Meet Ebony L. DeBerry, 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?*
Those are absolutely appalling numbers. We cannot allow ourselves to become complacent about the achievement gap, and we must make investments in early intervention and assessments, as well as increase preschool enrollment. A strong foundation will give our children every option under the sun, and we need to prepare our students for their future and take care of them the way that they need to be. It’s no secret that when a student has access to tutoring and counseling services, they do better. We already know what the solutions are, and we need to commit to them citywide.
Do you support standardized testing more than once a year?
No. Standardized tests are not an accurate measure of student learning. Children should be offered a myriad of ways to prove their scholastic growth, and the district should not rely as heavily on standardized testing.
Do you support requiring all schools to select from a certain curriculum authorized by the board of education?
Yes. I will prioritize providing a culturally relevant, trauma-informed curriculum. We are long overdue for this. The majority of our students are people of color and low-income, and poverty is violence. We must address and understand these circumstances.
Chicago Public Schools has consistently fallen short when it comes to serving students with disabilities. What would you do to improve special education?
This is a major concern for many parents and it is a very expensive problem. All of our students must have their needs met, and our first step should be partnering with our local universities and community organizations that can help close that gap. Finishing that work, however, will require investment in more staff and experts to detect and diagnose issues early, intervene and support throughout a child’s career in CPS.
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. Taxing housing for educational services is unsustainable. We cannot build the schools that we need on the backs of the working and middle class. We need to be working towards more progressive revenue and ensuring that we fund our schools with taxes from those that can afford it. We have a world-class city with many successful corporations headquartered here, utilizing our resources and staffed by CPS alums. Our students are the future of this city, and they cannot continue to be subjected to the least.
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?*
I think that the new funding model will reveal a lot about which is truer, but I feel that the state has never really supported the district at the level that we deserve. A balanced budget is going to require progressive revenue, and I plan on working with city and state partners to determine the best path forward that won’t put extra pressure on the pockets of working people.
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?
Yes. The old funding model overwhelmingly supported large schools and ignored the schools where the individual needs of children were high and not being met. We know that with certain staff present, students perform better, and I look forward to seeing how these changes affect our students.
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?*
I believe that the new funding model will help ensure that no school goes without the necessities. I have faith that the parents and teachers of selective enrollment students have the ingenuity to continue to succeed. It is undeniable that the students at our selective enrollment schools are wealthier and have access to more support services outside of the classroom.
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. I do not want to destabilize students who are at charter schools and thriving, but there should remain a moratorium on new charter schools. Our priority as a board must be investing in public 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?*
This answer is easy because I am going to follow the will of parents and relationships that I have here on the North Side of Chicago — the parents, teachers and administrators that I interact with daily are the experts on their situations. Our students should also have voice in what’s happening with them, and I am accountable to my constituents and them alone.
Police in schools
Do you support having sworn Chicago Police Department officers stationed in schools?
No. The violence in our city is happening outside of the schools. Our officers should be making sure that our students get home safe rather than be in the building. Peer-to-peer conflict should not be handled by law enforcement inside of school buildings.
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 have to double down on our commitment not only to our students with special needs, but to our students in the outer parts of the city headed to selective enrollment schools. My son was able to attend his magnet elementary school because he received busing from Rogers Park to Uptown, and more students should be given that opportunity.
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. Many of these buildings are not being utilized effectively once shut down, and if we invested in our neighborhood schools, they would be more likely to be filled. All students deserve to go to a quality school within walking distance of their home.
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?
We definitely need to find sustainable ways to develop our city’s teaching force, but in the meantime, we should expand the Parent Mentor Program that works so well in many of our schools. This programming brings parents and community members — many of whom speak the languages where programming is limited — into the fold and keep our students on track for a successful future.
Top local issue
Please share one issue that’s a top concern for your community or your larger elected school board voting district.
In the conversations that I have had, parents want to make sure that their schools are well-resourced, with access to counselors, arts programming and accessible early childhood education. This is why I’m a supporter of our new funding model as well as our sustainable community schools — these guaranteed positions and neighborhood resources will improve the education of our students and the quality of life for our neighbors.