Wednesday, January 17th, 2024 

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To Our CICS Community,

As I reach my first 100 days as CEO of 海角官方首页, I want to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude for the warm welcome I鈥檝e received from our community. It has been nearly a decade since I last led CICS, and while many things have changed during that time, one thing has remained constant: the incredible and unwavering commitment of you - our school leaders, teachers, staff, and families - to CICS scholars. It has been a privilege to meet so many of you, to hear your stories, and to witness firsthand the strength, resilience, and diversity that make our CICS family so special.

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For 25 years, CICS has always been committed to launching and operating schools with diverse academic models throughout the different neighborhoods we serve, while providing support and resources to help our students achieve strong academic outcomes. 

In 2019, CICS made the decision to directly operate CICS Loomis-Longwood and CICS Lloyd Bond and is extremely proud of the progress made during that time in improving staff culture, increasing academic outcomes and addressing campus safety, especially during a pandemic.  

As CICS looks into the future, the focus has been on continuing to provide sustainable growth and improvement for the CICS Loomis-Longwood and CICS Lloyd Bond communities. Our focus has been on continuing to ensure sustainable improvement and support for the CICS Loomis-Longwood and CICS Lloyd Bond communities. We believe that this next phase for the CICS Loomis-Longwood and CICS Lloyd Bond communities is best led by an operator other than CICS.

 We released a Request For Proposal (RFP) publicly on December 23, 2022 for School Management Organizations (SMO) to submit their proposal to directly operate CICS Loomis-Longwood and CICS Lloyd Bond, beginning July 1, 2023. Our selection team, which consisted of members of the network and your school leadership, carefully reviewed operator applications and made a selection using a robust and transparent rubric. 

 The goal was to select an SMO that will collaborate with CICS to ensure a smooth transition for its school communities and one that gives its staff and students the support and resources required to exceed academic outcomes. CICS believes that through a partnership with the right SMO, it can accomplish these goals for its staff, students and their families. 

CICS leadership presented its recommendations to the CICS Board of Directors on February 16, 2023, and the Board selected Distinctive Schools as the next School Management Organization to directly-operate CICS Loomis-Longwood and CICS Lloyd Bond beginning school year 2023-2024 (July 1, 2023). This change will ensure that as these schools head into a new chapter, their students and families have comprehensive support that aligns with CICS鈥� organizational values of transformational academic outcomes for our students and strong support for all staff. CICS is confident that partnering with Distinctive Schools will build on the momentum we鈥檝e established while setting up CICS Loomis-Longwood and CICS Lloyd Bond to thrive into the future. 

 CICS鈥� partnership and history with Distinctive Schools started in 2011. Distinctive Schools currently manages four CICS campuses, CICS Bucktown, CICS Irving Park, CICS Prairie and CICS West Belden. Their mission is to create diverse, joyful, welcoming communities rooted in social justice and rigorous learning. They support all learners to be engaged, curious and to achieve their full potential. Their academic outcomes are for students to become confident advocates, creative problem-solvers and collaborative leaders. Distinctive Schools leads a collaborative and innovative public education transformation that elevates access, achievement, and belonging for every student so they may thrive throughout their education, career and life.

 CICS looks forward to its continued partnership with Distinctive Schools and is energized about what鈥檚 to come. 

 _______________________________

About 海角官方首页 

海角官方首页 is a vibrant network of diverse Chicago charter schools that enable students to thrive every day, put them on a path to success in college and life, and empower entrepreneurial educators to pursue excellence through innovation. CICS is serving more than 7,400 students at 13 campuses across Chicago. To learn more, visit  .

About Distinctive Schools 

Distinctive Schools is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to supporting and accelerating the work of charter schools serving kids from traditionally underserved backgrounds. The team includes passionate educators and determined leaders who innovate, trailblaze, and collaboratively lead a public education transformation, as well as ensure that each and every one of Distinctive Schools students thrive in college, career, and life.

海角官方首页 (CICS) has launched an Open Call for applications for the next cohort of its Education Entrepreneur Fellowship program. CICS' flagship innovation and incubation program, the Fellowship, supports education innovators by providing them with the tools, networks, and resources necessary to bring their innovative classroom and school model concepts from ideation to transformational impact.

