CRISIS RESPONSE: WHAT SCHOOL LEADERS NEED TO KNOW NOW
First things first: Please protect yourself as you protect your students. Don’t guess. Don’t try to figure things out alone. That’s why you have us. All of us.
School leaders, we want you to know your union is working with all stakeholders in partnership for your safety, sanity, and protection. There is no ‘I’ in TEAM, and today we are sending this message in solidarity with the City of Chicago, the Chicago Board of Education, local and state agencies, external partners, and internal CPS departments.
We know it’s tempting to act on instinct, to assume, or to just “do something” when things feel urgent or unclear. But that’s where mistakes happen, and those mistakes can have serious consequences. In most cases, the guidance does exist, and we can help you get to it. Whether it’s a school-level issue or a community concern, your union can point you to the right policy, the right response, or the right people.
Leader Quote:
“I cry almost daily trying to wrap my head around what the actual &$% I can really do right now to keep my babies safe and their families not kidnapped. There is so little I can do, and yet a lot I still can do.”
We know what’s happening across our city is confusing and traumatic. The federal government’s immigration enforcement is harmful to the very communities our schools serve.
Leader Quote:
“No child or adult should live in that level of fear daily.”“Personally, my anxiety was extremely through the roof on Friday. … I personally don't feel safe either, for fear of being racially profiled.”
While many details from our sessions require legal consideration and authorization from the city (we absolutely will not risk undermining the work being done to protect young people and families already living in fear), we want you to know this: We are demanding strategic and thoughtful solutions in every space we enter.
Last week, we met with Mayor Johnson and key members of his team. As of this week, CPAA is part of daily briefings with the Mayor’s Office, the CPS CEO’s team, all labor partners, and sister agencies to bring school-level concerns to the forefront and work toward solutions. Your daily lived experiences are being elevated in every space, and we are grateful to those of you who are sharing your stories with us.
Even with Monday’s holiday, we are still working.
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We Are Demanding:
1. Attention to the Emotional and Psychological Toll
Leader Quote:
“The toll it is taking on adults is noticeable. Staff has also expressed concerns and fears, as we are walking around on high alert — scanning every white van and unmarked car.”
School leaders must be allowed to be present in their buildings and not pulled for additional meetings. This is a crisis. This is trauma.
2. Operational Disruptions & Crisis Management
Leader Quotes:
“ICE concerns are currently taking about 50% or more of MOST of my days.”
“Leaders will not last if something is not taken off their plate.”
“The situation is changing fast — how about having district meetings on the latest and what we can do or a hot press with real actionable steps. Stop sending the same ol' memo when things are changing on the ground.”
“Why don't we start workshops (online) to help families prepare for the strong possibility that someone may be deported?”
There must be responsive communication and realistic expectations from the district. That includes providing up-to-date guidance, not generic recirculations.
3. Attendance & School Ratings
Leader Quotes:
“We have had 25% and higher absences.”
“I would like reassurance that school attendance rates will not affect my rating nor my school's rating.”
“It is unrealistic to hold school leaders and schools responsible for federal initiatives that jeopardize the freedoms of our Brown and Black communities.”
“Shift the conversation about attendance… are you for real?”
We are making a strong argument for attendance not being used in any way to punish or evaluate school leaders or school ratings.
4. Trauma, Student Supports & Mental Health
Leader Quotes:
“We use our own school funds to hire ONE outside agency to do ONE trauma group for children in Spanish. I need 20 such groups.”
“I scrimp and get penalized in the budget formula for buying an extra 0.5 Spanish-speaking counselor.”
“There is rampant food and job insecurity.”
“How do you put our team at ease?”
We need more counseling and SEL services in the buildings, not just in offices.
5. Leadership Burden & Isolation
Leader Quotes:
“Preparing to be a principal doesn't teach you to approach men in sunglasses in unmarked vans who are lurking around your dismissal like they're hunters stalking their prey.”
“School principals need to remain in their buildings during this time. No PDs off campus right now.”
“There needs to be a strong pause on some items… Is this really the best time for evaluations?”
“Help them [CBOE] understand what is in our control and what is not, and how to be most effective in their advocacy and attempts to be supportive.”
We are asking that CPS not only acknowledge but alleviate the leadership burden and isolation you are experiencing. That starts with a pause on non-essential asks and an increase in clear, real-time communications.
6. District-Level Support & Accountability
Leader Quotes:
“What is the guidance on grading when so many of our students are deciding to stay home?”
“No one at the Law Dept ever answers the phone. We need a hotline.”
“We barely got the letter out by PM dismissal but missed the dismissal at 11:30 AM (½ day). It seemed like CPS was a hindrance rather than a help.”
“Get the mayor to do something (sue, an injunction, anything) no more platitudes.”
Let’s not forget: We are operating in crisis mode with NO additional resources.
Our buildings are still dirty. Students and staff are getting sick. And access to district resources remains inconsistent or nonexistent.
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Trust has been broken in the past, and we know how hard that is to repair. School leaders have been left out of key conversations, and students - - and our profession - - have paid the price.
But this is a new day. There is more action. There is more transparency. There is urgency from both CPS and the City. And now, school leaders are in the room… because CPAA is in the room… carrying your voice into every conversation that matters. But we don’t just carry your voice. We carry your burden. Until it’s lifted.
