SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE MAKING ACADEMIC GAINS THIS YEAR.

DISTRICT OFFICIALS SAY CPS STUDENTS OVERALL SAW A 5 PERCENTAGE POINT INCREASE IN LANGUAGE ARTS AND A 2 PERCENTAGE POINT INCREASE ON THEIR MATH SCORES COMPARED TO 2023.

MEANWHILE, THE CHICAGO TEACHERS UNION HELD ITS FIRST EVER PUBLIC BARGAINING SESSION WITH THE DISTRICT LAST FRIDAY.

IT ALL COMES AMID SOME PHYSICAL CHALLENGES WITH THE 2025 AT FULL DISTRICT BUDGET.

STILL WAITING TO BE PUBLISHED.

HERE TO TALK ABOUT ALL OF THAT AND MORE IS CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS, CEO PEDRO MARTINEZ.

WELCOME BACK.

GOOD TO SEE YOU.

THANK THANK YOU HAVING ME.

SO LET'S START WITH THE ASSESSMENTS.

THE LATEST STATE ASSESSMENTS SHOW MAJOR PROGRESS IN BOTH ENGLISH AND MATH.

3RD THROUGH 8TH GRADER SAW 5 POINT INCREASE FROM LAST YEAR WITH HIGHER PROFICIENCY IS THAN PRE-PANDEMIC TIMES.

WHAT DO YOU ATTRIBUTE ALL THIS TO YOU?

WELL, FIRST, SO PROUD OF OUR STAFF AND OUR STUDENTS.

AND SO AS YOU SAID, FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE PANDEMIC STARTED, WE'RE NOW EXCEEDING PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS IN READING.

AND WE KNOW THAT WE IN THIS FOUNDATIONAL FOR ALL OF OUR STUDENTS.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE SEEING SOME GREAT INVESTMENTS THAT WE'VE MADE AND WE'RE SEEING THE REALLY THE RESULTS FROM IT.

WE'VE YOU KNOW, WE HAVE AN INVENTION, TEACHERS THAT ARE SCHOOLS WITH THE HIGHEST POVERTY RATES WE HAVE SEEN OUR BLACK STUDENTS WAS OF THE BIGGEST GAINS IN OUR DISTRICT BITE WITH 6 POINTS.

AND SO THESE ARE SCHOOLS THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE SUFFICIENT RESOURCES IN THE PAST.

IN ADDITION, WE ALSO ARE YOU KNOW, RESULTS FROM OUR TUTORS THAT WE HAVE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS ACROSS THE DISTRICT.

COURSE, YOU CAN JUST THE HARD WORK OF OUR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS THAT 6% FOR BLACK STUDENTS AT THAT IS IN LARGE LEAD.

A 6%, WHICH IT INDICATES TO ME THAT THEY HAD SOME ROOM TO GROW, THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF ROOM TO GROW.

SO ALL OF THAT SAID, 31% OF STUDENTS BEING PROFICIENT ELA ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS.

THAT STILL MEANS THAT 69% OR NOT HER FISH.

WHAT'S THE PLAN TO CONTINUE TO PROGRESS, THIS GROWTH THAT YOU'VE SEEN AND ARE?

ABSOLUTELY SO I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS AN OPEN THIS IS THAT THESE THIS YEAR'S GAINS BUILD ON LAST YEAR'S GAINS, WHICH ALSO SAW 6 POINT GAME IN READING 2 POINT GAIN IN MATH.

AND WE KNOW FROM A STUDY FROM HARVARD AND STANFORD THAT WE WERE NUMBER ONE IN THE COUNTRY, NEW RECOVERY, NUMBER ONE.

AND WE BECAUSE BLACK STUDENTS.

NUMBER 2 FOR LATINO STUDENTS IN THE COUNTRY.

SO THIS BUILDS ON THESE GAMES.

THE OTHER, YOU KNOW, CONTACTS THAT WE GIVE YOU IS THAT IN OUR STATE PROFICIENCY, WAIT ANOTHER.

