Meet Kate Doyle, candidate for the Chicago school board’s 2nd District

Academics

About 31% of Chicago Public Schools elementary students are meeting state standards in reading, and 19% are meeting math standards. How would you approach growing reading and math achievement?^*
We need to ensure equitable high-quality curriculum and instruction in every school. This requires fully staffed schools, not just with teachers but intervention specialists. Due to the systemic inequities in our school systems and communities, it will take time to reach consistent, proficiency in reading and math. We need to allocate more resources to early childhood education, including pre-K through second grade. These foundational years are critical to getting kids’ reading and math levels on target early. With these solid foundations in place, our kids will be better equipped to learn and excel throughout their education. The innovations developed during the pandemic should continue: high-dosage tutoring and hiring extra interventionists to deploy small-group instruction have been shown to improve outcomes for students.

Do you support standardized testing more than once a year?
No. Instead of increasing standardized testing, we should focus on providing a quality education and using authentic assessments. This approach is more equitable, comprehensive and supportive. While data is crucial for assessing progress, the overuse of high-stakes standardized tests distorts teaching and learning. These tests negatively impact children’s mental health and can narrow curricula. However, mastery of grade-level content is crucial, so we should support teachers in using different types of data to inform their instruction and help every student succeed.

Do you support requiring all schools to select from a certain curriculum authorized by the board of education?
Yes. I support the use of evidence-based, high-quality curriculum that is culturally relevant. Schools and instructional leaders know the needs of their students and community when it comes to content, but having accepted standards for curriculum allows us to deliver an equitable and quality education across all schools.

Chicago Public Schools has consistently fallen short when it comes to serving students with disabilities. What would you do to improve special education?
As a former special education teacher, this is very important to me. We must ensure the rightful presence of every student with disabilities in high-quality instruction with their grade level whenever possible and appropriate. The LRE [Least Restrictive Environment] provision is one of IDEA’s [Individuals with Disabilities Education Act] strongest principles, and CPS must renew its efforts to uphold this commitment. CPS must also do more to enhance the cohesion between special education teachers, general education teachers, and other school staff. Furthermore, IEP [Individualized Education Program] meetings should never be held with a parent or caregiver present who is not an English speaker without access to translation services for vital IEP documents, regardless of whether the parent has made the direct request. I also believe that CPS can do more to support the transition process for students as they age out of the district. Many students find themselves on long waiting lists to gain support after their 22nd birthday.

CPS finances

In recent years, Chicago’s Board of Education has consistently raised the property tax levy to the maximum allowed by state law every year. Should the board continue to raise the levy to the maximum?
No. Continuing to use the maximum levy is an acceptable interim solution to ensure our schools are funded, but it is not a sustainable one. We need a more equitable approach to school funding that doesn’t disproportionately burden property owners, especially those in lower-income communities. I believe we must explore alternative revenue sources, such as closing corporate tax loopholes and advocating for increased state and federal funding, in particular working with Springfield; the current funding from the state in FY23 only covered 74.6% of what CPS should receive per the EBF [Evidence-Based Funding] model.

Do you think CPS needs more funding, or do you think the school district’s budget is bloated? How would you balance the CPS budget?^*
This is primarily a revenue problem; we need more money for our schools. If elected, one of my top priorities is working to secure more state funding for CPS, in District 2 and beyond. I will roll up my sleeves, meet with legislators and do whatever it takes to demonstrate the importance of receiving such funding. That said, we can certainly find more efficiencies in expenditures. For example, adding innovation and upgrades to our district-wide systems such as procurement will eliminate inefficiency and save the district money.

School choice

Do you support the current board of education’s decision to prioritize neighborhood schools and shift away from the current system of school choice with selective enrollment, magnet and charter schools?
No. Every student has the right to a quality education at their neighborhood school. Unfortunately, that is not the current reality for students. I wholeheartedly support directing more resources toward building up our neighborhood schools using needs-based budgeting. However, this cannot come at the expense of other schools in the district. Our selective enrollment and magnet programs have a history of producing successful graduates and should be a point of pride. Our focus should be on ensuring that the enrollment demographics of these schools are more reflective of CPS as a whole.

Given the board of education’s decision to prioritize neighborhood schools, how would you balance supporting those schools without undermining the city’s selective enrollment schools and other specialized programs?^*
Every student deserves a quality school in their neighborhood. Unfortunately, that is not the current reality for many disinvested communities across Chicago. I wholeheartedly support directing more resources toward building up our neighborhood schools in need of investment. However, this cannot come at the expense of other schools in the district. Overall, I believe the richness of programming across the entire CPS portfolio, from IB to Montessori to CTE to World Language and more is responsive to the fact that every student and family has different needs. Our ability to meet those varied needs is one pillar of our commitment to diversity as a district, but we must ensure access to this variety of programming is equitable. Our goal as a district must be that every CPS student can go on to a thriving future in the community upon graduation.

