End of Week Message: Celebrating Black History Month, Our School Counselors, and One Award-Winning CPS Principal
06 February 2026
Dear CPS Colleagues, Families, and Supporters,
It was a big week at Earle STEM Elementary School in Englewood, as students and staff hosted a surprise celebration for Principal Regina Latimer-Lake, who was recently named the 2026 Elementary School Principal of the Year by the Illinois Principals Association (IPA). Check out the video here!
Principal Latimer-Lake is hugely deserving of this award, as it honors outstanding school leaders who improve student learning, foster positive school climate, and positively impact their communities. Principal Latimer-Lake has dedicated more than 20 years to serving the children of Chicago, first as a teacher, and now as the beloved school leader at Earle. In addition to the school celebration this week, she will be recognized at the IPA’s Education Leaders Annual Conference in October 2026.
Click here for more on Principal Latimer-Lake and her outstanding accomplishment!
Celebrating Black History Month
Throughout the month of February, CPS will host events and elevate year-long initiatives that honor Black excellence across our District reflecting our shared stories, resilience, and the human connections that unite us. We hope everyone will join us in learning, reflecting, and celebrating together.Take a moment to check out the highlighted events and happenings below.
At Chalmers STEAM Elementary in North Lawndale, for example, the school community unveiled a new chicken coop this week named for Dr. Mary Logan Riddick, a prominent Black female scientist whose research on the development of chicken embryos helped advance the understanding of human development. Dr. Riddick would go on to become the first female Biology instructor at Morehouse College.
The District’s Office of Multicultural-Multilingual Education (OMME) is hosting an exhibition featuring culturally rich displays and learning experiences that highlight the traditions, histories, and lived experiences of families across the diaspora, including communities from Africa, Haiti, and Afro-Mestizo communities in Latin America. The exhibition is designed to foster pride, representation, and inclusivity, and to deepen understanding and belonging across our schools.
We look forward to continuing to highlight Black History Month events throughout February. CPS integrates Black history throughout the entire year as an essential part of teaching and learning across the District within the K–12 Skyline curriculum. This resource includes grade-level units that explore Black identities, histories, and lived experiences, and is aligned with Together We Rise, our District’s five-year strategic plan to deliver equitable, high-quality learning experiences for every student.
National School Counseling Week
Today wraps up National School Counseling Week—a time to bring awareness to the school counseling profession and the important role that counselors play in ensuring our youth have access to a student-centered, data-informed school counseling program that supports academic, social-emotional, and college and career success.
In appreciation of their commitment and dedication, CPS marked National School Counseling Week by hosting a day of self-care activities for our counselors at Michele Clark High School. This event included various exercises and seminars focused on wellness, self-efficacy, and positivity.
I want to thank our counselors for the many hats they wear, from keeping our students on track academically, to creating safe, supportive learning environments where students feel respected and valued, to focusing on post-secondary planning that has helped thousands of CPS students leave high school with college and career credentials already in hand. None of the incredible gains our students have made in the past several years would have been possible without the work of our school counselors, so I hope that they were made to feel truly valued and appreciated this week!
Sincerely,
Dr. Macquline King
Interim Superintendent/CEO
Chicago Public Schools
Share Your Good News!
We love highlighting the great things that are happening in our schools, along with the people who are making them happen! Please use the Good News Form to tell us your stories so that we can share them with the District!
Here are some ideas to consider:
- What events, projects, or festivities does your school community have planned for the celebration of Black History Month in February?
- February is Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month. Is there a CTE program, instructor, or student at your school that deserves a shout-out?
- February is also a month when we honor our transportation workers. So let us know about a bus driver, aide, or monitor who is making a difference in your school community!
- February 7 is National Girls and Women in Sports Day. Is there a female athlete or coach at your school who deserves to be recognized?
- February 11 is International Day of Girls and Women in Science. Is there a program at your school that is empowering female students to explore careers in the STEM fields?
Share your story with us today so that we can feature it through this newsletter, on CPS social media, and even in the news!
A Look Around the District
Check out these highlights from schools across our district!
