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THE THROUGHLINE: FOUR PRIORITIES, ONE DIRECTION →
P o lic y A d vo c a c y m e a ns m a ki n g s ch oo l le a de rs p a rt o f t he c onv e rs a t i ons s h a p i n g C hic a g o pu blic ed u c a t i on . W he t he r t he i ssu e i s t he di str ic t b u dge t , a rt ifici a l i nt ellige n ce , s ch oo l s a fe ty , B o a r d po lic y , or t he n e xt elec t i on c y cle , CPAA must be r ec o g n i z ed a s t he a ut h or i t a t i v e vo ice o f pr i n ci p a l s a n d a ss i st a nt pr i n ci p a l s . O ur m e m be rs poss e ss s ch oo l - le v el k now ledge t h a t deci s i on - m a ke rs n eed , a n d w e w ill c ont i nu e b r i n gi n g t h a t k now ledge f orw a r d t h rou gh d a t a , t e st i mony , r el a t i ons hi ps , a n d c o llec t i v e a c t i on . L e a de rs hi p S ust a i n a bili ty m e a ns b u ildi n g a n or g a n i za t i on t h a t d o e s not de p e n d on a fe w p e op le c a rry i n g a ll t he wor k . O ur a ux ili a r ie s , c omm i tt ee s , st e w a r d s , a n d elec t ed a n d a ppo i nt ed le a de rs must h a v e cle a r ro le s , us ef u l too l s , a n d m e a n i n gf u l w a ys to c ontr ib ut e . T he L e a de rs hi p E x ch a n ge w a s a n i mport a nt st e p tow a r d c r e a t i n g t h a t s h a r ed un de rst a n di n g a n d str e n g t he n i n g our le a de rs hi p p i p eli n e . T he s e pr i or i t ie s a r e c onn ec t ed . Ba r g a i n i n g i s stron ge r w he n m e m be rs a r e i n f orm ed . A d vo c a c y i s stron ge r w he n g roun ded i n m e m be r e xp e r ie n ce . O ur un i on i s stron ge r w he n le a de rs hi p i s di str ib ut ed a n d e v e ry m e m be r un de rst a n d s h ow to p a rt ici p a t e . I a m a s ki n g you to st a y e n g a ged . R e a d our c ommun ic a t i ons . C omp le t e our surv e ys . A tt e n d your a ux ili a ry m ee t i n g s . J o i n a c omm i tt ee . D o c um e nt h ow di str ic t deci s i ons a ffec t your wor k . Y our e xp e r ie n ce s bec om e our e v ide n ce , a n d our e v ide n ce str e n g t he ns our a bili ty to a d vo c a t e a n d b a r g a i n . W e a r e b u ildi n g a un i on t h a t li st e ns , or g a n i z e s , a c ts , a n d r e ports b a ck . A un i on c a p a ble o f r e spon di n g to to d a y ’ s ch a lle n ge s w hile s h a p i n g t he c on di t i ons s ch oo l le a de rs n eed f or t he f utur e .
Letter from the President KIA R. BANKS
BUILDING THE UNION OUR MEMBERS NEED CPAA M e m be rs ,
T he p a st s e v e r a l mont h s h a v e r ei n f or ced w h y str e n g t he n i n g CPAA a s a un i on m a tt e rs .
S ch oo l le a de rs a r e n a v ig a t i n g deci s i ons a b out b u dge ts , st a ffi n g , p a yro ll , t ech no l o g y , e v a l u a t i on , s a fe ty , a n d stu de nt support . T oo o f t e n , po licie s a r e de v el op ed w i t h out t he p e rsp ec t i v e o f t he pr i n ci p a l s a n d a ss i st a nt pr i n ci p a l s e xp ec t ed to i mp le m e nt t he m . CPAA ’ s r e spons ibili ty i s to m a ke sur e your vo ice i s pr e s e nt bef or e t h os e deci s i ons r e a ch your s ch oo l s — a n d to a c t w he n t he y a ffec t your a ut h or i ty , wor kl o a d , or wor ki n g c on di t i ons .
O ur wor k i s or g a n i z ed a roun d f our pr i or i t ie s .
C o llec t i v e Ba r g a i n i n g m e a ns pursu i n g a stron g fi rst c o llec t i v e b a r g a i n i n g a g r ee m e nt w hile r e spon di n g to i mm edi a t e i ssu e s . O ur a d vo c a c y d ur i n g t he b u dge t a m e n d m e nt f o c us ed on prot ec t i n g pr i n ci p a l a utonomy a n d pr e v e nt i n g s ch oo l le a de rs f rom bei n g p l a ced i n t he m iddle o f syst e m - le v el st a ffi n g deci s i ons . O ur r e spons e to t he SPS a n d D o c u S ig n ro ll out de monstr a t e s h ow i mp a c t b a r g a i n i n g c a n a dd r e ss t he c ons e qu e n ce s o f a po lic y e v e n w he n Ma n a ge m e nt r e t a i ns t he a ut h or i ty to m a ke t he un de r l y i n g deci s i on . M e m be r E d u c a t i on a n d S upport m e a ns e nsur i n g t h a t m e m be rs un de rst a n d not on l y w h a t CPAA i s d o i n g , b ut w h a t i t m e a ns f or t he m . W e a r e e xp a n di n g our c ommun ic a t i ons , o ffe r i n g pr a c t ic a l pro fe ss i on a l le a rn i n g , a n d hel p i n g m e m be rs un de rst a n d un i on c on ce pts , c ontr a c tu a l prot ec t i ons , a n d t he syst e ms a ffec t i n g t hei r d a il y wor k . A n i n f orm ed m e m be rs hi p i s a stron ge r m e m be rs hi p .
O n e U n i on | O n e V o ice | O n e D i r ec t i on
K i a R. Ba n k s CPAA P r e s ide nt kb a n k s @ my c p aa . c om
6 • CPAA Magazine | October 2026 • One Union | One Voice | One Direction
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