Union leaders, parents and several board members pressed Chicago Public Schools leadership on Sept. 10 for clearer guidance and supports after increased immigration-enforcement activity around city schools.
The CTU’s Jackson Potter, CTU vice president, told the board the union has worked with principals and staff to “protect and safeguard our students” and urged expanded “know your rights” outreach, visible school staff presence and coordinated communications with families. Caroline Rutherford, CTU vice chair of the charter division and a teacher at Acero Marquez, asked the district to convene a collaborative meeting of charter operators, CPS and labor to clarify training, lockdown guidance and remote-learning options for families that fear bringing children to school.
Why it matters: Parents and educators said fear of enforcement is reducing attendance and harming students’ ability to learn, and they sought concrete district steps — not just assurances — to protect families and maintain school operations.
CPS Chief Operating Officer Charles Mayfield said the district intends to work directly with charter leaders on protocols and that CPS will expand communications and supports. Board member María Lopez asked CPS to act swiftly on four items she had submitted earlier: (1) track absences tied to immigration enforcement and consider excused absences and remote-learning options; (2) clarify rules about federal agents’ use of CPS property and issue staff guidance; (3) restore and resource safe-passage programs where they have been curtailed; and (4) publish protocols and protections for charter, option and district campuses.
Board President Sean Harden and Chief Mayfield said district staff will increase collaboration with charters and with community groups, and Mayfield reiterated that CPS has begun distributing materials to charter networks. No vote or formal policy change was taken at the meeting.
Speakers at the public-participation portion repeatedly framed the issue as urgent. Parent Reyna Rodriguez asked the board to move quickly to relieve students’ anxiety after a church-owned building used by an Acero campus was put up for sale; teacher Olivia Goldstein and others warned that building uncertainty and perceived disinvestment harm students’ learning.
The board did not release a timeline at the meeting for the districtwide actions Lopez requested; members asked district staff to follow up and provide updates ahead of the next board meeting.
Board members and union leaders said they will continue outreach and community education about rights and safety; the district said it will prioritize clarifying attendance and property-use policies and coordinating communications with charter partners and school communities.
The meeting was briefly interrupted by a police incident near the building; a soft lockdown was announced and later lifted.
The board did not adopt a new written directive at the meeting; officials said they will provide follow-up briefings and requested questions be routed through the board chief of staff.
Ending: Parents, teachers and union leaders left the session asking for timelines and specific protocols; CPS said it would expand coordination with charter operators and produce clarifying guidance but did not commit to a publication date at the Sept. 10 meeting.