Charter CEO: Chicago Board of Ed is 'hurting kids' by failing to renew
schools
[April 26, 2025]
By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
(The Center Square) – Chicago charter school leaders and families are
protesting shorter renewal terms and a Chicago Board of Education
resolution that could subject charter schools to unionization efforts.
Educators and administrators rallied with families outside Chicago
Public Schools headquarters in downtown Chicago.
Catalyst Schools parent and board member Mitze Moore called on board
members to be bold.
“Be strong and vote for investment and stability, CPS Board of Ed. Vote
for families, not against them!” Moore exclaimed.
North Lawndale College Prep CEO Jemia Cunningham-Elder said the old
board could have voted on school renewal agreements, and the new board
is moving slowly.
“That’s now hurting schools. That’s hurting kids. Their onboarding into
this role is now hurting our ability to move forward and run our schools
and give stability to our students and families,” Cunningham-Elder told
The Center Square.
The Chicago Board of Education has delayed votes to renew agreements
with charter schools.
The charter groups are asking the board for the maximum-allowed, 10-year
renewal terms.
Charles Myers, school culture and student activities coordinator at
Catalyst Circle Rock Charter School, said charter schools need longer
renewal terms.
“When we have to get a small renewal such as two years, our staff has to
take away from the effort and the work that we all can put into our
students to learn,” Myers told The Center Square.
Myers said students benefit when schools are given 10-year terms.
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Charter school advocates rally in Chicago April 24, 2025 - Jim
Talamonti | The Center Square
“When you don’t give students stability, it makes them hesitant and
makes them, honestly, anxious, as they’re trying to work [and] learn in
an environment that’s already tough enough for them,” Myers added.
Myers said charter schools are one of the best things that ever happened
to him.
Although the Chicago Board of Education postponed a vote Thursday on the
future of 22 charter school campuses that serve more than 10,000
students, the board resolution announced Thursday would affect school
use of funds, closure terms and union neutrality terms set forth by
state law and the Chicago Teachers Union’s deal with Chicago Public
Schools.
The resolution states that “charter schools shall be neutral regarding
the unionization of any of its employees.”
In addition, the resolution states that “charter school operators must
provide any bona fide labor organization access at reasonable times to
areas in which the Charter School’s employees work.”
Charter schools are part of the Chicago Public Schools system.
According to charter advocates, 118 charter schools educate more than
55,000 students in the city. One out of every four CPS high school
students attends a charter school, and one out of every 10 CPS
elementary school students attends a charter school.
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