2023 Impact Report

We are dedicated to activating and elevating the voices of Chicago Public Schools (CPS) parents and equipping them to be catalysts for change in their children’s education. Our innovative Parent Leadership Fellowship (PLF) and Parent Leadership Teams (PLTs) provide the necessary training and tools to demystify educational policies and empower parents to advocate for their children and schools effectively.

Our commitment to building a robust network of parent advocates is reflected in our growing reach—now encompassing 63 of Chicago's 77 community areas. See the growing presence of K1C in shaping a brighter educational future in the map below.

In 2022, Kids First Chicago (K1C) released Part 1 | Chicago's Enrollment Crisis: Examining Root Causes. The report showed that CPS’s enrollment decline is attributable to an unprecedented reduction of school-age children in the city — about 175,000 fewer children since 2000. Chicago families are not fleeing CPS for non-public education options; instead, our analysis revealed that the district serves roughly 80% of all school-age children in the city – a market share that has remained consistent over the past 20 years. Enrollment drops in Chicago are driven by three factors: declining births, slowing in-migration of Latine families, and increasing out-migration of Black families.

In December 2023, K1C will release the second part of this series – Part Two | Chicago’s Enrollment Crisis: Adopting Parent-Led Solutions. We will explore the effects of crime, housing, education, cost of living, access to quality healthcare, and the presence (or lack thereof) of government programs on the everyday lives of Chicago families and outline parents' recommendations to make Chicago more attractive and supportive for families like them.

Kids First Chicago has been at the forefront of bridging the digital divide and transforming the virtual landscape for learning. Chicago Connected has been a game-changer since 2020, providing 100,000+ CPS students across 60,000 households – nearly 1 in 3 – with free, high-speed broadband internet and high-quality digital learning content. This initiative significantly closed the digital divide by turning data into action.

Our report, Defeating the Digital Divide: How Chicago Can Achieve True Digital Equity, showed that we helped to more than halve the connectivity gap for Chicago’s school-age children – from roughly 110,000 children in 2018 to approximately 46,000 children by the end of 2021. Our 2023 Chicago Connected Survey revealed that the program continues to serve its target population: low-income, working-age, families of color. Chicago Connected provides a crucial resource for families in need and serves as a national model for this work. As we demonstrated with this initiative, we can solve big issues when we come together for a common cause.

For over two years, K1C worked with CPS on a foundational strategic policy initiative – Accountability Redesign. This project far surpassed previous CPS policy initiatives – both in terms of the depth of engagement and the sheer number of stakeholders who participated. In late April, the Chicago Board of Education voted 7-0 (unanimously) to approve the framework K1C and CPS co-designed – with input from 21,000+ stakeholders. We summarized this critical project in a February 2023 case study.

We will implement these recommendations to ensure that schools receive what they need from the district to provide all students with a rigorous and supportive learning environment.

Chicago's transition to an elected school board presents both new opportunities and new challenges. Kids First Chicago has been at the forefront of informing students, parents, community and education partners, media, and elected officials about families’ priorities for the future school board.

Kids First Chicago and our parent-led task force have guided the substance and direction of Chicago's Elected School Board for the past two years. With the dedication of parents and community members, we led an extensive campaign in 2022-2023: submitting multiple constitutionally-viable map prototypes, meeting with legislative leaders, providing testimony at hearings, organizing town halls, and ensuring families’ voices were heard through media engagement.

This fall, we conducted a citywide poll of registered and/or eligible voters in Chicago to find out if the views and priorities of K1C parents are similar to those of the general Chicago voter population. Key findings from the poll revealed that Chicago voters want:

• The racial and ethnic composition of elected school board districts to reflect the composition of the Chicago Public Schools’ student body.

• Any Chicago adult to be able to vote or serve in school board elections, regardless of their immigration status.

• Strict limits on donations to elected school board candidate campaigns.

• Stipends or salaries for elected school board members serving on the board.

• Parent seats on the board.

In the spring and fall of 2023, we hosted town halls to build public awareness of the transition and press lawmakers for more equitable and inclusive representation on the school board. As a result of our parent-led advocacy, the Illinois General Assembly has committed to ensuring equitable representation in the future elected school board maps. We expect a final decision from the Illinois legislators in early 2024.

As we move forward, K1C remains vigilant and proactive. We will continue to elevate the conversation on CPS representation and work tirelessly to ensure that the elected board upholds Chicago families' and voters’ values and priorities. We will continue to work with our Elected School Board Task Force to push for other parent priorities, including campaign spending limits, parent representation on the board, and the ability for any Chicago resident, regardless of citizenship, to be able to serve on and vote in Chicago elected school board elections.

To learn more about the law that created the new board and what it means for Chicago families, click here.