Budget, Grades, Graduation, Change: Oh, the CPS Troubles Brizard Will See

Union relations
The current teachers’ contract is set to expire at the end of the next school year, and with education reform bills in Springfield pressuring teachers to make concessions, the negotiations may become heated. “He’s going to have to, in a very short period of time, figure out what he’s going to keep and what needs to be cut back, and at the same time get off on the right foot with the teachers union,” said Robin Steans, executive director of Advance Illinois.

Budget deficit
With federal stimulus funding drying up, more than $350 million in late payments from the state, and a scheduled raise for teachers, CPS is staring at an $820 million deficit. But Brizard may have help.

Barbara Radner, director of the Center on Urban Education at DePaul University, said the budget may be less of an obstacle than many think. The strategic appointment of Jesse Ruiz, currently the chairman of the Illinois State Board of Education, and Emanuel’s proven fundraising power, Radner said, suggest the Mayor-elect may come up with creative ways to fund many of the changes he proposed in his campaign, including a longer school day.

High Schools
A solution for how to fix the city’s struggling high schools has eluded previous CEOs. Will Brizard’s experience in New York City help him here? While graduation rates may be a focus of Brizard’s, the challenge in Chicago will go beyond just handing out diplomas. “Graduating them with a quality education that gets them to college and keeps them in college,” Radner said.

Agenda for change
The educational agenda Emanuel has laid out is no easy task, and the new CEO must dive into controversial territory quickly. He’ll need to find ways to extend the school day, close under-performing schools, replicate successful ones, institute a new teacher evaluation system, give principals more freedom to make changes and set up a Race to the Top for Chicago.