April 12, 2021

The Honorable Don Harmon The Honorable Emanuel “Chris” Welch President, Illinois State Senate Speaker, Illinois House of Representatives 327 State Capital Building 300 State Capital Building Springfield, Illinois 62706 Springfield, Illinois

The Honorable Cristina Castro The Honorable Co-Chair, Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus Co-Chair, Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus 121 D Capitol Building 260-W Stratton Office Building Springfield, Illinois 62706 Springfield, Illinois 62706

The Honorable Sonya Harper Joint Chair, Illinois Legislative Black Caucus 274-S Stratton Office Building Springfield, Illinois 62706

Dear Legislative Leader:

We are a coalition of organizations and community leaders committed to justice and inclusion for African American, Latinx, and other disadvantaged communities in . Because nearly half of Chicago Public School students are Latinx (47%) and over a third are African American (36%), we have closely monitored the widespread debate surrounding changes to the Chicago School Board governing structure.

As a threshold matter, any school board’s primary objective must be improved academic achievement for our students, including closing all racial and ethnic achievement gaps. Comparative data is very limited as to whether any particular model has a greater impact on this objective. In the absence of any clear evidence that one model serves our students better than the other, we must look to other critical factors to guide us. While we are intentionally neutral at this time on any specific legislative proposal, we also want to be clear that in order to support any legislation in the future, it must espouse the following principles:

Inclusive Representation. Families from some of Chicago’s most disadvantaged and disenfranchised communities look to CPS as a pathway to a better future through quality education. Any revised governance model must promote a School Board that is inclusive of all parents and reflect the diversity of CPS’ student body. This includes representation of non-citizen parents and low-income parents. While CPS does not collect data on its students’ immigration status, we know that nearly twenty percent of students are classified as Limited English Proficiency, which is often an indicator of parents’ immigration status. We also know that 63.8 % of students qualify for free and reduced-price meals, which is based on family income. These parents entrust their children and their children’s future to CPS. They deserve a voice -- and a vote -- in any new governance structure. Limits on Money Politics and Control of Special Interests. The greatest risk to inclusive representation of all parents is undue influence on the democratic process by special interests and money politics. We are committed to supporting a model where the financial ability of school board members and their supporters does not determine the composition of the board. In Los Angeles, for example, 43% of school board members are white, even though only 28% of the city’s population is white. Only one parent serves on the Los Angeles School Board. More money was spent on 4 school board races in last year’s election than on all city council races combined. The Los Angeles School Board election devolved into a proxy fight between the teachers’ union and so-called “corporate reformers.” The losers were parents and their children. We cannot let this happen in Chicago.

No one has a greater stake in our public schools’ success than the parents of children within them. Parents must be the primary voice on our school board. Safeguards must be put in place to protect their voice, including potentially requiring candidates to have prior service on a Local School Council. Such prior service would demonstrate existing commitment to their children’s education. It would also protect against those who would use election to school board as a mere political stepping stone.

Expertise and Balance. CPS is the second largest employer in the City of Chicago and has an $8.7 billion operating budget. If CPS were a business, it would be listed on the Fortune 500. The School Board is entrusted with administering a substantial budget and delivering education in a complex environment. It could even have the authority to levy additional property taxes on homeowners. While parents must be the primary voice on our school board, any model should promote a balanced approach that recognizes the system’s complexity and the importance of including expertise on the board.

Public schools are the great equalizer in our democracy. We are urging you as our allies and representatives in Springfield to acknowledge our concerns and work towards a solution that celebrates democracy and puts safeguards in place to ensure balance and protect communities by guaranteeing inclusive representation of all parents.

Respectfully submitted,

Tom Vanden Berk, CEO, UCAN Karina Ayala-Bermejo, President & CEO, Instituto del Progreso Latino Tasha Green Cruzat, Executive Director, Voices for Illinois Children Ricardo Estrada, President & CEO, Metropolitan Family Services Jim Hayes, President & CEO, YMCA Metropolitan Chicago Dorri McWhorter, CEO, YWCA Metropolitan Chicago Rev. James T. Meeks, Founder & Sr. Pastor, Salem Baptist Church Sylvia Puente, President & CEO, Latino Policy Forum Raul I. Raymundo, CEO, The Resurrection Project Audra Wilson, President & CEO, Shriver Center for Poverty Law Karen Freeman-Wilson, President & CEO, Chicago Urban League