Chicago Public Schools facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chicago Public Schools |
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| Address | |
| 42 West Madison Street Chicago, Illinois, Cook County, 60602 United States |
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| Coordinates | 41°52′56″N 87°37′44″W / 41.88212740°N 87.62883500°W |
| District information | |
| Type | Public School District |
| Motto | For every child, In every neighborhood. |
| Grades | Pre-K–12th |
| Established | January 5, 1837 |
| Superintendent | Pedro Martinez |
| School board | Chicago Board of Education |
| Chair of the board | Jianan Shi |
| Accreditation | AdvancED |
| Schools | 638 (2020–21) |
| Budget | US$6.92 billion (2021) |
| District ID | 1709930 |
| Students and staff | |
| Students | 340,658 (2020–21) |
| Teachers | 21,974 (2020–21) |
| Staff | 39,323 (2020–21) |
| Student-teacher ratio | 15.84 (2019–20) |
| Athletic conference | Chicago Public League |
Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is the official school system for Chicago, Illinois. It is also known as City of Chicago School District #299. CPS is the fourth-largest school district in the United States. Only New York, Los Angeles, and Miami-Dade County have more students.
For the 2020–21 school year, CPS managed 638 schools. This included 476 elementary schools and 162 high schools. Most of these schools (513) were run by the district. The rest were charter schools, contract schools, or SAFE schools.
About 340,658 students attend CPS schools. Most students go to a school based on where they live. However, charter, magnet, and selective enrollment schools have different rules. In 2019–20, 82.5% of students graduated.
CPS calls its top leader the "Chief Executive Officer" instead of a "superintendent." But the job is mostly the same. In 2019–20, there were about 15.84 students for every teacher.
In 2020–21, many CPS students were Latino (46.7%) or African-American (35.8%). Also, 63.8% of students came from families with lower incomes. About 18.6% of students were learning English.
CPS has shown great improvement in test scores. Students learned faster than in 96% of other school districts. In 2020, the graduation rate was the highest ever.
Contents
History of Chicago Public Schools
Chicago started as a trading post in the 1800s. It took many years to create a citywide school system. In 1848, city leaders saw the need for public schools. The mayor, James Hutchinson Woodworth, who used to be a teacher, wanted high standards for the schools. This would help attract good citizens to Chicago.
In 1922, the school board changed a rule. They voted to let "Race children" (Black children) use all libraries, just like white children. However, schools themselves remained separated by race.
In 1937, a polio outbreak hit Chicago. The Chicago Board of Health ordered schools to close for three weeks. The superintendent, William Johnson, and his assistant, Minnie Fallon, found a way to teach students at home. They used radio broadcasts for elementary school lessons. This was one of the first times radio was used for distance education on a large scale.
School Funding Challenges
By the 1960s, schools in Chicago and Illinois faced money problems. Schools relied on property taxes from their local areas. Richer areas had better schools and paid less in taxes. Poorer areas had worse schools and sometimes paid more.
This problem was made worse by practices like redlining and "white flight." These practices separated communities by wealth and race. In 1973, a new plan tried to share tax money more fairly. But many wealthy families did not want their taxes to go to other communities. This plan was stopped in the late 1980s. Funding issues continue in Chicago and across Illinois.
School Closures and Changes
From 2001 to 2009, CPS closed many schools. These schools were either not full or not performing well. The idea was to help students do better. However, studies showed that most students who moved to new schools did not improve.
This led to a plan called Renaissance 2010. It focused on closing public schools and opening more charter schools. These new schools had different ways of operating. During this time, over 80 schools were closed. There were also plans to open 100 charter schools. This included five military schools.
In 2013, CPS considered closing nearly 200 more schools. Many parents, students, teachers, and community members protested. They spoke out against the closures. Some lawmakers also wanted to stop the closings. They worried about how it would affect minority communities. They also worried about crowded schools and student safety.
On May 22, 2013, the school board voted to close 50 public schools. Most of these schools were in poorer, mostly Black neighborhoods. This meant that over 88% of the students affected by these closings were African American.
Student and Teacher Protests
In 2013, Chicago's mayor decided to close 54 public schools. This included 53 elementary schools and one high school. The mayor said the city faced a large money problem due to fewer students in schools. The schools to be closed were mainly in Chicago's South and West sides. These areas mostly served African-American students.
