Nearly two months after the Chicago Board of Education voted to save five of the seven Acero charter schools slated for closure, Chicago Public Schools officials and the schools’ private operator still have not landed an agreement for the schools to remain open.
School board members joined Acero teachers and parents in asking for the status of those talks at a board meeting Wednesday and voicing their impatience at the lack of clarity on the future of the privately managed, publicly funded charter schools.
“I feel like a broken record,” said Stephanie Gomez, a mother of two kids at Acero’s Esmeraldo Santiago Elementary in Humboldt Park and a third child who graduated from the school. She said this was the ninth Board of Education meeting she has attended in the past four months.
“Fifty-four days ago we received relief and were overjoyed,” she said. “But are our schools really going to be open next year? Why is Acero still operating like the schools are closing at the end of this year?”
Gomez said Acero officials emailed families last week with very little information, as did CPS officials this week. She urged CPS CEO Pedro Martinez to weigh in.
“Transparency was a big demand, and at this point nobody’s being transparent,” Gomez said. “I want to hear from you — and so does this room — CEO Martinez. We want to know what is being done. Are my kids going to this school next year?”
After the public comments, Board of Education President Sean Harden said, “It’s very important to us that we come to a conclusion very quickly,” and asked Martinez to share any updates.
“This continues to be a priority for myself, I know it’s a priority for the board,” Martinez said. “We are working diligently on the best solution possible. We’re hoping to provide you more information as soon as possible, but know that this will continue to be a priority.”
Unsatisfied with Martinez’s answer, the group of Acero parents and educators shouted questions to the CEO and board members: “There needs to be more. Can you tell us any more? What’s in the plan?”
In response to questions from the Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ, CPS officials said after the meeting that they “understand the uncertainty and difficulties” and are “engaged in productive discussions to resolve the financial challenges facing the seven campuses scheduled for closure. A formal decision from the Board of Education is expected in the coming weeks.”
Acero leaders did not respond to a request for comment.
Shannon Phillips, a teacher at Acero Tamayo Elementary in Gage Park on the Southwest Side, said she was “tired of the uncertainty” and having no answers to the daily questions from parents and kids about whether their school would remain open.
“It’s hard to see my students crying because the same classmates they’ve had for five, six, seven years are transferring to another school,” she said.
Phillips called on the school board to “force some decisions” that provide clarity and stability for educators and families.
Board member Jitu Brown of the 5th District urged CPS officials to provide daily updates to Acero families on the status of discussions about the schools, and updates to the board every 72 hours.
“It is painful for me to watch parents and watch families be put in a traumatic situation,” Brown said. “I know what it feels like. I’ve been on the other side.
“Not in my name — and I maintain, not in this board’s name — are we going to sit there and allow any school to underserve families and then to just leave them out in the cold,” he said. “Those are not my principles, and I do not support that.”
Carlos Rivas, a 3rd District board member, said “there are two parties” to ensuring an acceptable resolution: “Us and Acero.
“I encourage you to keep voicing your concerns and to make sure that we’re also holding the Acero board accountable.”