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海角官方首页 (CICS) hosted acclaimed novelist and poet Rachel DeWoskin for a reading conversation with the school's Book and Literary Journal club. Ms. DeWoskin read her latest novel, "Someday We Will Fly", to Northtown Academy students.  Students had the opportunity to ask questions about writing, revision, book publications and received copies of Ms. DeWoskin's latest book. The event was part of Northtown's ongoing commitment to support the arts, cultivate the love of reading and empower young authors on our campus. Rachel's novel won the 2020 Sydney Taylor Book Award from the American Library Association.   # #

If you are a parent/guardian who has a question about your child during remote learning, please click on this link.

海角官方首页 selects seasoned education leader as next chief executive

Kris Cheung selected for his collaborative leadership style and ability turn challenges into opportunities

October 18, 2021 

Contact: Angela Montagna, (312) 343-2515

CHICAGO 鈥� 海角官方首页 (CICS), a network of 13 public charter schools serving 7,400 students, is excited to announce that Kris Cheung will begin as the organization鈥檚 Chief Executive Officer, effective November 1, 2021. Following an extensive national search, Cheung was selected due to his deep experience as a leader in education, his relational leadership style and ability to drive student outcomes while maintaining a well-run organization. 

鈥淜ris is a seasoned leader who we are confident has the experience and capabilities to lead CICS into our next phase,鈥� said Evan Sharp, member of CICS鈥� Board of Directors and chair of the CEO Search Committee. 鈥淲hat stood out to us about Kris was his ability to ask thoughtful questions and listen intently, surround himself with experts, and galvanize people around a common goal. Our Board is deeply grateful to the entire CICS team for providing stability and continuity for our students, families and staff while we found the right person for the role.鈥�

Cheung comes to CICS with more than a decade of leadership at two of the nation鈥檚 highly regarded charter networks: Success Academy in New York and KIPP Texas. As the Chief Operating Officer at Success Academy, he helped the organization grow from seven schools serving 2,400 students to 46 schools serving more than 16,000 students. At KIPP Texas, he led the consolidation of four KIPP regions across Texas, now serving 34,000 students at 59 schools statewide. In both roles, Kris brought stakeholders together across departments and regions, while navigating significant complexity, to create more high-quality opportunities for students. 

鈥淐ICS has been an education leader in Chicago for more than 24 years and I鈥檓 eager to build upon the amazing work of our students, families and staff in the years to come,鈥� said Cheung. 鈥淚 know the last 18 months have been challenging for everyone and I鈥檓 excited to lead a team that has demonstrated resilience, perseverance and a relentless focus on students in the face of significant obstacles. I look forward to building relationships with everyone who is committed to the success of Chicago鈥檚 children.鈥� 

 About 海角官方首页

海角官方首页 is a vibrant network of diverse Chicago charter schools that enable students to thrive every day, put them on a path to success in college and life, and empower entrepreneurial educators to pursue excellence through innovation. CICS is serving more than 7,400 students at 13 campuses across Chicago. To learn more, visit  .

Press Release_海角官方首页 selects seasoned education leader as next chief executive

March 13, 2020

Dear CICS Families, 

We have appreciated your support, feedback and patience over the last two weeks as we have worked together to navigate the uncertainty and disruption caused by COVID-19. In alignment with Governor Pritzker鈥檚 mandate to close all Illinois schools and under the guidance of public health officials, CICS will close all of our schools beginning on March 16 through at least March 30, with the possibility of a longer closure, depending on the circumstances at the end of the month. 

Please know that this is not a decision that we have taken lightly, but one that we have made to put the health and well-being of our students, families, staff and communities at the forefront. We understand that the next two weeks, and possibly longer, will be difficult and, in partnership with Distinctive Schools, Civitas Education Partners and ReGeneration Schools, CICS plans to support our students and families in every way that we can. We recognize the incredible burden this puts on our families, and that, while it helps us mitigate the spread of the virus, it creates other significant challenges. Thank you for understanding that this decision was made to support the well-being of our community. 