The decision made communities and the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) very angry. As a result, the CTU and other groups organized protests. In May 2013, the CTU, students, and others marched against the closings. They planned three days of peaceful protests.
About 900 protesters took part in rallies, marches, and sit-ins. Over 150 protesters sat in the middle of LaSalle Street, blocking traffic. Police asked them to leave. Many left peacefully, but some stayed and were given tickets. Over 50 people were arrested, but there was no violence.
CPS Teacher Strikes
Teachers in Chicago have gone on strike many times. A strike happens when teachers stop working to demand better pay or working conditions.
Early Strikes
The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) first went on strike in May 1969 for two days. In January 1971, they struck for four days. This strike led to an 8% pay raise for teachers and 7% for other school staff. Another strike happened in January 1973, lasting twelve days. Teachers wanted higher salaries and smaller class sizes. In September 1975, the union struck for eleven days. They wanted to get back teaching and office jobs that had been cut. They also wanted to fix overcrowding.
Strikes in the 1980s
In February 1980, the union struck for ten days. They wanted to be paid for days worked during a money crisis. They also wanted changes to school board spending and job cuts. In 1983, CPS teachers struck for fifteen days. They asked for a 10% pay raise. The strike ended with teachers getting a 5% raise and a bonus.
In November 1984, teachers struck for ten days, resulting in a 4.5% raise. In 1985, they had a two-day walkout. The longest strike in the 1980s was for nineteen days, from September 8 to October 3, 1987.
Recent Strikes
In September 2012, CPS teachers went on a nine-day strike. This was their first strike in 25 years. Teachers marched on City Hall. They complained about pay, how they were evaluated, and benefits. They also worried about the public school system being neglected. After this strike, the CEO of CPS stepped down.
On October 17, 2019, the CTU began another strike that lasted 11 days. The union and Mayor Lori Lightfoot reached an agreement. Teachers won smaller class sizes and more support staff. Students also had five of the strike days added to their school year.
Student Population in CPS
For the 2018–2019 school year, CPS had 361,314 students. This included students from preschool to 12th grade. The student body was made up of different groups:
- 46.7% Hispanic
- 36.6% African-American
- 10.5% White
- 4.1% Asian/Pacific Islander
- 1.2% Multi-Racial
- 0.3% Native American
- 0.2% Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
In 2012, a study found that Chicago Public Schools were very separated by race and ethnicity. This was because most students went to schools close to their homes. In the 1970s, the number of Mexican students grew in CPS. By the 1980s, the number of non-Hispanic White students went down. At the same time, the number of Hispanic, Latino, and African-American students increased. In 1982, Hispanic and Latino students became a larger group than non-Hispanic White students.
Types of Schools in CPS
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CPS has many types of schools: primary, secondary, and schools for students with disabilities. It is the second-largest employer in Chicago.
Most schools have attendance boundaries. This means students must live in a certain area to enroll. But some schools can accept students from outside their area if there is space. This also happens if they have a special "magnet cluster program."
Full magnet schools are open to students from all over the city. Students must meet high academic standards to get in. Magnet schools offer many different programs. These include fine arts, international studies, Montessori, math, and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math). STEM Magnet Academy was the first elementary school in Illinois to focus on STEM. The Chicago High School for the Arts (ChiArts) is the only high school for performing and visual arts that requires an audition.
Selective Enrollment Schools
CPS has special schools that students must apply and be accepted into. These are called selective enrollment schools.
Elementary Selective Schools
There are two types of selective elementary school programs. Regional gifted centers focus on a specific area, like math and science. They require a special test, like an IQ test. Classical schools focus on all subjects, like a liberal arts approach. They require a different type of test.
High School Selective Schools
CPS has ten selective enrollment high schools. Some well-known ones are Walter Payton College Prep and Lane Tech College Prep. Getting into these schools is very competitive.
Students earn points to get into these schools, out of a total of 900 points:
- 450 points come from the CPS High School Admissions Test. This test covers vocabulary, literature, grammar, and math.
- 450 points come from 7th-grade grades. An A gives 75 points, a B gives 50, and a C gives 25.
Many things decide if a student gets in:
- Ranking: Students list their top 5 high schools. The higher a school is on the list, the better the chance of getting in.
- Points: The total points from the system above.
Other High School Choices
Besides selective enrollment schools, there are other options for high school students. These include military academies, career academies, and charter schools. Lincoln Park High School and Von Steuben Metropolitan Science Center are "magnet" high schools. They offer special honors programs to students from all over the city. More specialized schools like the Chicago High School for the Arts and the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences are also available.
