End of Week Message: Tips for Parent-Teacher Conferences, Progress in Student Transportation, and Countdown to Election Day!
01 November 2024
Dear CPS Colleagues, Families, and Supporters,
There’s nothing I enjoy more than visiting schools and connecting with students. And when you add great food to the equation, it’s officially a perfect day!
This week, I got to participate in the kickoff event from the Chef Council Residency Program—an initiative that brings culinary legends to CPS to infuse our school menus with community flavors.
Evers Elementary was proud to welcome Josephine "Mother" Wade and her culinary team from Josephine’s Southern Cooking in Chatham. Mother Wade is a renowned chef, entrepreneur, and community activist known across Chicago and beyond for her dedication to giving back. And I can tell you that her fish tacos went over big with our students at Evers!
A Milestone Election Day
This Tuesday, November 5 will be a historic day as our country holds our next general election. It also has great significance in our CPS community.
For some of our high school students, this will be their first time ever casting a vote in a general election. As a reminder, all CPS schools and offices will be closed on Election Day to give these young voters and our District staff ample time to participate in the democratic process.
In addition, November 5 will mark the first time that Chicago elects members to the Board of Education. This is an opportunity for our staff, families, community members, and eligible students to choose those individuals who represent your views and priorities when it comes to public education in our city.
Please visit the Chicago Board of Elections website for information about how to vote, where to vote, what District you live in, and more. Visit this page for frequently asked questions, and this page for information about Chicago’s school board districts.
Your voice matters! So please take the time to cast your vote!
Launching our Hub Stop Program
CPS is excited to announce some positive progress in our effort to provide more of our students with bus transportation this school year.
First, I’m pleased to report that the corrective action opened earlier this school year by the Illinois State Board of Education regarding transportation access for students with disabilities has now been fully resolved. In addition, we have reduced the number of these students waiting to be routed from 1,283 in late September to 148 today. We had much higher demand for transportation this year among our students with disabilities, and while we are much farther ahead of where we were at this point last year, we will not stop working until every eligible student with disabilities is routed.
At the same time, the progress we have made allows us to begin phasing in our Hub Stop Pilot Program sometime after Thanksgiving. This program will provide some general education students who attend magnet or selective enrollment schools with bus transportation via a series of “hubs,” or CPS school locations near their homes where they can access a bus that will take them to and from their school of choice.
Those families whose children will be eligible for the initial phase of the Hub Stop Program will be contacted by our Transportation Services Team directly.
We will start out small, with just a handful of schools serving as Hub Stops in the program’s initial phase. Based on how the program is going, we may add additional hubs and students as the school year continues, prioritizing those general education students who are furthest from opportunity.
In accordance with Illinois state law and Chicago Board of Education Policy, CPS will continue to prioritize fulfilling the transportation requests of our students with disabilities as we receive them. But after several years grappling with a nationwide bus driver shortage, we are excited to begin bringing bus transportation back for some of our general education students.
Making the Most of Parent-Teacher Conferences
Parent-teacher conferences for all District-run schools are scheduled for this Monday, November 4. (A reminder that there are no classes for CPS students on this day, and no classes for students on the following day for Election Day.)
These conferences present a valuable opportunity for families to engage with their schools, and to become more involved in their children’s educational journeys. Here are a few tips to help families make the most of their meeting with our teachers:
- Help the teacher get to know your child by sharing family values and activities. Also, share where your child shines and where you think they could use some extra support.
- Discuss academic progress, including grades and test scores, and ask if your child is performing at grade level. Also ask teachers what key skills your child should be learning this year.
- Ask how you can support your child’s learning at home, and set up a plan for checking in with the teacher on your child’s progress.
As we prepare to close out the first quarter of our school year, I know that our teachers are looking forward to this opportunity to connect with families. I hope that these are productive conversations for everyone and look forward to seeing how the growing partnership between our educators and parents will help our students reach even greater heights.
Everyone remember to set your clocks back before bed on Saturday night, and enjoy the extra hour of sleep!
Sincerely,
Pedro Martinez
Chief Executive Officer
Chicago Public Schools
Help Us Highlight Your School
We love highlighting the amazing things that are happening day-to-day in our schools, along with the people who are making them happen! Please share your stories with us using our Good News Form so that we can share them with the District!
A Look Around the District
Take a look at what schools in our District have been up to!
Libby Elementary in the Back of the Yards neighborhood celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month with a special recess event where students played Loteria, made Dia de Los Muertos-themed crafts, danced, and more.
At Johnson Elementary, located in the Lawndale community, students participated in the 2nd Annual Hot Chocolate Run Against Bullying. With support from the school’s community partners, students ran laps to earn hot chocolate and smores and discussed what it means to be a good friend.
