Beth’s First 100 Days
To Our CICS Community,
As I reach my first 100 days as CEO of Chicago International Charter School, I want to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude for the warm welcome I’ve received from our community. It has been nearly a decade since I last led CICS, and while many things have changed during that time, one thing has remained constant: the incredible and unwavering commitment of you - our school leaders, teachers, staff, and families - to CICS scholars. It has been a privilege to meet so many of you, to hear your stories, and to witness firsthand the strength, resilience, and diversity that make our CICS family so special.
In these initial months, I have focused on listening deeply—meeting with school leaders and spending time in our schools to better understand the experiences, hopes, and aspirations of our scholars and the adults who serve them. Your insights and feedback have been invaluable in helping me appreciate both the strengths of our school network, and the areas where we can grow.
I want to acknowledge that this is a complex and challenging time for schools and educators across the country. It was nearly 5 years ago that the COVID-19 pandemic prompted a historic shutdown of schools, ultimately shining a spotlight on the inequities plaguing our public education system. Across Chicago, the pandemic added to enrollment declines, learning loss in math and reading, a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, and the highest teacher vacancy rate on record. Make no mistake, the work of teachers, administrators, and staff members is difficult; but the work that we do makes a difference for our scholars and their communities.
I returned home to CICS because our neighborhood schools can and should be beacons of stability, academic excellence, and hope during this historic moment. I believe our scholars deserve rigorous, compassionate, relevant, and culturally responsive instruction that closes the academic gaps widened by the pandemic. CICS scholars and staff deserve learning environments that are safe, supportive, and inspiring. Creating schools of excellence and belonging requires all of us — educators, families, and community members — to come together with renewed focus and purpose.
I commit to partnering with each of you. Our shared vision for CICS is one of equity, opportunity, community, belonging, and academic success for all students. Together, we will provide each CICS scholar with the rigorous academics, emotional support, and critical skills needed to not just catch up, but to leap ahead. Together, by being an intentional, financially responsible, and data-driven network that grounds decision-making on what is best for scholars, we will create a bright future for every young person in our care and provide our teachers with a purpose-driven and supportive work environment.
Thank you for your support, encouragement, and trust. I am honored to be a part of CICS again and look forward to the journey ahead.
With gratitude,
Beth Purvis, Ed.D.
Chief Executive Officer