THEY HAVEN'T RELEASED THE RECENT RESULTS.

BUT FOR 2023, THEIR WITH 35% IN READING.

AND SO IN 27%.

AND THAT'S OUR STATE OVER OZ.

ALSO DOESN'T HAVE HIGH RATINGS.

BUT REMEMBER, WE HAVE A VERY RIGOROUS ASSESSMENT.

MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHAT I SAW WAS STUDENTS ACROSS EVERY GRADE LEVEL GROWING.

AND SO AS WE SEE THIS GROW UP, WE ALSO I ALSO HAVE TO REMIND OUR COMMUNITY OUR HIGH SCHOOLS RIGHT NOW HAVE HAVE MET, YOU KNOW, COULD BE STRONGER.

WE'VE SEEN RECORD GRADUATION RATES, RECORD SCHOLARSHIPS, RECORD NUMBERS OF COLLEGE BEEN SO I SAY TO OUR HIGH SCHOOL FRIENDS WAS A MATCH.

AND IS THE STUDENTS MOVE ON THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL?

WE'RE GOING TO SEE EVEN STRONGER RESULTS LAST WEEK THE DISTRICT ANNOUNCED THAT THE CPS BUDGET FOR THE 2025 FISCAL YEAR WOULD BE RELEASED IN JULY INSTEAD LAST WEDNESDAY, WHICH WAS THE ORIGINAL PLAN.

WHY THE DELAY?

WHAT WE'RE WORKING SO WE WANT TO REALLY FROM A PART OUR BUDGET.

YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE SAID BRANDS AND THIS IS AGAIN, TO PROTECT THE GAINS THAT WERE SEEN IS THAT WE WANT TO PROTECT THE INVESTMENTS THAT ARE SCHOOLS.

YOU KNOW, WE WORK WITH THE PRINCIPLES.

WE MADE SOME TOUGH DECISIONS AND SAW WERE FINDING EFFICIENCIES AND REDUCTIONS IN OUR CENTRAL OFFICE.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE FROM THOSE UP.

I WILL TELL YOU THAT I FEEL CONFIDENT WE'RE GOING TO BALANCE BUDGET FOR THE JULY BOARD MEETING.

WE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO STAVE OFF THE CUTS FROM THE SCHOOLS.

IT DOES MEAN THOUGH, THAT USE SOME CHALLENGES CENTRALLY.

PLUS, YOU KNOW, WE STILL HAVE SOME MORE CHALLENGES IN IN THE COMING YEAR.

YOU KNOW, WE IN SOME OF THOSE CHALLENGES ARE, OF COURSE, THAT 400 MILLION DOLLAR BUDGET ARE THERE ANY SPECIFIC MEASURES THAT ARE BEING CONSIDERED TO ADDRESS THIS DEFICIT WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT COMPROMISING THAT, OF COURSE, THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION FOR STUDENTS.

SO FOR US, YOU KNOW, IS THE MAIN THING WE'RE LOOKING AT IS AND AND I REALLY AM GRATEFUL TO OUR WHETHER TIME VENDORS OR OTHER PARTNERS THAT WE HAVE.

WE'VE ASKED THEM TO GIVE US CONCESSIONS THAT WE'VE ASKED HIM TO GIVE A SAVINGS.

WE FOUND DEFICIENCIES WERE DOING THE HIRING FREEZE ACROSS THE ACROSS THE DISTRICT AS WELL.

MAKING SOME TOUGH DECISIONS, BUT WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO PRESERVE OUR CORE SERVICES BECAUSE THE CHALLENGE THAT I HAVE RIGHT NOW IS THAT WE'VE MADE SO MANY INVESTMENTS IN OUR SCHOOLS AND WE JUST NEED A CERTAIN LEVEL OF INFRASTRUCTURE TO BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THAT.

BUT WHAT I LOVE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR TEAM IS REALLY WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE SCHOOLS ARE PROTECTED BECAUSE, AGAIN, WE'RE SEEING THE EVIDENCE AND THE STUDENT GAINS.