CICS and our SMO partners are committed to supporting our students鈥� continued learning throughout the closure. On Monday, school leadership teams and office staff will be at each CICS campus to distribute virtual learning materials to families that did not receive them on Friday. Individual campuses will communicate instructions for the distribution of these materials to their families no later than Sunday at noon. We are actively working with CPS and our food service provider to determine the method for the distribution of meals for our students throughout the closure. Where possible, we sent students home today with breakfast items for Monday morning in case of a potential closure. We are also working with CPS to create a list of community supports for child care, as we know this closure creates a burden on our families. We will follow up no later than the end of day on Monday with more information about these resources. 

Throughout the closure, we will communicate with our parents and guardians via email on a weekly basis, or more frequently as needed and we will share updates via the CICS website, . 

For the most reliable and up-to-date information, please visit or . If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the CDPH Coronavirus hotline at 312-746-4835 or email coronavirus@chicago.gov. You may also reach out to the CICS COVID-19 Response Team at covid19response@chicagointl.org or CICS Main Office by phone at 312-651-5000.  

Please know that our CICS team is here to provide resources and support to you and your child throughout this challenging situation. During times like these, we commit to coming together to take care of every member of the CICS community.

Warmly, 

Elizabeth

Elizabeth Shaw

CEO 

海角官方首页

Closing All CICS Schools: March 16 through March 30_pdf

Closing All CICS Schools: March 16 through March 30_Spanish_pdf

On Thursday, August 16th, 2018, 海角官方首页 (CICS)  celebrated the beginning of a new school year at the UIC Pavillion. On that day, staff of fourteen unique CICS campuses and one microlab came together, united by a shared vision: to create a hub of innovation where every student will flourish, every school will meet the unique needs of its community, and every success will improve our city and our world.

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According to a 2015 report from the tech nonprofit CompTIA, students and educators alike believe access to technology in classrooms is beneficial to getting ahead in the increasingly digital workforce.

To help schools ensure access to learning technologies, Relativity, a provider of cloud-based data management and analytics tools for companies in the legal industry, has established a Wired to Learn technology grant for local schools.

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"Changing lives, changing students, it's changing families..."

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March 13, 2020

Dear CICS Families: 

I want to thank each of you for your attention to the developing situation regarding COVID-19, or coronavirus, in Chicago and nationally. As of now, we are not aware of any confirmed cases of or concerning exposure to COVID-19 at any of our campuses. I want to assure you that CICS is closely monitoring the situation and working with CPS and local public health officials to offer guidance to our staff, students and families. As always, the health and safety of our students and teammates are our highest priorities.  

Over the last week, CICS has put together a COVID-19 Response Team to stay up-to-date on the latest local developments and recommendations from CPS, the Chicago Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control, as well as to field questions from our staff and families and develop and communicate guidance as CICS responds to the evolving COVID-19 situation. While it is our hope that our schools will remain open and operating on their regular schedules in the weeks and months ahead, we are also working on contingency plans for remote learning and for access to the school food program in the event of a prolonged closure. Please complete this so that we can properly prepare for support should we need to close one or more campuses. 

We鈥檙e also taking reasonable precautions to limit the exposure to and prevent the spread of COVID-19 within our schools and the surrounding communities. While we are still permitting local travel within the Chicago city limits, we have made the difficult decision to cancel or postpone all staff and student non-local domestic and international travel on behalf of CICS from now through April 10, 2020, the last day of Spring Break. This includes CICS-sponsored and coordinated student spring break trips and college tours. We recognize how disappointing this decision may be, especially for trips that our students have been anticipating for some time, but this month-long pause will allow us to focus on limiting potential exposure and managing risks, while we monitor the latest developments. 

We will also be canceling or postponing student gatherings and events outside of the regular school day. After-school programs will continue at our campuses as scheduled. Cancelled or postponed events may include concerts, parent events and dances, and your school director will follow up with more details about plans for scheduled events. 

Please remember to continue practicing to keep yourself healthy and prevent the spread of the virus, which include regularly disinfecting frequently touched objects, frequently washing your hands, avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth, and staying home if you are feeling ill or exhibiting symptoms such as fever, coughing and/or shortness of breath. If you are known to have come into contact with someone who has COVID-19, or if you have any other concerns of exposure in general or at the campus, please contact covid19response@chicagointl.org and your school director immediately. 

For the most reliable and up-to-date information, please visit or . If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the CDPH Coronavirus hotline at 312-746-4835 or email coronavirus@chicago.gov. You may also reach out to the CICS鈥� COVID-19 response team line at covid19response@chicagointl.org or CICS Main Office by phone at 312-651-5000.  