The first charter school opened in Chicago in 1997 and these privately run, publicly funded schools grew in number throughout the 2000s. Today, 54,000 Chicago Public Schools students, or about 17%, attend charters and contract schools. Do you support having charter schools in CPS as an option for students?
Yes. As a parent living in a neighborhood with strong schools, choosing to send my son to our neighborhood school is an easy decision. However, I recognize that not everyone has that privilege. The reality is that there are families choosing charter schools because they believe the school best fits their needs. All children in the district, including those at charter and contract schools, are CPS students, and deserve a quality education. The board must oversee strong systems of accountability for charters. I would not be in favor of closing schools that are delivering high-quality education.

Independence

If elected, how will you maintain your independence from the mayor’s office, the Chicago Teachers Union or other powerful forces shaping the school system?^*
Independence is of paramount importance to my candidacy. We need a representative on the school board who embodies the progressive values of the 2nd District, without being beholden to the Chicago Teachers Union, the mayor’s office, or other special interests in the city. We deserve a representative who is inclusive, accessible, and responsive to all community members. I will be that representative. On the campaign trail, I have modeled this by listening to stakeholders across the ideological spectrum, some of whom I agree with more than others. I am committed to doing the same as a board member, and to making decisions that support the best interests of our district and our kids. Sometimes this will mean working alongside the Chicago Teachers Union and the mayor; at other times the board will have to chart its own path to best serve our city’s schools.

Police in schools

Do you support having sworn Chicago Police Department officers stationed in schools?
No. It has been shown time and time again that having police officers in schools does not make them safer, but it does create increased trauma for students, especially students of color and students with disabilities. I am in support of the new Whole School Safety plans being rolled out across CPS and am eager to see further implementation of restorative practices.

Busing and facilities

Last year, in an effort to prioritize transportation for students with disabilities as required by state and federal law, CPS canceled busing for general education students who attend selective enrollment and magnet schools and hasn’t found a solution to reinstate that service. Do you support busing for general education students?
Yes. We must reinstate busing for all students. Eighty-five percent of the students that CPS chose to revoke busing from are from low-income families and these students have the right to an accessible education. Without transportation to school, we see lower attendance rates, which leads to lower graduation rates and lower post-secondary success rates.

About one-third of Chicago public school buildings have space for at least double the students they’re currently enrolling. Chicago officials have previously viewed under-enrolled schools as an inefficient use of limited resources — and a decade ago the city closed a record 50 schools. Do you support closing schools for low enrollment?
No. While we need to be efficient with our use of funds, closing schools can have a devastating impact on students and communities. I would only support the intentional and equity-focused consolidation of schools if it were a community-driven process and allowed students to have a nearby neighborhood school that they could easily and safely access and attend, with stronger educational outcomes due to the pooled funding.

Bilingual education

CPS has long struggled to comply with state and federal laws requiring bilingual programs at schools that enroll 20 or more students who speak a different language. The recent influx of migrant families has exacerbated the problem. What policies do you support to ensure the district is supporting bilingual students and in compliance with state and federal laws?
With the influx of new arrivals and the finding that roughly 20% of Chicago’s ELL [English Language Learner] students are not reaching English language proficiency, it’s clear that the resources for providing TBE [Transitional Bilingual Education] and dual language support are not sufficient and are not being distributed equitably. This is important not just for English language acquisition — it is critically important for academic success across every subject area. I will advocate for greater investment in TBE and dual language programs, as well as for providing proper staffing and teacher training to schools with large and growing populations of English language learners. We can work with teachers, parents, and community members to make sure that new arrivals and existing ELL students are not falling behind, and that begins with ensuring that educators are trained, certified, and prepared to provide the instruction that these students need.

Top local issue

Please share one issue that’s a top concern for your community or your larger elected school board voting district.
One thing we struggle with, in the district as a whole as well as District 2, is low teacher retention. This is driven by teacher burnout due to lack of support. Our educators are essential pillars of our communities and important figures in our children’s lives, and we need to value them. To address this problem, we need to ensure competitive, fair pay for educators and build more mental health and emotional support for everyone within schools (including educators and school staff). Furthermore, I would advocate for the board holding feedback sessions exclusively for teachers and support staff, to ensure their concerns are heard not just by the Chicago Teachers Union, but also by the school board.