So, like, the US Department of Education is all up in Chicago public schools’ business now, investigating this whole program that’s supposed to help Black students do better in school. They’re saying it might be breaking some federal laws and threatening to take away funding. The investigation is happening because Parents Defending Education, a conservative group, filed a complaint saying the program discriminates against students based on race. They claim it goes against this law from way back in 1964 that says you can’t discriminate based on race if you’re getting federal money. The group also thinks the school district is failing all students, not just Black ones, which makes the program even worse in their eyes. But like, Chicago schools are saying the program is all about closing the gap in educational opportunities and giving Black students the support they need to succeed. They’re talking about being all inclusive and stuff, trying to make sure everyone has a fair shot at doing well in school.
The plan was supposed to kick off this spring and includes things like using culturally responsive teaching practices, making sure resources are distributed fairly, hiring and keeping Black educators, and getting Black students and families more involved. The chief education officer for Chicago schools, Bogdana Chkoumbova, was all about it, saying they’re dedicated to removing barriers for Black students and asking the community to help out. The Department of Education hasn’t been investigating public schools for race-based programs since Trump started his second term in January, so this is kind of a big deal. The acting assistant secretary for civil rights, Craig Trainor, thinks Chicago schools have a history of not doing so great academically, leaving all students struggling and not ready for life in America today. He’s not happy about the Black Student Success Plan, saying it’s giving special treatment to some students just because of their race. He’s basically like, “No way are we gonna let federal money be used like that!”
The Chicago Teachers Union president, Stacy Davis Gates, is calling the investigation a way to slow down the progress they’ve been making. She thinks the Department of Education is trying to mess things up instead of helping students. She’s not too thrilled about the whole situation, that’s for sure. Honestly, not really sure why this matters, but it seems like everyone involved is pretty worked up about it. Maybe it’s just me, but I feel like there’s gotta be more important things to worry about than this whole investigation. Like, shouldn’t we be focusing on actually helping students succeed instead of fighting about programs meant to do that? Just saying.
Anyway, the Department of Education is making a big deal out of this whole thing, saying they won’t stand for federal funds being used in a way that they think is unfair. They’re not playing around, that’s for sure. It’s all a bit of a mess, to be honest. Like, can’t we all just get along and work together to help students do better in school? Seems like that would be a better use of everyone’s time and energy. But what do I know, right? Just a new graduate trying to make sense of it all.
