“It’s Easier To Get Beyonce Tickets”: The Frustrating Waiting Game of Securing a Speaker Slot at CPS Board Meetings

If you’ve ever tried to buy tickets for a Beyonce concert, you know it’s an event. You set multiple alarms, open the website on every device in your home, and hope a glitch won’t kick you out of the queue. Yet, as anxiety-provoking and difficult as that may be, it might just be easier than trying to sign up for a speaker slot at a Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Board of Education meeting.

The process is supposed to be straightforward: Speaker sign-up opens at 10:30 AM the Tuesday before each Board meeting. But for those of us who have tried, it seems to be a game of chance rather than an authentic engagement opportunity.

Earlier this week, eight members of our Community Engagement Team prepared to sign up as speakers for Thursday’s Board meeting. We logged on at 10:25 AM, laptops fully charged, ready to refresh the page right at 10:30. With a mix of excitement and determination, we waited. 10:28…10:29…10:30 - we refreshed the page. Nothing. And by 10:35, still nothing. Then at 10:40, more of the same. It wasn’t until 10:46 AM - 16 minutes past the promised start time - that the sign-up page finally appeared. As the minutes passed, I decided to call. Over the next sixteen minutes, I made 14 attempts to reach someone at the CPS Board Office. Out of those 14 calls, 11 rang just once before being cut off. My frustration was palpable.

How can the community trust that the Board wants their voices to be heard if it’s this difficult to even get a chance to speak? Sixteen minutes might not sound like much, but for CPS families and community members who have the privilege of stopping their day to be ready to sign up at 10:30, it’s an eternity. For those sixteen minutes, everyone was left hanging, so many voices silenced by a faulty system.

But just as quickly as it opened, it closed again - this time at 10:49, only three minutes later. Our team was perplexed and saddened, thinking of the community members who may have missed the opportunity to sign up. Then at 10:52, the page reopened, with 22 out of 30 speaker slots still available. The back and forth left us questioning how such an unpredictable system could serve a community that relies on consistency and transparency. This is more than just an inconvenience, it’s a barrier to equity.

So, this experience could be compared to the difficulty it takes to obtain Beyonce tickets, but this is so much more serious than concert tickets could ever be. Instead of the letdown that comes with accessing the website a second too late, it’s the disappointment of knowing that there is no real interest in collaborating with the community. If a 2-minute opportunity for public comment is inaccessible, then how can families and our community trust that they will ever be engaged in an authentic way?

With a five-year strategic plan set to be voted on and implemented by the outgoing Chicago Mayoral-appointed School Board just months away, the community is left feeling a profound sense of urgency and frustration. This pivotal moment demands not just procedural changes, but a genuine commitment to inclusivity and accessibility.

We cannot afford to be sidelined or faced with obstacles that prevent meaningful participation. The decisions made now will shape the educational landscape for years to come. It's imperative that all families have a seat at the table, with clear pathways to engage and contribute to the process. Only then can we hope to address the real needs and aspirations of our diverse communities effectively.

We urge the CPS Board of Education to take this opportunity to demonstrate true leadership by ensuring that the final plan reflects the voices of all stakeholders, especially those who have historically been marginalized. Let us move forward with a shared commitment to transparency and authentic engagement. Our children's futures and the future of our city depend on it.

Mayor Brandon Johnson, Pedro Martinez, President Jianan Shi, Elizabeth Todd-Breland, Mariela Estrada, Mary Fahey Hughes, Rudy Lozano Jr., Michelle Morales, Tanya Woods - YOU have a duty to authentically engage with all stakeholders. Our families have done their work and much of yours. They continue to be disappointed and frustrated by the lack of authentic community engagement, yet they still show up ready and willing to partner with you. What’s your plan? All eyes are on you.