News and Advocacy

CPAA Chief of Staff Kia Banks addressed the Chicago Board of Education at their Agenda Review Committee Meeting on Wednesday, April 9, 2025.

The median age of superintendents remains steady at 52, but more educators are reaching the role earlier in their careers.
Project 2025 will likely compromise the quality, equity and inclusivity of the public education system.

CPAA and The Fund are working together to connect school leaders with candidates for Chicago’s first-ever elected school board.

This is a historic opportunity to engage directly with the people who will shape education policy for YOUR schools. We’ve organized two forums to give candidates and school leaders multiple opportunities to exchange ideas, ask questions, and ensure that the insights of principals and assistant principals are part of the conversation.

Forum Dates & Locations:

As a teacher of history, government and law at Forest Park High School in Baltimore, Darrin Brozene discovered that “if students connect with you, you can push them to excel.” 

Especially when teaching government, he would tell them, “This is why you’re doing it. Here’s how it applies today.” In his view, building connections to our times has never been more important than it is right now.

He liked looking at the electoral map with his students at the Baltimore city school. He also liked coming up with thought experiments. 

Right now, there’s a crucial struggle about to unfold in the Illinois Legislature that will impact every staff member, student, and family in Chicago’s schools. It’s about the struggle for fair, informed, and intelligent decision-making in Chicago Public School policy. One of the primary venues for school policy-making is the negotiation of union contracts and yet, the issue has generated almost no headlines despite its urgency and importance.