While the current situation is concerning, there is quite a bit that we can do to limit exposure to and prevent the spread of the virus. I assure you that our team is continuing to follow the latest developments and we will continue to update our families as the situation evolves. Thank you for your continued trust in CICS and for allowing us to continue to be a resource for you and your family. 

Warmly, 

Elizabeth Shaw

CEO 

海角官方首页s

FAMILY UPDATE: CICS RESPONSE TO COVID-19

At Ralph Ellison, Mr. Woghiren believes that the athletic side of education is just as important as academics.

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Since 2010, CICS has partnered with , a leading global real estate firm with headquarters in Chicago. The C&W partnership educates and exposes CICS students to the city of Chicago and its many resources and attractions. Additionally, the partnership provides CICS students the opportunity to speak with employees and tour C&W's downtown office. 

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On February 27, 2017 CICS parents and staff helped launch Charters for Change鈥攁 new coalition of a growing coalition of students, teachers, parents, families, and organizations who believe every child in Chicago deserves a great public school, no matter what neighborhood they live in.

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Last year, CICS Ralph Ellison teacher Jon Gibfried took a professional development course through the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. He never thought that this simple course would open the door for he and fellow teacher Aaron Marshall to implement a Hamilton themed program and join 40 CICS Ralph Ellison students for a special performance of Hamilton! An American Musical.

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Anthony R. Shares his experience at CICS Longwood, and what led him to be named Outstanding Charter School Senior.

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CICS Longwood Senior, James J. shares his experience.

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At CICS Northtown Academy, all students have an advisory period to catch up on homework and listen to school announcements. Jeremiah P., now a senior, started reading the announcements his sophomore year鈥攁nd people took notice. In this article, Jeremiah shares his experience building confidence, discusses the power of networking, and gives a few examples of his work!

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CICS is proud to share that three students have been accepted as Posse Scholars! Katlyn, Rebecca, and Darriana will join a network of what the Posse Foundation describes as "positive, motivated, talented, ambitious young people" who are "committed to their education and demonstrate academic potential." All three students will receive a full, four-year scholarship to the college they will attend next year.

Our staff connected with Katlyn, Rebecca, and Darriana to learn more about what motivates them and find out their plans for after graduation.

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On Monday, Nov 28, the CICS Northtown campus welcomed award-winning author Laura Ruby to its monthly student book club. Ms. Ruby's most recent novel, Bone Gap, won the 2016 Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature, given annually by the American Library Association. The book was also a National Book Award finalist. "The Printz is the equivalent to the Newbery or Caldecott awards, but for older readers," explained CICS Northtown's librarian Jim Klise. "It's the most important award for young adult literature, so having her with us was a truly exciting opportunity for the students. The students were thrilled and honored to meet her."

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As part of the Illinois Network of Charter Schools (INCS) Illinois Charter Excellence Awards, CICS Longwood student Anthony R. has been given the "Outstanding Illinois Charter School Senior" award! CICS Longwood staff said that, "Anthony immediately stood out from his peers because of his motivation and interest in excelling beyond what was expected of him.鈥�

Congratulations to Anthony and to the CICS Longwood team for building a strong community of excellent students!

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For students to have a truly personalized learning experience, the philosophy has to become a part of the non-academic parts of their learning as well. Based on this, our schools have shifted to adopt a restorative justice model. Here's how we did it--and the positive results we're already seeing.

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Last week, Chicago Public Schools released school performance results 鈥�  鈥� from the 2015-2016 school year. CICS has a lot to celebrate and more work to do. We are proud to announce our third consecutive year of improvement across the network, with six of our campuses rated in the top two performance categories of SQRP. These achievements are the results of the talented and committed teachers, leaders, and operators working tirelessly for our students.

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The entire CICS network came together for a fantastic kickoff as we celebrated the our 20th anniversary!

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鈥淲e started this about four years ago to start off the school year,鈥� explains Kevin Ryan, CICS Northtown Dean of Students. The CICS Northtown high schoolers are invited to bring extra school supplies to the Dean鈥檚 office, and have the chance to enter a raffle sponsored by the school.

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In the shift to personalized learning, schools and districts often chart distinctly different ways.

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