Interview with Robert Sampieri. At the time of this interview, Robert Sampieri was Chief Operating Officer of the Chicago Public Schools.
In 1988, the Illinois State Legislature passed the Chicago School Reform Act (P.A. 85-1418), which radically changed the governance structure of all 601 Chicago Public Schools by creating Local School Councils (LSCs). The LSCs consist of two teachers, six parents, two community representatives, a principal, and, in high schools, a student who may not vote on personnel matters. LSC members are popularly elected to two-year terms and have the authority to select and evaluate the principal, approve a three-year school improvement plan, and develop and approve the school budget. Foundations and community organizations in Chicago have been instrumental in providing training, services, and monetary support to Local School Councils.
The creation of the LSCs has not been without its difficulties, however. "A large percentage of faculty were trained and introduced to education when centralized authority was standard. Many educators in the system have difficulty sharing power with parents and community representatives, some of whom have little training in educational administration. Historically, teachers have had little supervision. Now, Local School Council members have begun to ask questions about curriculum and instruction methods. This is uncomfortable for many teachers."
Each LSC selects a representative (usually the president) to serve on a sub-district school council. The council representative must be a parent or community member. The goals of the 11 sub-district school councils are to:
The School Reform Act also created 11 sub-district service centers. These centers are administered by sub-district superintendents who are responsible for facilitating and monitoring the operational effectiveness of local schools. Thecenters also assist schools in obtaining needed goods and services, including equipment, supplies, personnel, transportation, special programming, and staff development.
The Central Service Center, which is in the process of reorganization, facilitates, monitors, and supports the operation of schools and is responsible for ensuring districtwide compliance with local, state, and federal regulations governing such areas as special education, desegregation, and building codes.
In addition, the district has offered and revised a number of services to schools in the transition to site-based management, including a range of professional development services on lump-sum budgeting, school improvement planning, group decision-making, consensus building, and effective instructional practice. Schools use lump-sum budgeting procedures to build and approve the budget at the school site. The district loads budgets from school sites to a central computer in order to develop districtwide budgets.
Other centralized services that are available to schools include the Personnel Automated Position Control System, which was installed to ensure that the costs for personnel hired by schools do not exceed budget allocations, and CPSnet, an online computer networking system that allows school-to-school communication and school-to-central- and district-office communication. Project INFORM has automated school library files so that local school libraries can access all volumes in the city's system. Each school can purchase this service from the district. Currently, 18 schools are availing themselves of this service.
Finally, lifetime principal tenure has been abolished. Principals now receive four-year performance contracts, similar to those of school superintendents. The special principal's exam also has been abolished; principals need only hold state certification. Moreover, principals have increased authority to select and supervise staff. The Reform Act also established a Professional Personnel Advisory Committee in each school. These committees consist of five to ten certified teachers who advise the principal on curriculum and instructional issues and set school policy.
Funding "During the 1950s and 60s, categorical funds were prevalent and earmarked for specific purposes. The rigidity in funding rules and regulations runs counter to developing a comprehensive delivery system. Funding restrictions make it difficult to coordinate and leverage funds for multiple purposes. For example, we used to think pull-out programs were appropriate, and now there is a shift toward mainstreaming. Funding regulations have not kept up with changes in educational philosophy and programming."
Collective bargaining "Restrictions governing the transfer of personnel, job responsibilities, and negotiated personnel formulas have been obstacles to reform negotiations and reform implementation. The collective bargaining agreements are designed to protect teachers systemwide, which may not provide the best arrangement for individual schools with specific needs for their individual school improvement plan."
Waivers "The current cycle of legislative change takes anywhere from 2 to 3 years. A 60- to 90-day waiver process should be set up, that keeps the process out of the political arena. For example, the state has a computerized listing of children who qualify for Medicaid that is protected by confidentiality. The Chicago Public Schools has the highest number of students on Medicaid in the state. Due to confidentiality restrictions, the Chicago Public Schools must ask 410,000 parents if they are on Medicaid, which consumes a great deal of resources - in personnel time especially. A waiver from the state for this information would be a tremendous savings."
Posted on April 26, 1995
URL: http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/envrnmnt/go/93-1chic.htm
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