IT FEELS LIKE WE'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE WITH CPS BEFORE YOUR TIME.

I'M WITH, YOU KNOW, A MASSIVE BUDGET DEFICIT.

REMEMBER, IT WAS ABOUT A BILLION DOLLARS, MAYBE 7 OR 8 YEARS AGO.

AND THEN OF COURSE, THE STATE PASSED THE EVIDENCE BASE FUNDING MODEL WITH A RAMP TO FULLY FUND THAT WE'RE NOT THERE YET.

BUT THAT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN OVER TIME.

AND OF COURSE, THE DISTRICT RECEIVED A LOT MORE MONEY DURING THE COVID YEARS.

THAT MONEY IS STARTING TO RUN OUT.

ARE WE HERE?

AGAIN?

AROUND.

SO ONE OF THINGS WE DID IS WE WE PHASE THEN THE FEDERAL FUNDING OVER 3 YEARS.

SO YEAR 3 IS NEXT YEAR.

WE'VE HAD A STRUCTURAL DEFICIT OF 6 TO 700 MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR.

IT'S ABOUT HALF OF THAT USE THAT 400 MILLION FOR NEXT YEAR.

AND THAT SAYS WE HAVE A LAST ROUND FEDERAL FUNDING THAT THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE.

SO THAT'S WHEN THE TEMPS WILL BE BIGGER IN 2026, I MEAN, ISSUE IS THAT IN OUR STATE HAS DONE A GREAT JOB IN ADDING FUNDING.

BUT AS I SAID PUBLICLY, OUR NEEDS ARE OUTPACING OUR THE FUNDING WE'RE GETTING FROM THE STATE.

I HAVE MORE STUDENTS THAN EVER THAT THEY NEED THAT HAVE IEP STUNNED ACQUIRE SPECIAL SERVICES.

WE HAVE MORE MIGRANT STUDENTS THAN EVER.

IN FACT, OUR NORMAN IS ACTUALLY UP.

WE'RE ALMOST AT 329,000 STUDENTS AS WE FINISH LAST YEAR.

THAT'S UP FROM THE YEAR BEFORE.

AND SO FOR US, WE'RE SEEING MORE STUDENTS MORE NEEDS AND THE FUNDS.

THIS IS NOT KEEPING UP.

AND WE ALSO KNOW THAT THE STATE, EVEN FROM THEIR OWN FUNDING FROM THE SHORT ABOUT A BILLION DOLLARS WITH A B, JUST WHAT CHICAGO ALONE.

AGAIN, THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM THAT OUR LEADERS IN THE YOU KNOW, CREATED THE INHERITED.

BUT I REALLY WANT TO WORK WITH THEM BECAUSE WE'RE SEEN THE EVIDENCE.

WHAT COULD HAPPEN WHEN WE INVEST INVEST IN OUR DISTRICT.

YOU MENTIONED THAT 6,000 STUDENT THIS YEAR OVER THE YEAR BEFORE TO WHAT DO YOU ATTRIBUTE THAT SO MUCH?

SO 2 THINGS WE'RE SEEING BRAND IS ONE IS OUR ENORMOUS STABILIZING.

SO WE SEEM THE LEAST AMOUNT OF STUDENTS FROM EVERY GROUP LEAVING IN THE PAST.

WE'VE SEEN LARGE NUMBERS OF OUR BLACK STUDENTS AND LATINO STUDENTS LEAVING US.

WE'RE NOT SEEING THAT ANYMORE.

SO WE SAW STABILIZATION JUST IN TIME FOR US TO RECEIVE THOUSANDS OF MIGRANT STUDENTS, MANY OF THEM, WHICH CAN BE VERY MOBILE.

BUT THEY'RE ALSO STENA.

MANY ARE SUSTAINING OUR CITY.

SO BECAUSE OF THAT, WE'RE SEEING THAT INCREASE ENROLLMENT.

