Super Search Gets Back in Gear

A good school superintendent is hard to find. But the Chicago Board of Education has announced three finalists in its renewed search: Interim Superintendent/CEO Macquline King, former New York City schools chancellor Meisha Ross Porter, and former East Baton Rouge superintendent Sito Narcisse.

King's resurgence as a finalist came as a surprise, given that she was not among the finalists leaked in November. Nor was Narcisse. Porter was a finalist in the abortive November search. The finalists will interview with both Mayor Brandon Johnson and a community panel before the school board calls a special meeting to discuss the candidates and vote. Catalyst Chicago's Reema Amin reported that Johnson will meet with the finalists this week.

Last Friday, the mayor told WBEZ's Sasha Ann Simons what he's looking for: "Someone who respects the value of Sustainable Community Schools. ... I'm looking for someone who's going to be a partner across the board: with family, with labor, with City Council, with the fifth floor... Every other mayor has made it very clear that the [CPS] CEO only serves the mayor. I'm looking for someone who is committed to serving the city alongside me." [You can hear the full quote near the end of the audio segment, linked above.]

One question that often pops up in superintendent searches: Is it better to hire an insider who knows the system, or an outsider who can bring a fresh perspective?

Board Rule took a stroll down memory lane, assisted by Wikipedia and the occasional Ben Joravsky column, to categorize previous superintendents as outsiders (new to Chicago) and insiders (Chicago veterans) and assess their track records. This unscientific review leaves out a couple of interims with very brief tenures. The columns below offer:

Name Tenure In/Out Sider Noteworthy "Verdict"

A few quick historical notes. "Willis Wagons" were the aluminum trailers Superintendent Benjamin Willis bought to relieve overcrowding in majority-Black schools without resorting to busing. Their use sparked massive protests and student walkouts. Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr. championed Manford Byrd, the first Black man to serve as superintendent of Chicago Public Schools. When Byrd was ousted, Jackson and others in the Black community charged that Byrd had been scapegoated for problems not of his making.

The three leaders generally regarded as "good" in this (long!) period were all Chicago insiders, and two were interims who didn't serve for very long. Unfortunately, no outsider was rated good, and one, Barbara Byrd-Bennett, pled guilty to wire fraud after steering millions of dollars in no-bid contracts to two companies where she had formerly worked.

This analysis would suggest insiders have a slight edge in the historical record, especially if you were a fan of the Vallas/Duncan years. But in less than a year, Chicago will enter a new era of superintendent-board relationships. Board Rule welcomes readers' thoughts on this analysis and on whether an insider or an outsider is more likely to deliver results for students as the next leader of CPS.

Springfield Update: Charter Edition

Illinois Sen. Celina Villanueva's bill requiring charter operators to sign renewal agreements within 90 days of the authorizer's approval made it out of committee last week and will be voted on by the full state Senate. SB 3391 also imposes stricter financial controls on charter schools. Charter advocates oppose the bill; the Chicago Teachers Union supports it. Read more about the bill here.

Illinois Sen. Cristina Castro's bill to transfer oversight of state-authorized charter schools back to their local school district will also be voted on by the full state Senate. Currently, only nine charter operators in Illinois are state-authorized; the rest are authorized by their local school districts. SB 4040 could also seal the fate of two LEARN Charter campuses in North Chicago, where the school district voted in late September to wind down operations at the two LEARN campuses within its borders. At issue is how a lease would work for the LEARN campus on the grounds of the Naval Station Great Lakes base. LEARN appealed to the state to stay open while the lease agreement and other matters are settled. A decision is pending.

Board Meeting Preview

The highest-profile item on Thursday's board agenda is the vote to revoke ASPIRA's charter. Staff at ASPIRA's Early College and Business and Finance high school campuses will be laid off effective April 3.

Reducing youth violence. Nonprofits Youth Advocate Programs and Children's Home & Aid will receive $6 million to continue providing Choose2Change, a six-month program that teaches young people at high risk of being involved in violence how to toggle between "fast" and "slow" thinking to better navigate conflict and high-stress situations. The program combines 16 sessions with intensive mentoring and wraparound supports. A University of Chicago Crime Lab study found the program reduced young people's involvement with the criminal justice system for up to four years after completion.

Sustainable Community Schools. The board will decide whether to approve $21.25 million in contracts to 31 nonprofits and community-based organizations to serve as lead partners in Sustainable Community Schools next year. Mayor Brandon Johnson points to Sustainable Community Schools as a signature initiative, but the program has yet to deliver markedly better student outcomes.

Quick Takes

LSC Elections Today! Don't forget to vote. CPS offers this map to help you find the schools where you are eligible to vote as a community member.

Making the Most of School Medicaid Expansion: Join Healthy Schools Campaign tomorrow at 11 a.m. for a virtual discussion featuring Kim Silvey, ISBE's new principal consultant for school Medicaid. Register here.

Chicago Education Alliance is hiring a Director of Community Engagement. Check out the job description.