From New CPS CEO Pedro Martinez

A Note From CPS Leadership Dear Colleagues, Families, and Supporters, In my first full week as CEO of Chicago Public Schools, I am incredibly excited by all of the great work happening in our schools, and I’m inspired by the potential that our district holds for our students. I have especially enjoyed visiting several of our schools, including Simeon Career Academy, Kenwood High School, and Horace Mann Elementary, getting to speak directly with our students and staff about how the school year is going so far. This is part of my plan to open the lines of communication between district leadership and our school communities, which I feel is key to building trust and positivity moving forward. This plan also includes keeping families informed, providing regular updates around our COVID-19 response efforts, some of which you will find in the paragraphs below. This information may be similar to what you are receiving from your schools, but I feel that we cannot over communicate these messages, especially when they are about what we are doing to keep staff and students safe. Before we get into those details, though, I want to acknowledge that October is Principal Appreciation Month, and say that I hope everyone in the CPS family will take some time these next few weeks to acknowledge the extraordinary commitment of our school leaders. Their impact touches not only our students, but the families, educators, and partners who support our children in reaching their potential. Principals are the heart and soul of our school communities, and their passion and steadiness have held everyone together during these unprecedented times. They deserve a note, gesture, or kind word from all of us this month to let them know that we truly understand and appreciate their value. I personally want to thank our principals for helping us move forward this school year, especially when it comes to keeping everyone safe. They have been instrumental in getting COVID testing up and running in all schools, and the results we’re seeing are encouraging. Fewer than 0.2 percent of those tested - less than two out of every 1,000 CPS students and staff - have tested positive for COVID-19. This testing is helping us keep the number of COVID cases in our schools low and is assisting us in preventing COVID outbreaks in our classrooms. We have made great strides in contact tracing too, with nearly 93 percent of reported cases now being fully investigated within 48 hours. We will continue adjusting our process until that number reaches 100 percent. All of this data points to one thing: that CPS schools are safe. I want to reassure families that the best, safest place for their children is in the classroom, and that we will continue basing all of our decisions on the science, and on the trusted advice of our public health experts. One thing the science is telling us is that when there is a COVID case, 98 percent of those identified as close contacts do not go on to develop COVID-19. The science also tells us that the Delta variant — which makes up 99 percent of the positive cases in our schools — has a shorter infectious period. So following the advice of our partners at the Chicago Department of Public Health, the Illinois Department of Public Health, and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), CPS will be shortening our quarantine timeline from 14 days to 10 days effective tomorrow (Saturday, October 9, 2021). This brings us in line with many large school districts around the country, including New York, Los Angeles, Miami, and Philadelphia. We know that learning in person is what is best for our students, so we want to do everything possible to get them back to their classrooms sooner. Finally, the responsibility to keep our classrooms safe is one that we all share. Getting vaccinated, wearing a mask, washing your hands, staying home if you’re sick, and reporting a positive test to CPS atcps.edu/covidresults — these are things that we all must do to make our schools as safe as possible. As a parent, I know that there is nothing more important to families than the health and safety of their children. My hope is that by regularly sharing our district’s data and thought process, we can build better trust around this issue and unite in our shared desire to provide all children with a safe, positive learning environment where they can grow and thrive. In the next few weeks, we will be providing new information around enrollment, as well as some great news about our district’s graduation rates. I look forward to sharing those updates with you, and as always, I thank you for your partnership and support. Sincerely, Pedro Martinez Chief Executive Officer Chicago Public Schools

Around the District

Celebrating Principal Appreciation Month

October has just begun, and there are many ways to celebrate the principals that are leading us forward this school year. Thissocial media toolkit, created by our partners atThe Chicago Public Education Fund, is a good place to start if you need some inspiration. You can alsorecord a message for your favorite principal.

Across the city, our fantastic principals have been working hard to welcome our students back and help them have one of their best school years yet. AtWoodlawn Community Elementary School, Principal LoWanda Bell has a passion to ensure that every student leaves her school better than they enter it. Her approach to cultivating successful students centers on maintaining a culture of respect, incorporating staff suggestions, and collaborating closely with her fellow school leaders.

Supporting our Students Through Outdoor Play

Congratulations to Horace Mann Elementary School on the opening of their new Space to Grow schoolyard! This outdoor play structure, along with a track, turf field, and garden, will serve as an extension of the classroom, and will allow the students at Mann to balance time spent learning inside with the chance to move, play, and explore outdoors. Our district is grateful to everyone who made this investment possible, including Openlands, Healthy Schools Campaign, and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago. This space will be a place where the students at Mann, along with friends and neighbors from the surrounding community, can gather and connect for years to come.