The community at Ray Elementary in the Hyde Park neighborhood came together for the school’s eighth annual Day of Service, with participants packing hygiene kits for unhoused individuals with Project I Am.
At Owen Elementary, located in Ashburn, students from the Class of 2026 participated in SocialWorks’ Warmest Winter collection drive. This is the school’s third year participating in the initiative, and they donated eight bags of shoes, cold-weather items, clothing, feminine and hygiene products, and baby items to SocialWorks’s closet.
Meanwhile, 7th-graders at Oglesby Elementary in Auburn Gresham took part in the school’s Half Cap ceremony, marking the halfway point of their middle school journey towards graduation. Students were celebrated for their efforts to date and encouraged to stay focused, keep pushing, and finish the year strong as they transition to 8th grade and become future leaders of the school and community!
Showing Gratitude to our Transportation Workers
Safe, reliable transportation is foundational to student access, learning, and success. That’s why each February, school communities across the country celebrate the professionals who safely transport students on buses each day. When we recognize and appreciate our transportation teams, we help build pride in the profession and inspire others to consider careers that keep students rolling safely every day. We encourage everyone in our CPS communities to give their bus drivers, aides, and monitors a thank you and a high five during the month of February! Because by sharing the love and showing our support, communities help keep school transportation strong, dependable, and ready for the road ahead.
Register Now for a Black Student Success Plan Roundtable
This March, CPS will host several Black Student Success Plan (BSSP) Community Roundtables, both virtually and around the city. These discussions are a chance for our CPS communities to learn about plan updates and understand the role they can play in the plan’s implementation.
Click here for complete details and to register! And if you have any questions regarding the roundtables, please contact bss@cps.edu.
CPS Winter Surveys Now Open
The CPS SY26 Winter Survey is available now and will close on February 20, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. This survey covers the following topics:
- School Food: Share your experience and preferences around the food at your child’s school. If you have children attending multiple CPS schools, you can complete a different survey for each school.
- Health Education: This section asks about how Health Education is scheduled, structured, and staffed at CPS. Note: If you are interested in participating in a focus group on this topic, please fill out this form.
- GPA and Promotion Policies: The Grade Point Average (GPA) Policy is about how high school students’ GPAs are calculated. The Promotion Policy is about how students are moved from one grade to the next in high school.
- Special Education Services: Share your experience with special education supports and services at CPS.
You can fill out the SY26 Winter Survey at cps.edu/wintersurvey, and learn more at cps.edu/surveys. Each section of the survey should take 5–10 minutes to complete. Please note that each section should be done in one sitting, because your data will not be saved if you close your browser. However, if you only have time to finish one section, you can always come back later to complete additional sections. All survey responses are anonymous.
Window Reopened to Apply for the Black Student Achievement Committee
The Black Student Achievement Committee (BSAC) is an important part of the Chicago Board of Education’s oversight and monitoring of the District’s Black Student Success Plan. To ensure the Board’s committee reflects robust representation across key stakeholder groups, the application window will remain open until Monday, Feb. 9, 2026, at 5 p.m. Access the application here.
The BSAC will appoint 14 members to each serve a 1-year term. Applicants must reside within the City of Chicago and, if selected, must complete the CPS New Volunteer Application. Those who successfully complete the volunteer application will participate in an onboarding process before their names are released publicly.
The decision to reopen the application period reflects a commitment to building a membership body that is broadly representative of the communities it serves. As such, the application is open to a broad range of CPS stakeholders, including students, parents, educators and administrators, social service providers, labor partners, and community leaders and residents.
The application extension does not change the committee’s application criteria, evaluation process, or selection standards. All applications will be reviewed, regardless of when they were submitted, using the same established scoring methodology.
This will be the final opportunity for stakeholders to apply for the BSAC this school year. If interested, please apply here by the deadline of Monday, February 9 at 5 p.m.
FREE Tax Help for CPS Families
As we begin tax season, CPS is excited to partner with Ladder Up (Spanish flyer)—a trusted nonprofit providing free, IRS-certified tax preparation services to hardworking families across Chicago. Our trained volunteers are ready to help CPS families maximize refunds, claim eligible credits, and file with confidence, all at no cost. Services are available to households earning up to $40,000 a year. Visit goladderup.org for complete details.
