Gift from Ken Griffin will support the development and retention of strong school leaders citywide.
May 17, 2022
Chicago, Ill. – The Chicago Public Education Fund today announced a $5M gift from Citadel founder and CEO Ken Griffin that will support the development of world-class education leaders in Chicago’s public schools.
“Every child in Chicago should have the opportunity to live the American Dream, and that starts in our schools.” Griffin said. “Great principals create great schools. The Chicago Public Education Fund’s commitment to developing and supporting our dedicated principals helps protect every child’s right to a good education.”
This investment will catalyze The Fund’s sixth cycle and will deepen work to support school leaders and drive better outcomes for students, in partnership with CPS, the Mayor’s Office, and the city’s over 600 principal leaders. The sixth fund will aim to address the most pressing needs of educators in response to the global coronavirus pandemic, while also scaling successful innovation for long-term impact. This work will focus on increasing principal satisfaction and retention on the heels of the pandemic, removing barriers to the principalship pipeline, particularly for historically underrepresented minorities, and establishing succession readiness standards for more effective leadership transitions.
“Chicago Public Schools have long held the talent, resources, and commitment to outperform other districts across the nation,” said Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot. “I’m grateful for this generous investment that will further strengthen our high-quality educational leadership.”
This marks the largest individual gift The Fund has ever received in the two decades it has served Chicago’s public schools. Since 2000, The Fund has convened education, corporate, and nonprofit stakeholders, leveraging a broad base of philanthropic support in the development and retention of strong principals.
“The strength of Chicago education lies in our ability to meet the needs of students and educators wherever they are right now,” said Dr. Heather Y. Anichini, President and CEO of The Fund. “This investment from Ken Griffin will help us do just that. It will allow our school leaders to leverage their expertise and innovation to raise the bar in public education.”
Press Contact:
Katie Mullan
The Chicago Public Education Fund
kmullan@thefundchicago.org