Last month, Chicago principals were handed their school budgets built on a wildly optimistic deficit projection and told to make it all work. With just two weeks to balance the books, adjust staffing, and get Local School Council (LSC) approval, they’re racing against the clock. And the money they’re planning around? It might never come. All of this is unfolding as they’re also closing out the school year, with graduations, evaluations, and year-end responsibilities already pulling time and attention. The timing is always bad. But this process? It’s broken. Some schools saw new positions added, while others were hit with painful staffing cuts. But every principal now faces the same question: Are these numbers even real? For the people expected to lead their school communities through this maze without clear information, consistent guidance, or guaranteed funding, the process feels not only chaotic, but deeply disrespectful. “Principals are once again stuck in the middle. We are being set up as the face of the cuts that seem inevitable,” one principal said. “So we’re told that the money will come. If it doesn’t, we’ll have to make more cuts. And guess who’s the face of those cuts?” Many of the quotes shared here come from a recent member town hall held shortly after outgoing CEO Pedro Martinez made bold promises before the budget release, claiming “the mayor has the money, all he has to do is release it.” Statements like these only deepen the frustration among school leaders, making them feel powerless and silenced. The tone of certainty from the top, presented as if it were law, shuts down any real conversation with the very leaders who are expected to implement these budgets. “These quotes are anonymous because school leaders are still afraid of retaliation,” said CPAA President Troy LaRaviere. “That fear doesn’t come from nowhere. It comes from a culture where top officials make sweeping declarations, shut down dissent, and offer no real opportunity for school leaders to weigh in. When leadership relies on posturing instead of partnership, fear replaces trust and that’s when a system truly begins to break.”
Systems don’t break all at once, they fracture over time. Disinvestment chips away trust. The narrative of “us vs. them” creates damaging silos. Fear of retaliation silences voices. Promises are made but not kept. Words say one thing; actions say another. School leaders are pushed to the brink, and it starts to feel like sabotage… as if the system wants public schools to fail. But principals refuse to let their communities fail. They find ways to navigate these broken systems. Yet, as one school leader asked Chicago Board of Education President Harden at a recent Tuesday Talk, “Why? Why must we constantly find workarounds for a process that seems determined to fail all of us?” “This is an untenable situation,” said a CPAA member. “We’re being asked to plan schools around money we may never receive, explain it to our communities, and then somehow clean up the mess if the dollars disappear. That’s not leadership. It’s sabotage disguised as a process.” CPAA has long raised concerns about the district’s late and unstable budgeting practices. This year is no different. In fact, it may be worse. A Flawed Formula and a Deafening Silence Adding to the confusion, CPS made last-minute changes to the Opportunity Index, a tool previously touted as a way to drive equitable funding to schools serving the city’s most underserved students. This shift left many principals and assistant principals questioning how, or whether, the district is living up to its own promises of equity. CPAA continues to review the new budgets and index changes to fully understand the implications. But what’s already clear is that this year’s budget rollout is emblematic of a much deeper problem: a lack of transparency, consistency, and respect. Martinez never truly engaged with CPAA on budget planning or the ongoing leadership transition. Following one mostly symbolic meeting with CPAA leadership, he has repeatedly sidestepped every promise of real communication—ignoring calls, skipping meetings, and failing to respond to critical questions. Despite this, he continues to mislead by claiming he has spoken with principals who support his decisions. This continued silence from him is not just disappointing, it’s harmful.
CPAA IS VOICE AND POWER REALIZED • 23
Made with FlippingBook - Share PDF online