Do You Work with Students with Disabilities? CPS Needs Your Feedback!
The Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD) is developing the SY26-27 IDEA Procedural Manual and the SY26-27 504 Procedural Manual, and we need your help to ensure both provide the clearest and most effective guidance possible on special education and related services.
Please review the SY26 IDEA Procedural Manual and the SY26 504 Procedural Manual, making note of any sections that need updating, clarification, or additional information. We are specifically looking for guidance on the following:
- How the guidance aligns with the needs of CPS students with disabilities.
- Any areas that could benefit from further clarification or improvement.
Please use the dedicated forms below to submit your suggestions for each manual by the deadline of March 13, 2026.
SY27 IDEA Procedural Manual Feedback
SY27 504 Procedural Manual Feedback
We thank you for your feedback and invite you to email Jessica Steiner at jsteiner1@cps.edu with any questions.
Summer Internship Applications Now Open
CPS high school students are encouraged to unlock their potential with real-world experience through an internship this summer! This opportunity is open to all students ages 16 and older, including soon-to-be graduates from the Class of 2026.
Summer interns typically work 20 to 25 hours per week with a local corporation, business, or nonprofit organization. These paid internships provide students with mentorship, skill development, and networking opportunities.
More information is available at cps.edu/summerinternships, or by contacting summerinternships@cps.edu.
CPS Scoreboard: This Week in District Athletics
CPL High School Sports
FINAL REMINDER: CPS is proud to partner with BOWA Gives for National Women and Girls in Sports Day, featuring panels with sports figures and speakers, track and field activities, and more! Click here to learn more and register for the FREE summit on February 7 and 8!
We are already in the playoff and championship season for some of our winter sports! Upcoming championships include:
- Boys Diving | Feb 6 | Jones HS
- Boys Swimming | Feb 8 | Whitney Young
- Girls Varsity Basketball Final Four | Feb 11 | Credit Union 1 Arena
- Girls Varsity Basketball Championship | Feb 13 | Credit Union 1 Arena
- Boys Varsity Basketball Final Four | Feb 18 | Credit Union 1 Arena
- Boys Varsity Basketball Championship | Feb 20 | Credit Union 1 Arena
Whitney Young's Marquis C. has made history by surpassing the school’s boys basketball all-time scoring record of 1,829 points. This tops Young legend and former NBA standout Quentin Richardson on the school’s all-time list. Check out a feature story on this incredible achievement, which includes a video message from Richardson himself!
CPS is proud to continue its partnership with Honest Game to ensure students are academically eligible to play sports in college if they so choose. Families can learn more about Honest Game’s services for their student-athletes through family-facing webinars throughout the year. Please click here for the upcoming list of webinars and to register!
As a reminder, for the latest content surrounding CPS student-athletes, make sure to follow us across social media!
Special Ticket Offers from the Chicago Bulls and Chicago Fire
CPS staff are invited to cheer on the Chicago Bulls with an exclusive ticket offer for the below games.
- Bulls vs. Raptors: Feb. 19
- Bulls vs. Knicks: Feb. 22
- Bulls vs. Hornets: Feb 24
- Bulls vs. Trail Blazers: Feb. 26
The Chicago Fire kickoff their home schedule on Saturday, February 28 with an 1:30PM afternoon match vs CF Montreal at Soldier Field! The Fire are offering CPS families a discount of over 40%, with tickets now starting at under $20, including all taxes and fees! Get your tickets here.
The Chicago Fire can also assist with STEM & Soccer or Career in Sports field trips for your students! If interested in learning more, please reach out to their group sales team at grouptickets@chicagofirefc.com or call (872) 710-0550.
Important Dates
For more upcoming events around the District, visit cps.edu/calendar.
- Wednesday, February 11: Board Agenda Review Committee meeting. Learn more at cpsboe.org.
- Monday, February 16: CPS offices and schools are closed in observance of Presidents' Day; no classes for students.
- Tuesday, February 17: Professional development day for staff; no classes for students.
- Thursday, February 26: Board of Education meeting. Learn more at cpsboe.org.