Chicago Public Education Fund

Programmatic SupportsThe Fund supports principals and aspiring principals through quality programming, actionable data, and public reporting. Fund programs are open to all educators leading in Chicago's public schools. We serve leaders in schools across the city, representing a diversity of school types, including elementary, high school, charter, and district. Our two largest programs were Professional Learning Communities and the Summer Design Program. These programs accounted for 167 (53%) and 77 (24%) of our participant slots, respectively. Both programs aimed to meet principal and aspiring principal needs and were regularly featured on our website and in our reports.Professional Learning Communities allowed school leaders to participate in yearlong peer-learning groups led by the city's top principals. Participants engaged in reflective journeys, designed to help them understand their leadership more deeply, learn new skills, encourage innovative practices in their buildings, and advance positive school culture. Professional Learning Community leaders were frequently featured on our website.Our Summer Design Program equipped educators with the resources to create student-centered solutions to school-based challenges. Participants designed and tested new or modified approaches to teaching, learning, and climate. Some of the promising practices that emerged were featured in a series of case studies. In addition to the Professional Learning Communities and the Summer Design Program, our team managed two principal fellowships, a program focused on aspiring principals, and piloted a Masterclass series in 2022. The Fund's programs supported 315 leaders across 246 schools, serving 130,000 students across the city.

Educator EngagementIn 2022, The Fund also connected educators to the broader research community, to our work, and to one another. We celebrated their innovation and leadership citywide. In May, we shared a report from the Chicago Consortium on School Research about the successful practices used to support English Language Learners in Chicago. We also facilitated a learning discussion with the authors, Chicago Public Schools leadership, and local educators.In June, we hosted an Innovation Showcase, which featured the work of six school teams. Each team shared a specific promising practice, answering questions from one another and the broader community. Several of the presenters were award winners, having participated in the Design Challenge we sponsored earlier in the spring. We shared all of the practices they shared in our communications.In October, The Fund celebrated educators citywide through our sixth annual Principal Appreciation Campaign. The 2022 campaign included two school visits, three casual events for principals to reconnect with peers, and one event at the Museum of Science and Industry that featured stories of resilience from school leaders. We also designed and executed a social media campaign and mailed pins recognizing their years of service to all public school principals in Chicago. Throughout the year, we hosted an Educator Advisory Committee, whose members consulted on our work. Composed of 34 leaders from across the city, the group offered thoughtful insight into policy topics that would improve school leader conditions.

Systems, Data, and PoliciesThe Fund has invested in educator talent in Chicago for over 20 years. In the last decade, our focus has narrowed on school leaders. Chicago's school leaders shoulder tremendous responsibilities, and they require the autonomy to act on the needs of their communities. As such, The Fund's policy work is dedicated to building a culture of strong local leadership in Chicago. We deeply value our partnerships with other organizations in our systems-level work. In 2022, we worked most closely with our partners at Chicago Public Schools. Our annual Principal Engagement Survey and new Assistant Principal Engagement Survey helped inform district strategy, including the launch of several working groups designed to invite principal voices. We regularly staffed CPS efforts to surface and act on the perspectives of educators in schools. Additionally, we held a legislative breakfast in February 2022 to share principal and assistant principal perspectives with elected leaders. Through this event, we introduced legislators to principals in their districts. We encouraged educators to share positive stories from their schools and legislators to ask questions about the issues affecting teaching and learning. Finally, we published 11 case studies in 2022. These reports were designed to amplify school practices that accelerated student learning in the wake of the pandemic.