RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, the purpose of Chicago Public Schools is to educate, inspire, and advocate for a quality education for all students that is equitable to their peers in wealthier districts in our state; and,
Whereas, this purpose often becomes mired with barriers that prohibit students from reaching their full potential by not providing them with the essential, general standards of what a solid education entails; and,
Whereas, textbooks and technology are considered a luxury and inconsistent in schools across the city; and,
Whereas, by not offering equitable resources the public school system is failing children in low income neighborhoods; and,
Whereas, librarians, counselors, nurses, and social workers are not represented in schools as widely as they should be to meet the literacy needs, physical health needs, and socioemotional health needs of our students; and,
Whereas, the arts are an underrepresented and underappreciated area of education in schools that is being put on the backburner; and,
Whereas, students' academics are being affected, as they are unable to have a creative outlet when the arts are not funded properly in the city; and,
Whereas, a 2011 study found that, by increasing investing in the arts, students' achievement rates rise as well, and the opposite of this is occurring in schools, contributing to lower rates of achievement; and,
Whereas, students are expected to pay an athletic fee to cover gear, supplies, and at times, personnel, which is adding onto already high student fees and making many students bow out of athletics; and,
Whereas, it has been proven that smaller class sizes benefit students in lower-income communities, yet many students still struggle in classrooms filled with forty or more students packed in a room vying for the teacher's attention and trying to learn; and,
Whereas, CPS has a high teacher and principal turnover rate in its schools, which creates a lack of stability for students and their educational experi...
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