Choir students from 11 CPS schools sang alongside each other and clinician Lonnie Norwood at the Join Voices Chicago event sponsored by the American Choral Director’s Association. Students joined together to perform the Nigerian song “Ise Aluwa” to celebrate diversity in choral music.
Finally, we want to highlight Principal Gamble from Solomon Elementary in Pulaski Park, who was recently honored by his school community for Principal Appreciation Month. In recognition of his decade-long service at Solomon, he was celebrated with “Ten Days of Gratitude for Ten Years of Service,” a series of festivities that culminated in a breakfast celebration with staff, students, and families!
Empowering our Black Male Educators
This week, our United Black Male Educators (UBME) cohort convened for a day of sharing and professional development. This is part of the goals established by Success 2029: Together We Rise (our District’s new five-year strategic plan), to better support our Black male students and empower our District’s Black male educators to become dynamic educational leaders within our system.
Highlighting our Office of Business Diversity
Congratulations to Teena Lorie Harris, Executive Director of our District’s Office of Business Diversity, on being named an Ambassador for Women in Construction during this year’s Chicago Build Expo. With hundreds of speakers, panels, and workshops, this conference is the largest networking event in the U.S. focused on women and diversity in construction.
Important Information and Resources for Parents about School Avoidance
School avoidance refers to behavior in which a student refuses to attend school or has difficulty remaining in school for the entire day. The CPS Office of Student Health and Wellness has created a video with information and resources (Spanish version here) to help parents respond to challenges involving school avoidance and better support their students. Parents can also review the slideshow referenced in the video (Spanish version here).
These tools will help parents learn how to identify the root cause of school avoidance; collaborate with professionals at their child's school to problem solve; and set rules and expectations that will help their child succeed both in and out of the classroom. They also include a variety of resources for parents from both CPS and other organizations. If you have any questions about these materials, please email mentalhealth@cps.edu.
Apply Now to be a Chicago Park District Lifeguard in Summer 2025
Be a lifeguard next summer and make $19.75 an hour. Complete four steps to be hired: (1) Apply (2) Test (3) Get certified (4) Complete paperwork. You must be a Chicago resident age 16 or older by July 1, 2025. The first lifeguard test takes place November 16, 2024 at 9 a.m.—sign up for this test when completing your application online. Enjoy your perfect summer job in the parks! Learn more and apply at chicagoparkdistrict.com/lifeguards/CPS.
CPS Scoreboard: This Week in CPS Athletics
Cross Country championships for CPS SCORE! begin on November 2, with thousands of 5th–8th graders competing for a city title, as well as in the Halloween costume fun-run at Washington Park! Event details and a digital program that will go live on November 2 can be found here.
Also, we want to congratulate all the Boys Varsity Football teams that qualified for the IHSA State Tournament that begins this week. Full schedules for football and all other IHSA fall sports state tournaments can be found here.
Finally, the Chicago Public League is continuing to award city championships in several sports this fall, including golf, soccer, swimming, and diving. You can find all the results, along with more stories, schedules, and program information, at cpsathletics.com.
Discounted Tickets for CPS Staff and Students
CPS staff are invited to cheer on the Chicago Bulls with an exclusive ticket offer for the below games. Get your tickets here!
- Bulls vs. Jazz: Monday, November 4
- Bulls vs. Rockets: Sunday, November 17
- Bulls vs. Hawks: Friday, November 22
Step aboard Titanic: The Exhibition at Westfield Old Orchard and bring history to life for your students with an immersive journey through the legendary ship's stories, artifacts, and unforgettable experiences. Free tickets for groups from Title IX schools are available during "Free Field Trip Days" on November 14th and 15th. Click to Apply for Tickets and Download Educator’s Guide.
DOG MAN: THE MUSICAL is a hilarious, heartfelt family adventure based on the bestselling book series! Don't miss the SUPA awesome production beginning Nov 8 at The Studebaker Theater. Teachers can Download Educational Resources here. CPS staff members receive 20% OFF tickets with code DM20CPS at checkout (good through November 24, P1 and P2 price levels only, based on availability). Click for Dog Man tickets!
Experience one of the greatest operas ever written with Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro at Lyric Opera of Chicago, "a joyous celebration of life and love" (Chicago Tribune). Use promo code CPS25 to save 25% on tickets for any performance of The Marriage of Figaro. Click HERE to purchase.
A Limited number of $29 tickets are also available for select performances on November 13, 19, and 21 through Lyric's DEAL program for educators and administrators. Offers are subject to availability and restrictions apply.
Important Dates
For more upcoming events around the District, visit cps.edu/calendar.
- Monday, November 4: Parent-teacher conferences; no classes for CPS students
- Tuesday, November 5: CPS schools and offices are closed in observance of Election Day; no classes for CPS students.
- Monday, November 25–Friday, November 29: In observance of the Thanksgiving holiday, no students or teachers will be in school from November 25–29 and all CPS buildings will be closed on November 28 and 29.