AND THEY ALSO, AS WE KNOW, THEY PROBABLY COME WITH WITH SOME ADDITIONAL NEEDS WITH REGARDS TO LANGUAGE BARRIERS, BUT ALSO MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS AND WHATEVER MEDICAL THEY MAY HAVE EXPERIENCED.

WANT TO SHIFT A LITTLE BIT TO THE NEGOTIATIONS BECAUSE, OF COURSE, THE CTU CONTRACT WITH THE DISTRICT EXPIRES AT THE END OF THIS LAST WEEK, YOU ALL, AS WE MENTIONED, YOU HELP YOUR FIRST EVER PUBLIC BARGAINING SESSION.

HERE'S A BIT OF THAT.

SO WE'RE GOING ABOVE OUR GUN.

THE COMMON GOOD OF THIS CONTRACT.

WELL, ON THE FRONT YARD OF CHICAGO WITH THE VERY PEOPLE WHO DESERVE TO HAVE THE MOST POINTS BECAUSE THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO DEAL WITH THE MOST IMPACT OF ALL OF THE DECISIONS THAT WE GET.

SO WE MEAN IT WHEN WE SAY THAT WE WANT PARTNERSHIP TO TRANSFORM THE ONLY THING RIGHT NOW THAT I'M DISAPPOINTED ABOUT IS THAT I DO NOT SEE THE LEADERSHIP.

OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION HERE.

AND I DO NOT SEE THE LEADERSHIP OF OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT HERE.

IT'S NOT WHAT'S YOUR REACTION TO THAT?

OF COURSE, CTU PRESIDENT STACY DAVIS.

GATES, WHAT'S YOUR REACTION TO HER COMMENTS?

YES, ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, BY DESIGN AND BY AGREEMENT PLANNED THIS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A CORE NEGOTIATION TEAM THAT ACTUALLY IS MADE UP OF MY SENIOR LEADERS.

IT IS NEVER BEEN COMMON FOR THE CEO OR MEMBERS ON THE BOARD TO BE PART OF NEGOTIATION.

EVENTS, FRANKLY CREATES A WE'RE POWER STRUGGLE MANY WAYS.

SO THIS IS BY DESIGN.

I SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M VERY PROUD HOW MANY TEAM PERFORMED ON WE PRESENTED OUR DATA.

WE MISS HIM TO TO THE CRC, 2 PARTNERS IN JUST LISTENING TO THEIR CONCERNS AND AND FRANKLY, I WHAT I FOUND WAS JUST COULD CONVERSATIONS WERE TRYING PACK SOME COMPLEXITIES THAT EXIST IN OUR DISTRICT.

SO I LOOK FORWARD TO TO THE FUTURE ONES.

BUT BY BY DESIGN, WE HAVE A CORE TEAM MADE UP SENIOR LEADERS AND THEN ASK OF CONTENT EXPERTS THAT ATTEND EVERY ONE OF THE SESSIONS BASED ON THAT WHEN THE TOPIC THAT'S BEEN DISCUSS PENDING.

SO I'M LOOKING FOR FOR THIS PROCESS TO EVOLVE.

CTU HAS BEEN CALLING FOR OPEN NEGOTIATIONS FOR SOME TIME.

WHY DID THE DISTRICT AGREED TO THEM THIS TIME?

YOU KNOW, WE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE TAKEN, ALISON, I FINISHED MY 3RD SCHOOL YEAR.

THERE'S SO MANY COMPLEXITIES IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, WHETHER IT'S OUR BUDGET, YOU KNOW, THE PRIORITIES THAT WE HAVE AND WHY WE'RE MAKING THE INVESTMENTS WE'RE MAKING.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S ALWAYS A CHANCE EXPAND THAT THE FAMILIES, WE HAVE LARGE MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET.

WE HAVE SO MANY SCHOOLS ARE SO LARGE.

SO MY HOPE IS THAT IN THIS PARTNERSHIP, YOU KNOW, WE HEAR BOTH WHAT THE CONCERNS ARE CTU AS WELL AS WHAT OUR RESPONSES.

AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS IT THAT WE CAN PRIORITIZE?

I WANT TO MAKE SURE OUR FAMILIES KNOW THAT THINGS THAT THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO US THAT WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO PROTECT AND WILL HOPEFULLY AND THINGS THAT WE CAN ALSO COME TO AGREEMENT WITH WITH SEAT.

RAN TO THAT POINT.

WHAT ARE THE DISTRICT'S MAIN PRIORITIES GOING INTO NEGOTIATING?

YEAH.

SO SO A FEW AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS, FIRST OF ALL, I'M SO PROUD THAT OVER TIME NOW, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ONE OF THE HIGHEST PAY SCHEDULES FOR TEACHERS IN THE COUNTRY.

WE HAVE ONE OF THE HIGH STARTING SALARIES, AVERAGE TEACHER SALARIES OVER $100,000.

I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE CONTINUE TO INVEST IN OUR STAFF AND TEACHERS THAT I'VE SEEN BENEFITS OF, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE LESS TEACHER TURNOVER.

WE DON'T HAVE THE SHORTAGES THAT OTHER DISTRICTS HAVE.

SO THAT'S ONE EXAMPLE.

ANOTHER IS MAKING SURE WE PROTECT THE, YOU KNOW, THE THE SUPPORTS FOR BOTH OUR TEACHERS AND OUR STUDENTS.

WE HAVE ACADEMIC COACHES.

WE HAVE INTERVENTION, TEACHERS AND TUTORS.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE NOW IS THAT THAT'S MAKING A DIFFERENCE BASED ON OUR RECENT RESULTS.

AND THEN, OF COURSE, WANT TO CONTINUE TO INVEST IN ENRICHMENT, THE FINE YOU KNOW, SPORTS PROGRAMS.

THESE ARE ALL PRIORITIES FOR US.

SO I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN FIND COMMON GROUND WITH 2 PARTNERS.

BUT THESE ARE JUST A FEW EXAMPLES OF THE AREAS THAT WE'VE SEEN AS WELL AS MAKING SURE THAT OUR CHILDREN HAVE JUST ACCESS TO STRONG INSTRUCTION, STRONG CONTENT.

BEFORE WE LET YOU GO, CANDIDATES TODAY BEGAN FILING FOR BALLOT POSITION FOR WITH THE BOARD ELECT MAIN STRUGGLE BOARD OF ELECTIONS FOR THE CHICAGO BOARD OF EDUCATION.

THAT ELECTION, OF COURSE, IS IN NOVEMBER.

YOU HAVE SERVED WITH ELECTED SCHOOL BOARDS IN THE PAST.

WE'VE GOT ABOUT 45 SECONDS.

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT TO BE DIFFERENT?

YOU KNOW, THAT'S BEEN MY HISTORY AND THIS IS MY 3RD SUPERINTENDENT.

SEE.

SO WHAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO IS JUST MEETING, YOU MEETING OUR NEW BOARD MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, JANUARY, FINDING ADVOCATES THAT WILL ACTUALLY GO AND SPEAK ABOUT ARTISTRY.

WHAT'S HAPPENING?

ADDITION, IT'S A GREAT WAY FOR US TO JUST KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON ON THE GROUND IN THE COMMUNITY.

SO, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I'M GOING TO BE OPTIMISTIC THAT IT'S GOING TO CREATE A NEW SENSE OF ENERGY.

AND ALSO I LOOK FORWARD TO THE DISTRICT, FRANKLY, BECOMING MORE INDEPENDENT.

THE BOARD ALSO GOING TO GROW TO 21 SEATS LATER WHICH IS A LOT.

HAVE YOU EVER WORKED WITH THE BOARD THAT BIG BEFORE?

I'M NOT BANNED THIS.

BUT YOU KNOW, I'M WILLING TAKE ON THE CHALLENGE BECAUSE ALWAYS WORK WITH