll call vote. >> Thank you. I'll proceed with the

189vote on RS2 with the appointment of the student from Prescott Elementary only. Note that the appointment of the non-teer from Clemente High School has been deferred to the next regular board meeting on April 23rd, 2026. Member Smith, >> I. >> Member Lopez, >> I. >> Member VeZ. >> I. >> Member Bole. >> Yes. Member Wallace. >> I. >> Member Kuster. >> I. >> Member Pope. >> Yes. >> Member Rosenfeld. >> Yes. >> Member Rivas. >> Yes. >> Member Brown. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Member Rio Sierra. >> I. >> Thank you. Member Bannon. >> I. >> Member Gutierrez. >> I. >> Member Biggs. >> Yes. >> Member Thorakura. >> Yes. >> Member Zachor. >> Yes. >> Member Deerry. >> I. >> 17 eyes. Zero naz. This matter is adopted by the board. >> We'll now move

190into executive session. Board member Rosenfeld, do you have motion? MO4. >> Um, we have to do the other separate vote. >> Oh, you right. >> Uh, I'll continue with the separate vote for PR5. Authorize a second final renewal agreement with Jones Lang Lel America's Inc. >> Call for a motion. >> Is there a motion? Second. >> I'm sorry, who moved? >> Was moved by board member Gutierrez and second by board member Bannon. >> Thank you. >> Open for discussion. >> Board member Bannon. >> Yeah. I just want to say real quick um that uh I appreciate uh staff's cooperation in delaying this vote and providing all the very useful information to uh helping us have the right information to to cast a a vote. So, thank you very much, Chief Hansen and uh and uh

191Caleb >> member Paul. >> That's exactly what I wanted to say. I'll stop. >> Great. We can move to a roll call vote. >> Thank you. I'll proceed with the roll call vote on PR5. Member Smith. >> I. >> Member Lopez. >> I. >> Member VeZ. >> I. >> Member Bole. >> Yes. >> Member Wallace. >> Abstain. >> Member Kuster. >> I. >> Member Pope. >> Yes. >> Member Rosenfeld. >> Yes. >> Member Rio. Rio. >> Yes. >> Member Brown. Member Brown, we're taking a vote on PR5. >> Yes. >> Member Rio Sierra. Thank you. >> Hi. >> Member Bannon. >> I. >> Member Gutierrez. >> I. >> Member Biggs. >> Yes. >> Member Thorakura. >> Yes. Member Zachor. >> Yes. >> Member Deberry. >> I. >> 16 I zero nays. One abstension. This matter

192is adopted by the board. >> President Harden. There there are no further items on the public agenda. >> Great. Now we can move into executive session. Board member Rosenfeld, do you have motion mo? I move for the passage of motion number 26-0319-m4 and the commencement of a closed session to consider matters permitted under section 2C of the open meetings act subsection 1 as specified in the motion. >> Is there a second? I second the motion. >> I'll proceed with a roll call. Member Smith. >> I. >> Member Lopez. >> I. >> Member VeZ. >> I. >> Member Bole. >> Yes. >> Member Wallace. >> I. >> Member Kuster. >> I. Member Pope. >> Yes. >> Member Rosenfeld. >> Yes. >> Member Rivas. >> Yes. >> Member Brown. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Thank you. Member Rio

193Sierra. >> Hi. >> Member Bannon. >> I. >> Member Gutierrez. >> I. >> Member Biggs. >> Yes. >> Member Thorakura. >> Yes. >> Member Zachor. >> Yes. >> Member Deerry. >> I. >> Thank you. 17 eyes's zero nazs. This motion is adopted by the board. >> This meeting will now go into close session. >> Of the board of education is reconvene. Board secretary, please proceed. >> President Harden, I would like to note for the record that there are no items to vote on from executive session. >> Thank you. Is there a motion to adjurnn? So move. Is there a second? Second. All in favor? I >> We are journ.