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Happy Wednesday!
It’s Makiya Seminera, one of your Chalkbeat Chicago reporters, and I’m here to give you the latest on this summer’s “NeverEnding Story”: Chicago Public Schools’ 2026-2027 budget.
It’s not an understatement to say it’s been a tumultuous year for CPS teachers weathering the district’s massive budget deficit. Some schools previously endured layoffs, and according to my colleagues Reema Amin, Thomas Wilburn and Becky Vevea, those cuts aren’t done yet.
This year’s proposed budget already had a few items that weren’t received too well (more on that later), but one issue that community members have kept a close eye on is whether CPS will make cuts to its staff. Our budgetary analysis shows that CPS will start the school year with a staff cut by less than 1% overall.
However, when you zoom in on specific schools, the percentage of staff lost is more startling — upwards of about 20% of positions at some schools. Community reactions to those losses are still playing out.
Negative feedback has proven to be a powerful tool so far, as the district reversed course on its plan to include five furlough days for all CPS staff next January while students are on break, Reema reported yesterday. This last-minute elimination comes as CEO Macquline King urges the Chicago Board of Education to pass the budget tomorrow.
The volatility CPS teachers are facing isn’t limited to Chicago. On Thursday, we have a virtual Chalkbeat Ideas event meant to share exclusive new data on the state of the teaching profession, revealing that heightened teacher turnover was not just a pandemic-era blip. Time is running out, so save your spot and submit a question for our panel. I hope to see you there!
Local education coverage is disappearing. Chalkbeat helps families and educators understand what’s changing. We can’t do it without you.
Local News
Chicago Public Schools cuts staffing slightly but special education positions will rise at some campuses
Across the district’s 500-plus schools, more than 200 schools are gaining staff positions, mostly due to special education jobs, a Chalkbeat analysis of CPS budget data found.
Chicago Public Schools CEO King removes furloughs from the budget proposal ahead of vote
The furlough days were one of several measures the district proposed in order to close a $732.5 million deficit.
Around Chalkbeat
Education Department investigates Denver Public Schools over teacher accused of making students kiss
Denver Public Schools already fired the teacher. The Education Department said the investigation will be one of many that upholds parents’ rights, a Trump administration priority.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani names 13 school board members, cementing control of NYC schools
Mayor Zohran Mamdani appointed 13 members to New York City's Panel for Educational Policy, giving him control of the board that votes on school closures, contracts, and major policy decisions.
When teachers lack confidence in math, their students fall behind, a new study shows
Math anxiety among teachers was uncommon but consequential: Anxious educators were more likely to teach disadvantaged students, who then showed slower growth.
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What We’re Reading
South Side Teens Can Learn Coding, Game Design And More At New Teen Tech Space, Block Club Chicago
The island without childcare for babies, The Hechinger Report
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