For more than two decades, The Fund has been a stabilizing force for advancing educational excellence citywide.
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Fund 1
$10 million
2000
Fund 1 established a new, higher bar of quality for teachers and principals through seed investments in organizations that recruit, train and support talented leaders for Chicago’s public schools.
Fund 2
Fund 2
$15 million
2004
With a new bar established, Fund 2 expanded the number of great educators across Chicago’s schools through investments in new certification programs, and pioneered new ways of supporting teachers and principals.
Fund 3
“I am committed to making sure that students are exposed to a wide range of experiences that will allow them to envision who they could become in the future.”
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Fatima Cooke, Chief of Equity, Engagement, and Strategy
Chicago Public Schools
Fund 3
$20 million
2008
With more high-quality educators in the city’s schools, Fund 3 focused on Chicago’s ability to identify, support and keep talented educators through investments in aligned teacher, principal and school evaluation systems.
Fund 4
Fund 4
$25 million
2013
Fund 4 investments more than doubled the number of high-performing principals in Chicago’s public schools by 2018, supporting these leaders as they transformed and accelerated student learning across the city.
Fund 5
Fund 5
$26.5 million
2018
Building on the success of previous years, Fund 5 leverages data and invests in programs and initiatives that enable Chicago to attract, support and keep strong school leaders.
Our Investments
The Fund believes that solutions to the challenges in public schools exist. We devote time, leverage data and invest in programs and initiatives that enable Chicago to attract, support and keep strong principals.
83%
OF CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS SERVED BY FUND INVESTMENTS
519
AVERAGE NUMBER OF STUDENTS IMPACTED BY ONE CHICAGO PRINCIPAL
$100M+
INVESTED BY THE FUND TO IMPROVE CHICAGO’S PUBLIC SCHOOLS
OUR CURRENT FUND
Why now?
Chicago Leads is a bet on Chicago as a city that produces and supports strong school leaders. We know investing in our principals can re-accelerate learning in the wake of COVID-19, and can re-shape the future of learning in our city. 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.