Publications and Reports
We invite you to explore our recent publications and reports.
Promise in Practice: A New Chapter in Chicago’s School Board Governance
Kids First Chicago presents practical, parent- and student-vetted suggestions for the new 21-member hybrid Board of Education to consider as it begins its official business in January 2025.
2024 Impact Report
In a time of significant challenges and transitions within Chicago public education, Kids First Chicago celebrates the parent champions who put the interests of all kids first.
Update to Defeating the Digital Divide
Kids First Chicago presents new data analysis on the digital divide in Chicago, focusing on CPS students' device access and connectivity challenges.
Revenue Options to Address Chicago Public Schools' Deficit
Chicago Public Schools is facing a $738 million operating budget deficit for FY2025. Kids First Chicago explores six potential revenue options to address the deficit.
Chicago's Enrollment Crisis Part 2: Adopting Parent-led Solutions
Chicago's Enrollment Crisis Series: Adopting Parent-led Solutions
2023 Impact Report
As 2023 draws to a close, we find inspiration in the resilience and strength that Chicago families have shown over the past year. Recent years have reshaped our lives and underscored the importance of parent and community engagement, especially in education. Despite the challenges, Chicago parents have led the charge to break down barriers and create more opportunities for our children.
Insights from K1C's Citywide Poll on Chicago’s Transition to an Elected School Board
In the fall of 2023, K1C engaged Qualtrics, a commercial survey sampling and administration company, to execute a citywide poll of registered and/or eligible voters in Chicago. The goal was to find out if the views and priorities of K1C parents are similar to those of the general Chicago voter population.
Defeating The Digital Divide
Two and a half years ago, our lives were upended by a once-in-a-century pandemic. For some of us, COVID-19 has been a significant inconvenience but, for more than 1.1 million Chicago households, it was a catastrophic disruption to daily life.
A Case Study in Inclusive Policy Design
In fall 2020, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) asked Kids First Chicago (K1C) to serve as the district’s lead stakeholder engagement partner for Accountability Redesign – a multi-year initiative to create a new system for measuring school quality and performance that would be fully informed by the ideas, insights, and perspectives of our city’s diverse education stakeholders.
2020-2022 Impact Report
These last two and a half years have altered our lives in ways big and small. They’ve changed how we live, learn, and collaborate with one another. We’ve seen the authenticity and power of parents in action. Our latest impact report reflects on the past two years and what we’ve accomplished.
Chicago's Enrollment Crisis Part 1: Exploring Root Causes
Chicago Public Schools (CPS), the third-largest school district in the nation, has lost more than 100,000 students in the last 20 years. Of that, more than 60,000 left in the last decade, more than 40,000 of those in the past five years alone.