Military Academies
CPS runs six public military academies. These schools work with Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps programs:
- Air Force Academy High School
- Carver Military Academy
- Chicago Military Academy at Bronzeville
- Marine Leadership Academy at Ames
- Phoenix Military Academy
- Rickover Naval Academy (this one is also selective enrollment)
Career Academies
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Some high schools are called "Career Academies." These schools have special resources to prepare students for jobs. They focus on areas like business, construction, health, and performing arts. They have workshops, labs, and computer centers to give students "hands-on" experience.
- Austin Business and Entrepreneurship Academy
- Chicago Vocational Career Academy
- Dunbar Vocational Career Academy
- Prosser Career Academy
- Simeon Career Academy
Charter Schools
In the 2017–2018 school year, Chicago had 122 charter schools. Different groups run these schools. For example, Frazier Preparatory Academy is run by an independent board.
The Noble Network of Charter Schools runs eighteen high schools. These schools get most of their money from the same taxes as regular CPS schools. Charter schools in Chicago often get less public money than traditional schools. Some studies show their student performance is similar to traditional CPS schools.
However, a 2014 study found that Chicago charter schools sometimes performed worse than traditional schools in reading and math. The study also showed that charter schools had lower graduation rates. They were also less likely to have a mix of different races or ethnicities.
In 2015, the Noble Network of Charter Schools was named the best large public charter school system in America. They received an award of $250,000.
How Chicago Public Schools Are Run
The way Chicago Public Schools are run changed when the mayor gained more control. In Illinois, most school districts are run by elected school boards. These boards hire a superintendent. But CPS is different. It is led by a Chief Executive Officer and a school board chosen by the mayor. It is the only district in Illinois where the mayor appoints the school board. By 2027, the school board will be fully elected.
CPS headquarters are at 42 West Madison Street in the Chicago Loop. The district also has offices in other Chicago neighborhoods.
Chief Executive Officer
The CEO is the main leader of CPS. The mayor appoints this person. The current CEO is Pedro Martinez. Before 1995, this position was called "superintendent." In 1995, a new law changed it to Chief Executive Officer.
Chicago Board of Education
The school board for CPS is called the Chicago Board of Education. Currently, the mayor of Chicago appoints its members. Between 2024 and 2027, the board will slowly change to have all elected members.
The board started in 1837 as the Board of School Inspectors. It was renamed the Chicago Board of Education in 1857. The board is led by a president. The current president is Jianan Shi.
Local School Councils
In 1988, a law created Local School Councils. These councils help manage individual schools.
Student Performance in CPS
A 2006 study looked at how many CPS freshmen would earn a college degree by age 25. It found that only 6 out of every 100 would earn a bachelor's degree. For Black or Latino men, it was 3 out of 100. Of CPS students who went to college, 35% earned their bachelor's degree within six years. The national average is 64%.
Chicago has had high dropout rates for many years. About half of students did not graduate for 30 years. Some people say CPS makes its performance numbers look better than they are. For example, they might count students who switch schools before dropping out as "transfers" instead of "dropouts." Still, actual graduation rates seemed to improve slightly. They rose from 48% in 1991 to 54% in 2004.
In 1987, the Education Secretary called Chicago Public Schools the worst in the nation. In 2011, a report looked at 30 years of reform in CPS. It studied test scores and graduation rates over 20 years. The report found:
- Graduation rates improved a lot, and high school test scores went up. More students graduated without lower academic performance.
- Math scores slowly got better in elementary and middle grades. But reading scores stayed about the same for two decades.
- Differences in achievement between racial groups grew. White students made more progress than Latino students. African American students fell behind all other groups.
- Even with progress, most CPS students' academic skills are not high enough for college.
- The public numbers used to measure school progress are not always accurate.
Pension Fund Issues
The Illinois state government required Chicago Public Schools to use money for worker pensions instead of education. CPS is the only district in the state that this rule applies to. In 2017, CPS filed a lawsuit. They asked the courts to make the state change its rules on how it funds schools.
See also
- List of schools in Chicago Public Schools
- Chicago Manufacturing Renaissance Council
- Chicago Public High School League
- Chicago Teacher Education Pipeline
- Communities In Schools of Chicago
- Middle School Cadet Corps
- Renaissance 2010
