Charting a New Course in Public Education

Imagine our schools serving more than 115,000 students.  We can.

OUR MISSION
To radically improve outcomes for Chicago’s children through public education. We do that by investing in excellence, driving innovation and promoting school choice.

OUR GOALS
We believe every student in Chicago deserves a quality education. Through our New Schools Fund, we will invest $60 million in new top-performing schools in neighborhoods that are most in need of quality school options.  In five years, our schools can serve about 20 percent of the District.  The return by 2020:  Our schools serving about 30 percent, with 10,000 more students graduating and 12,000 more enrolling in college.

Our efforts are focused on three areas:

Accelerate change
We invest in the best talent—top-performing operators who have a proven track record of success and have sound and sustainable plans for growth. Working closely with them to open more campuses in Chicago, we also seek out the most promising innovative models—from turnarounds to technology hybrids—and help accelerate their growth.

District-wide innovation and quality
We promote innovation and share information to improve the entire education system. Our aim is to tear down silos, allowing innovation to flow freely from our schools to the District and back so all boats rise. We make certain schools we invest in are accountable to investors, parents, policymakers and taxpayers alike. We’ve learned what works, and more importantly what doesn’t, so we not only invest in great schools, we partner with the District to ensure only the best school models open and remain open.

Parents demanding the best
We will lead the way for parent engagement in public education. Through a public awareness effort, organizing and energizing, our Parents for New Schools Campaign helps parents and communities demand the best for their children. And our annual New Schools EXPO helps thousands of families learn about their options.

THRIVING SCHOOLS – AND STUDENTS
The schools where we will invest – and the students attending them – are seeing major success through test scores, graduation and college enrollment.
•    Noble Street Charter High Schools graduation rates compare with the best schools in the state and 91% of grads enroll in college.
•    CICS sees 97% of their students accepted to college.
•    LEARN Charter Elementary Schools outperform comparisons by an average of 21 points on the state test, 99% of their students graduate from high school, and 95% of them go to college.

STRONG DEMAND FOR QUALITY SCHOOLS IN CHICAGO
Our city’s children do not have access to enough quality school options. We must be willing to make bold changes if we are going to provide the quality education our students – and our city – deserve.
•    Only half of the children in our city will graduate from high school only 8% will earn a college degree.
•    Research shows that two-thirds of CPS parents have seriously considered a private or charter school for their kids, and half would send them if they had the opportunity.
•    Quality schools are so scarce in many Chicago neighborhoods they could be called education deserts.

EDUCATION IS THE MOST IMPORTANT INVESTMENT FOR OUR CITY’S FUTURE
Today’s classrooms are filled with tomorrow’s leaders. Chicago’s business community maintains an urgent mission to create systemic change in public education in order to secure a seat at the global table for our city and ensure ongoing competitiveness for our nation.

•    Monopolies don’t work.  We cannot sustain a one-size-fits-all education system and expect to be competitive.

¹ Based on ACT Scores

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