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Good morning! Makiya Seminera here from your Chalkbeat Chicago bureau.
I hope you’re easing into your week alright after squeezing in some fun this holiday weekend between those nasty thunderstorms. Thankfully, I got some sun in playing some Spikeball at Osterman Beach on Friday and then again briefly playing pickleball on Saturday before a torrential downpour abruptly ended one of my games. By Sunday, I got the hint and went to play badminton indoors where the rain couldn’t get me.
Lucky for you, we have a great and important read from my colleague Mila Koumpilova to kick off your Wednesday. Her story focuses in on another reverberation resulting from Chicago Public Schools’ $732.5 million budget deficit: funding cuts for assistant principals at schools with fewer than 250 students.
But the story doesn’t end there. Through her reporting, Mila found that more than half of campuses used discretionary dollars to keep their assistant principals, or APs, off the chopping block. In some cases, school staff have said that choice will trickle down to families in the form of student fees and fundraising pushes.
Budgetary issues also can put strains on the profession of teaching. There’s been a lot of talk about heightened teacher turnover nationwide, and at a July 30 virtual event, Chalkbeat will share exclusive data that shows this troubling trend isn’t just a pandemic-era blip. In fact, thousands of educators are leaving the classroom at higher levels for the past 4 to 5 years than before the pandemic. RSVP to save your spot and join us to explore what lies ahead for the profession of teaching.
Have something you’d like to share on CPS’ budget deficit, teacher turnover, or both?Tell us more by emailing [email protected].
Local education coverage is disappearing. Chalkbeat helps families and educators understand what’s changing. We can’t do it without you.
Local News
Chicago cut funding for assistant principals in small schools. Most chose to keep them anyway.
Three years ago, Chicago Public Schools committed to fund an assistant principal at each school, no matter its enrollment size. This spring during a tough budget season, the district announced it would eliminate funding for these positions on campuses with fewer than 250 students.
Around Chalkbeat
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For some NYC education watchers, the dearth of attention to K-12 schools raises questions about how Mamdani will manage a core function of the city government.
Randi Weingarten said Newark Public Schools visit confirmed her fears about AI in the classroom
Newark Public Schools touted Weingarten’s visit to see an AI tutoring chatbot in action, but a day later, she called for a ban on student-facing AI in elementary schools.
Iowa school districts quietly agreed to new limits on undocumented students’ course access
Records obtained by Chalkbeat show most Iowa school systems agreed to add new restrictions for some Perkins-funded CTE and early college programs.
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What We’re Reading
Chicago National Archives Closure Will Be Loss For Historians, Researchers, Even Deep-Sea Divers, Block Club Chicago
Decline of Ph.D. Admissions Could Imperil a ‘Generation of New Talent,’ The New York Times (Paywall)
Texas promised students with disabilities up to $30,000 for private schooling. Few got the full amount, The Dallas Morning News (Paywall)
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