>> Chicago Public Schools is pursuing a new plan to address inequities its black students face the Black Student success plan aims to bring in more black teachers, reduce suspensions and expulsions.

Remote teaching on black culture and history increase belonging and close opportunity gaps.

But it's also facing federal scrutiny from the Trump administration.

The national conservative advocacy group parents Defending Education, says the plan is discriminatory and has filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education.

So joining us now with more are 2 people who helped create this plan, Dakota or be a professor at the University of Illinois, Chicago and Duane Davis, president of raising expectations, an education consulting firm.

We also reached out to parents defending education, but did not receive a response.

Gentlemen, thanks to both of you for being here.

I know you are at least currently or previously CPS, dads as Well.

Dakota, I want to start with you because you also led community meetings to develop this plan.

Talk about why you think it's important to have in equity plan specifically for black students.

Yeah.

Well, thank you for for the question.

Thanks for having us on.

It's important because >> Chicago public schools has a huge black student population.

It serves a large number of black families and communities and it's very important.

We meet the education needs at this particular population because this is a group that has historically not had the same kinds of opportunities.

Other student populations for Chicago Public Schools is has to be a priority.

We've seen declining enrollment among its black students and families leaving the district.

So it's imperative to actually get this right.

Make sure students have access to educational experiences and opportunities give them the outcomes that lead to college and career of family sustaining a family sustaining careers.

So this isn't the first time the district has done this kind of work, though, on how did past equity efforts sort of inform the current way work of this black student success plan.

this can kind of traced back a committee that was formed that actually led to the opening of the CPS Office of Equity.

>> In 2018 and the CPS Office of Equity has been leading the charge to improve the black students experiences in a district amongst other student populations as well.

So it's really been their charge.

And this is also something that is codified and supported through Illinois public at 103, which created for the Chicago Board of Education, a black Achievement committee.

so there's a broad range of kinds of support behind this black student success plan.

Dwayne, Same question to you.

What you know, what makes this plan different from previous efforts?

>> So to piggyback on the coldest com, it I believe that as a lifelong Chicago as a public school graduate as a parent as person cares about our kids, we have to.

We've been working at this for a long time.

And one of that data points is super important to me is about young people getting access to college.

We've been on the kind of college pathway in our city for over 2 decades and the lowest performing set of young people in our city.

Our black girls and black boys to cause a tame at the college graduation because retention so if we think college is the access point, college is a way to change generational.

Well, colleges awaited decrease the racial wealth gap.

We have to get that right.

This is super important and we need to focus on the plan, worked the plan and figure out how to move students to move the metrics for families Chicago.

Yeah, I definitely want to get back to a little bit more about that.

That achievement gap in just a bit between.

Tell me a little bit, if you would about how this plan came together because I know you both lead, you know, some community What did you hear from the community and how all that work?

>> Yeah, so it was great to travel the city to travel the city as a listener.

So going to the west side of Chicago.

>> Sitting at elementary schools talking to young people parents, talking community activists going to the north side, go into schools and just hearing what they want, what they want for the young people.

There was some I don't know if this is going to work.

I don't know if we should do this this way.

We've talked before and things have happened.

But Illinois Public School Act that the Cole dementia the way it's codified in policy eat the way we're having national conversation, the local conversation about our students, I think gives us some breath and depth and communicates and coordinates the work that's going to be done our city.

So those meetings were just key hearing student voices, para voice of the community voices in those spaces.

So we know that black students have been struggling academically in comparison to some of their their black and Latino counterparts.

According to the 2024 Illinois report Card almost.

>> 60% of white students in CPS are proficient in English language arts.

That's compared to 21% of black students and 24% of Hispanic students in just for context of viewers to know, black students make up about 30 31% of the CPS student body >> the How will this plan address these disparities?

Get one of the priorities is adopt coaching responsive teaching in classrooms and it's exposed to increased by a certain percentage.

And that's for a teachers, including black teachers.

One of other key pillars of the plan is to increase the number of black teachers and retained by teaching but also provide teachers of all different backgrounds with the kinds of competencies that will allow them to engage in the teaching of black history as well as to engage in kind, of course, fully competent.

course, the response of teaching approaches, which we know from research for many years is demonstrated to actually improve students, academic outcomes.

as we mentioned, parents defending education.

They filed a civil rights complaint against this plan and they say, quote, >> CPS is failing students of all races and ethnicities, which makes this racially segregated program all the more egregious CPS is racially exclusive plan also runs afoul of this Education Department's own guidance, referring to the U.S. Department of Education's Wayne.

Are you concerned about, you know, what is first?

What is your response to that?

I would say that Chicago public schools has illegal office and they are going to pursue and if and do the work necessary to.

>> Protect the work as the policy in our state.

Guy, guys them.

And I would also say that wearing a blue state where we have a governor that is engaged in a different way.

So I think that just literacy person and Lucy expert will ban books a state.

I think our politics in the state of Illinois also give us some cover is some protection thinking about what we're going to be for students and families in our city as well.

>> That said to go, do you concerned about this sort of National Anti movement in these policies and the potential impact they could have on this plan for CBS?

I am concerned.

I think everybody should be concerned about what's happening nationally right now Dr Davis mentioned, we are in a blue state.

We have a support of mayor.

We have a supportive of board of education here, Chicago public school.

So a little bit less.

But overall, yes, I am concerned about the potential, you know, funding cuts, people being targeted on those sorts of things are definitely consigning.

But we have insulated from book bans from, you know, cut so far.

No source things, but it is concerning.

I think people should be concerned.

This is not this is not a time to sit on our hands and think that things are gonna blow by.

I think we have to be vocal.

I think that people need to be a adamant about making sure that students, black students, but students of all different specific needs get the resources opportunities they