Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Parents and teachers urge CPS to intervene as charter operators plan closures; ChiArts community fights to preserve conservatory model
Summary
At the Oct. 23 board meeting, dozens of parents, teachers and union leaders urged CPS to step in as Acero, EPIC, Espira and Shai Arts face closures, layoffs or management changes; speakers asked CPS to protect staff, keep school communities intact, and preserve Shai Arts’ conservatory model.
A steady line of parents, teachers and union representatives told the Chicago Board of Education on Oct. 23 that charter operators’ decisions to close or reduce services are destabilizing students and communities and urged the district to intervene.
Jen Conant, chair of the CTU’s charter division, said EPIC, Shai Arts, Acero and Espira face urgent threats and called on CPS to provide management or other supports so school communities can remain intact. She told the board that EPIC’s board committed to closure while enrollment dropped and that Espira faces an operating deficit of about $1,800,000 this year and plans a mid-quarter workforce reduction that could disrupt special-education and ESL…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
