Chicago Public Schools Invites Parents and Staff to Provide Feedback on the 2022-23 Academic Calendar

CHICAGO – Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is seeking District-wide staff and parental feedback on two academic calendar options for the 2022-23 school year prior to presenting a recommendation in March to the Board of Education. The District today sent parents a brief description of each option and a survey that will close Feb. 18.

“These options both aim to start the year earlier, consolidate report card pick up, and continue to offer important staff professional development and collaboration time for our faculty and staff,” said CEO Pedro Martinez. “We look forward to hearing from our families on these two calendar options.”

Nearly 200 principals participated in surveys and focus groups to inform the design of the two calendar options.

Here is what is the same about both calendars:

• A 2022-23 school year that begins BEFORE Labor Day.

• 176 days of instruction for students

• 12 professional learning days for teachers and school-based staff

• One parent-teacher conference day for both high school (HS) and elementary school (ES) students in the fall of 2022 and one for both HS and ES students the spring of 2023, instead of separate days for HS and ES students in both the fall and spring

• Two weeks of winter vacation and one week of spring vacation

• No student instruction during the entire week of Thanksgiving

Calendar Option #1: This calendar largely mirrors what is being used in CPS this school year. Highlights include:

• A school start date of Monday, August 29, 2022 and an end date of Wednesday, June 14, 2023

• Students complete their first semester after Winter Break in January 2023 (same schedule as our current school year)

• A more equal distribution of days and weeks across the four academic quarters

Calendar Option #2: This calendar aligns more closely with the academic calendars of suburban school districts and local colleges and universities. Highlights include:

• A school start date of Monday, August 22, 2022 and an end date of Wednesday, June 7, 2023

• Students complete their first semester prior to Winter Break on Friday, December 22, 2022

• A less even distribution of instructional days and weeks across the four quarters of the school year, due to the completion of first semester prior to Winter Break

Parents and staff members can view both calendars and complete the 2022-23 calendar survey at this link between now and 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 18.  The District will also leverage existing parent and principal meetings to gain more in-depth feedback on the proposed calendars. 

The calendar recommendation will be presented to the CPS Board of Education for consideration and a vote on Wednesday, March 23. 

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