TV commercials tout Chicago schools’ progress, not politics

Chicago’s best- kept secret is that its school system is now a nationally recognized leader in urban education.

In the last year, independent reports from Stanford University and the University of Chicago have shown that Chicago Public Schools leads the nation in student academic growth, and high school graduation rates are up by over 20 percent since 2011. The percentage of students going to four- year colleges has more than doubled since 2009. CPS offers the largest network of International Baccalaureate programs in the nation. And researchers at the University of Illinois found that CPS students now out perform their peers in every major racial and ethnic group in the state. If Stanford, the U. of C. and the U. of I. independently confirm the progress being made in our schools, it’s important you knowit, too.

Just as important, the additional $ 450 million in annual funding Chicago Public Schools now receives from the state after years of fighting for equitable school funding is at risk.

That’s why Progress Chicago— a nonprofit issue advocacy organization dedicated to promoting sound public policies for the city’s continued advancement— launched a multimedia campaign to highlight our students’ academic progress and to counteract threats to the equal funding formula that was reached with bipartisan support last year.

To highlight the academic gains in our city’s classroom, we asked CPS CEO Dr. Janice Jackson to share this story of success because, as a native Chicagoan and CPS graduate, teacher, principal and mother of two CPS students, there is no better representative and advocate for the district than she is.

It’s important to note that Progress Chicago does not participate in political activity on behalf of or against any candidate for office. Our mission as a social welfare organization is to promote sound public policies that advance the city’s academic success, economic growth and neighborhood development and to spotlight the people committed to building better communities for the next generation of Chicagoans. That includes the hundreds of thousands of students, educators, parents and community leaders like Jackson who have worked relentlessly to transform our district into the national model it is, as recognized now by some of the country’s leading research institutions.

It’s more important than ever to stand strong for Chicago Public Schools and call on our legislators to continue to support efforts to equitably fund Illinois schools. We intend to work to ensure Chicago continues to get its fair share to sustain the progress it’s making. Our city can’t afford to go backward given how far we’ve come. That’s a secret well worth sharing. Sam Hobert, executive director, Progress Chicago