CHICAGO, IL — The Illinois Network of Charter Schools (INCS) welcomes the newly appointed members of the Chicago Public Schools Board of Education. The Board now consists of President Jianan Shi, Vice President Elizabeth Todd-Breland, and members Mary Fahey Hughes, Mariela Estrada, Rudy Lozano, Michelle Morales, and Tanya Woods.
As part of their Board responsibilities, these members will oversee the authorization of Chicago’s 119 charter public schools and foster a partnership of collaboration and community between the charter community and the district to improve our public education system for all students. For over 25 years, Chicago’s charter public schools have been an important part in the public education landscape and today educate over 55,000 students across the city. This means one out of every four high school students enrolled in Chicago Public Schools attends a charter and one out of every 10 elementary students attends a charter. The charter student population is also more diverse than district-operated schools: 98.7 percent of charter students are students of color and 86 percent qualify for free or reduced lunch compared to the district-operated schools, where 86.3 percent of students are students of color and 77.5 percent qualify for free or reduced lunch.
“CPS Board members have an obligation to support our city’s historically and systemically underserved communities,” said INCS President Andrew Broy. “We hope the newest Board members will take the opportunity to get to know Chicago charter public schools and continue the strong commitment, investment, and support for the high-quality public schools our students and families deserve.”
Now more than ever, INCS remains committed to working with our member schools, charter families, and our diverse communities across Chicago to create high-quality public schools in our neighborhoods so that all children—regardless of zip code, ethnicity, family income or background—can excel academically, receive the preparation needed to succeed in college, and become thoughtful, engaged, and active contributors in society. Tens of thousands of Chicago families depend on a charter public education, and charter public school parents and advocates stand eager and ready to continue our work with the CPS Board of Education.
ABOUT THE ILLINOIS NETWORK OF CHARTER SCHOOLS
The Illinois Network of Charter Schools (INCS) advocates for the improvement of public education by leveraging the charter school model as a catalyst to transform lives and communities. As the voice of Illinois charter schools, INCS engages a diverse coalition of policymakers, school leaders, parents, and community members to create systemic change and secure high-quality schools for underserved communities. Learn more at incschools.org.
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