Parents Challenge Chicago Schools’ Racially Focused Plan

Clear Facts

• A parents group, Parents Defending Education, has filed a civil rights complaint against Chicago Public Schools regarding its “Black Student Success Plan.”
• The complaint argues that the plan may violate federal civil rights law and the Fourteenth Amendment by focusing solely on black students.
• Parents Defending Education has previously challenged similar racially-focused education plans in other districts, leading to changes.

A parents group is urging action against Chicago Public Schools’ latest educational initiative. Parents Defending Education has filed a civil rights complaint with the Department of Education, seeking an investigation into the district’s “Black Student Success Plan.”

The group argues that this plan, developed with input from the district’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) staff, may violate federal civil rights law and the Fourteenth Amendment.

The plan was created with the involvement of Chief Equity Officer Fatima Cooke and aims to address the persistent opportunity gaps faced by black students in the district.

According to the developers, “Chicago Public Schools has identified a critical priority to improve outcomes for Black students in the district.”

They further noted, “This working group is charged with engaging in a deep equity-focused planning process that will result in a comprehensive set of targeted recommendations aimed at determining the appropriate inputs that support closing outcome gaps for Black students in the district.”

The initiative also highlights a “scarcity of Black educators” as a contributing factor to the challenges faced by black students.

However, Parents Defending Education points out that the data used to justify the plan shows that students of other races, such as Hispanics, are also struggling academically.

Nicole Neily, President of Parents Defending Education, stated in the complaint, “Although the slideshow suggests improvements only for black students, it acknowledges that Chicago students of all races struggle academically.”

She added, “In other words, CPS is failing students of all races and ethnicities, which makes this racially segregated program all the more egregious.”

The complaint asserts that the “Black Student Success Plan” likely violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits federal funds from supporting programs that discriminate based on race.

Additionally, the Department of Education recently issued guidance advising schools against implementing racially segregated programs.

“Put simply, educational institutions may neither separate or segregate students based on race, nor distribute benefits or burdens based on race,” the department clarified in a “Dear Colleague” letter.

Neily has requested a comprehensive Title VI audit of Chicago Public Schools to uncover any other racially-based policies that might exist.

Parents Defending Education has a track record of challenging similar programs, such as one in the Los Angeles Unified School District, which had to revise its plan to be inclusive of all races.

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