Chicago Public Schools Host Districtwide Parent-Teacher Conferences

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CHICAGO - Chicago Public Schools' communities strive to put collaboration and support into action each day, and there is perhaps no better example of those practices than the District's Monday Nov. 2 parent-teacher conferences across all grade levels.

The conferences provide parents with an opportunity to engage with the educators who are shaping their children' s educational journey. These meetings offer parents another opportunity to build relationships, put faces to names, and work together on students' academic success and well being.

While Nov. 2 is designated as a non-attendance day for students, they are also welcome to join the conversation about their own growth and proficiency.

"As an experienced educator and CPS parent, I relish the opportunity to build relationships with parents. Both groups, who are deeply invested in academic success, can sit down and discuss the progress of their children," said CPS CEO/Superintendent Dr. Macquline King. "Our students need to see that everyone who is invested in their educational outcomes are working together."

Successful collaboration leading to substantial postsecondary achievement begins with parents helping teachers understand their children. Parents will have the opportunity to discuss academic progress and ask specific questions about their child's strengths and challenges. They should also seek ways to support academic skills at home and request resources if needed.

Schools offer translation services in various languages for conferences, and parents can opt for virtual meetings, encouraging families to take advantage of this option. Research indicates that engaged parents who communicate with their children's teachers contribute to academic success. Research has also long highlighted that students achieve academic success and emotional growth when parents and teachers enjoy open communication and share regular updates, informing necessary supports and improving student outcomes.

CPS parent Ismael El-Amin has four children in District schools ranging from Pre-K to 8th grade. He emphasizes that building a relationship with his children's teachers is key to their well-being and success.

"Having an understanding of their teaching style and expectations; knowing the teacher is huge," said El-Amin, a Morgan Park Academic Center and Whitney Young Magnet High School alumnus. "Hearing their version of the assignment style and their expectations of the students versus my own child's version allows me to support my child in meeting those expectations."

The District's five-year strategic plan, "Success 2029: Together We Rise" outlines the partnership between parents and educators for student success. This strategic plan underscores the District's ongoing commitment to the success of CPS students.

Shada Cook, the parent of a first grader at Woodlawn's Andrew Carnegie Elementary School, echoes Al-Amin's sentiments regarding parent-teacher expectations.

"While we trust the educators to teach them, we as the parents need to be committed to achieving a shared goal," said Cook. "On Nov. 2, I need to leave the [parent-teacher] conference with a clearer understanding of my daughter's academic and social progress, as well as how I can best support her."

For more information regarding community collaboration, visit the District's website: https://www.cps.edu/about/departments/family-and-community-engagement-face/.