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By Khaleda Rahman
National Correspondent
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The Department of Education has announced it is investigating whether a Chicago Public Schools program designed to improve outcomes for Black students violates antidiscrimination laws.
According to a press release, the investigation comes in response to a complaint alleging the district's "Black Student Success Plan" violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act because it is designed to help only Black students even though students of all races struggle academically.
Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights, said in a statement that the Trump administration "will not allow federal funds, provided for the benefit of all students, to be used in this pernicious and unlawful manner."
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Why It Matters
President Donald Trump's administration has sought to crack down on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in schools and colleges across the country.
In a February memo, the Department of Education directed schools and universities to eliminate race from any decision-making around hiring, admissions, housing, financial aid and student life, warning that institutions that fail to comply face investigation and could lose access to federal money. Dozens of universities are being investigated, and the Trump administration has frozen billions of dollars of funding for Harvard for refusing to comply with the government's demands.
What To Know
Chicago Public Schools unveiled its "Black Student Success Plan" in February. It aims to increase the number of Black teachers, reduce disciplinary actions for Black students and "enhance a strong sense of belonging" among Black students among other goals over five years.
CPS Chief Education Officer Bogdana Chkoumbova said in February that the district was "committed" to removing obstacles for Black students, who account for a third of the school district's population.
The plan prompted a complaint from Defending Education, a conservative advocacy group that says it aims to "restore schools at all levels from activists imposing harmful agendas," to the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights.
The complaint, which was sent to the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights in February, says the school district developed the plan after convening working group meetings that included senior district leaders between December 2023 and April 2024.
It said that a slideshow presentation during the kickoff meeting said the working group was charged with "a deep equity-focused planning process that will result in a comprehensive set of targeted recommendations aimed at determining the appropriate inputs that support closing outcome gaps for Black students in the district."
But the presentation noted that students of other races are also struggling academically, the complaint said.
One slide "highlights black non-Hispanic students' struggles with reading proficiency only 6 percent are mid or above grade level, 10 percent are early on grade level, 62 percent are one grade level below, and 21 percent are two grade levels below," the complaint said. "But the same graphic shows that Hispanic students face even greater difficulties: 5 percent are mid or above grade level, 9 percent are early on grade level, 62 percent are one grade level below, and 24 percent are two grade levels below. In other words, CPS is failing students of all races and ethnicities, which makes this racially segregated program all the more egregious."
Newsweek has contacted Chicago Public Schools for comment via email.
What People Are Saying
Trainor said in a statement: "Chicago Public Schools have a record of academic failure, leaving students from all backgrounds and races struggling and ill-prepared to meet the challenges and enjoy the rewards of contemporary American life. Rather than address its record honestly, CPS seeks to allocate additional resources to favored students on the basis of race."
Trainor added: "The Trump-McMahon Department of Education will not allow federal funds, provided for the benefit of all students, to be used in this pernicious and unlawful manner. To CPS, I say this: Every American student deserves access to a quality education, and the Trump Administration will fight tirelessly to uphold that ideal and ensure all students are treated equally under law."
Nicole Neily, the president and founder of Defending Education, said in a statement: "No student should be denied an educational opportunity because of the color of their skin, yet perversely, that's exactly what Chicago Public Schools has chosen to do – despite the fact that the district's own data clearly demonstrates that students of all races are struggling academically.
"Amid abysmal proficiency rates, discipline crises, and a nearly $10 billion budget deficit, district leaders made a conscious decision to allocate finite resources to some students and not others – and we are grateful that the Department of Education has opened an investigation into this injustice."
Chkoumbova said in a statement in February: "The District is committed to removing these obstacles and calls upon the community to support efforts to better serve Black students. Together, we can create an inclusive educational environment where all students have the opportunity to thrive."
What's Next
The Department of Education's investigation into Chicago Public Schools in ongoing. The department days violations of Title VI could result in the district losing federal funding.
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