Investing so that students benefit from strong school leaders citywide
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Chicago Leads
From now through 2030, Chicago Leads will enable The Fund team
to invest $50 million in Chicago’s strongest aspiring, developing, and
veteran principals. Our support will foster innovative leadership
in more than 600 school communities and contribute to an enduring
culture of excellence citywide.
70%
OF CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS SERVED BY FUND INVESTMENTS
550
AVERAGE NUMBER OF STUDENTS IMPACTED BY ONE CHICAGO PRINCIPAL
$95M
INVESTED BY THE FUND TO IMPROVE CHICAGO’S PUBLIC SCHOOLS
OUR LATEST REPORT
End of Year Report
Heading into the 2021-22 school year, principal satisfaction reflected the pandemic’s heavy burden on school leaders. As measured by The Fund’s summer 2021 Principal Engagement Survey, 54% of principals were satisfied in their roles, down from 66% in 2020 and from the high point of 78% in 2019.
In this context, The Fund exceeded our programmatic goals, serving 170 principals in 246 schools and developing 145 aspiring principals, who impacted 130,000 students in the 2021-22 school year. In this report, we reflect back on the challenges and successes of the year – including the ongoing impact of COVID-19 learning disruptions – and preview how these lessons learned will inform our work in the 2022-23 school year.
Our Approach
We invest in data-driven strategies that increase the number of strong leaders in Chicago’s public schools. Our program, policy, and partnership efforts are designed to meet leaders where they are, to accelerate their growth, and to enable their retention
Our Values
The Fund is committed to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism in all our work. We are a trusted partner of Chicago’s district, charter, philanthropic, and civic communities.
