After delay, Chicago school board renews charters amid revamped oversight

“Sign up for Chalkbeat Chicago’s free daily newsletter to keep up with the latest news on Chicago Public Schools. The Chicago Board of Education renewed contracts Wednesday with six charter school networks after a controversial move in late May to put off the vote. The board approved contracts for more than a dozen schools, for terms that range between four to seven years. Elected board member Yesenia Lopez, who helped pass a resolution last year calling for tighter charter school oversight, was the only person to cast no votes but did not say why. She voted no on renewing contracts for the Acero, Chicago Collegiate, Chicago Mathematics and Science Academy, and Intrinsic charter school networks, and she abstained on the vote for Christopher House Charter School. These are some of the longest term lengths that the board has approved in recent years, but Chicago Public Schools officials said these new contracts are paired with a revamped oversight process that involves checking in on schools midway through their terms and flagging possible financial missteps earlier than it currently does. The newer oversight process comes after a year of upheaval and financial turmoil in the charter sector that led to several closures , including the more recent midyear closings of two ASPIRA charter network high schools, forcing hundreds of kids to find new schools months before the end of the year. The board approved contracts for the following networks with the following renewal terms: Academy for Global Citizenship for seven years Acero for five years Chicago Collegiate Charter School for four years Chicago Mathematics and Science Academy for four years Christopher House for four years Intrinsic for four years The vote was delayed last week after many board members pushed district officials for more information on how they planned to tighten charter oversight. Those board members, who are aligned with Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago Teachers Union, a sharp critic of charters, raised concerns that a network like Acero would earn one of the longest contract terms after several of its schools closed last year. That day, other board members decried the effort to delay renewals as children and families needed to know the future of their schools. No school the board was considering was on the chopping block. In an unusual move, both board President Sean Harden and CPS CEO Macquline King pushed the board to approve the renewals and said the discussion about accountability would be ongoing. Karen Zaccor, an appointed board member who wanted stronger oversight and pushed to postpone the vote last month, praised the district’s new oversight process, saying that it offers “frequent opportunities for intervention if needed.” She believes the new process can help stave off sudden closures, such as at EPIC Academy, which announced its closure plans last spring, just months after the board had renewed the school’s contract. Still, she said, “This year and this cycle are a test — a test of how well our systems work to flag problems in a timely way and an intervention’s implemented in order to minimize harm.” The Illinois Network of Charters praised the longer terms and a greater emphasis on academic performance as part of the district’s new oversight measures, but still criticized CPS for waiting until the summer to tell charter families and staff how many more years their schools would survive. Jodie Cantrell, chief of public affairs for INCS, described the delay as a political move for which “children pay the price.” Before Wednesday’s vote on Acero, appointed board member Debby Pope said she’s still concerned about how Acero handled its abrupt closure plans last year. The board at the time voted to absorb five of the seven schools Acero wanted to close. Still, Pope said she’s “very glad we have strengthened the provisions for ongoing oversight.” Reema Amin is a reporter covering Chicago Public Schools. Contact Reema at ramin@chalkbeat.org .

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