Every child who walks through the doors of a CPS school deserves to know that they belong there.

That includes students with disabilities. Multilingual learners. Newcomer students. Students experiencing homelessness. LGBTQIA+ students. Children dealing with trauma. Students whose families are struggling financially. And children whose immigration status or family circumstances may make them feel uncertain or afraid.

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CPS serves roughly 70,400 English Learners alone, making strong multilingual and culturally responsive education a fundamental responsibility of the district — not a niche program. Our schools should be places where children can focus on being children and getting an education.

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I will work to:

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• Guarantee services for students with disabilities:
  An IEP is a commitment to a child, not a suggestion. CPS must recruit and retain the teachers, SECAs, clinicians, therapists, and other professionals necessary to deliver services consistently and on time.

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• Expand bilingual and dual-language education:
  Multilingualism is an asset. CPS should recruit bilingual educators, strengthen successful dual-language programs, improve interpretation and translation for parents, and make navigating the district easier for families who speak languages other than English.

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• Improve the mental health professional to student ratio:
  Counselors, social workers, psychologists, and trauma-informed supports should be accessible where children spend their day: at school.

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• Protect immigrant and newcomer families:
  Families should have clear information about their rights, strong language access, protection of student information, and connections to trusted legal and community resources when they need help, regardless of their immigration status.

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• Make inclusion part of everyday CPS policy:
  Supporting students should not depend on which school they happen to attend or neighborhood they live in. Districtwide expectations should guarantee that every child is treated with dignity and given a genuine opportunity to succeed.