Jean-Claude Brizard and his family moved to Chicago this past Spring. Like so many families relocating to the Windy City, they’re renting in a popular neighborhood to get the lay of the land before they settle on a house — and, more importantly, a school — for their toddler. Brizard and his wife, Brooke Stafford-Brizard, aren’t leaving a stone unturned — they’ve done online research, toured schools and attended the popular annual NPN school fair. But there’s one small detail that sets Brizard apart from other parents — he happens to be the new CEO of Chicago Public Schools.
I had the opportunity to sit down with Brizard recently and ask him all about his search.
1. The search for a school in Chicago can be overwhelming. Where do you suggest parents start?
Just the other day, CPS gave parents a powerful resource for starting their school search: an online map with a wealth of detailed school-level information. The CPS website has a useful “find a school” search tool as well. I would also strongly suggest attending our citywide school fairs. Finally, there is no substitute for visiting a school.
Brizard was named CEO of Chicago Public Schools in May.
2. As a former educator and now administrator, what do you look for in a neighborhood school?
My wife (an educator as well) and I first look at achievement data – comparing the school to similar ones and looking at data on more rigorous exams (for example, Brooke and I look at the “Exceeds Standards” data on the ISAT as a minimum bar). We then look at whether the school has a culture of teacher ownership: do teachers hold themselves responsible for helping their students achieve academic success? We also want to see how much schools ask students to take ownership of their own learning.
3. If parents have the opportunity to tour a school, what questions should they be asking? What should they be looking for in the halls and in the classroom?
I would look for student engagement: how much talking teachers do in classrooms versus how often the students talk. Ask the leader what she or he values, struggles with, and what she or he sees as key successes. I would carefully look to see what the principal brags about — it shows what he or she values.
4. As the new chief of CPS, are there any priorities on your agenda for early childhood education?
An advisory panel put in place by Mayor Emanuel recommended that we first need to improve the quality of providers — they assessed that we had enough seats but the quality of programming was mixed across the city. My second goal will be to push for funding to provide free service for all parents in the city.
5. What excites you about raising your family in Chicago?
Brooke and I find the city very livable. We loved the Upper West Side of Manhattan (where we lived) but had trepidations about raising a family in Manhattan. Westchester County and the Outer Boroughs of NYC were much too far a commute for us. Chicago has it all (we love great food and great theater) and we can have a home with a backyard 20 minutes from downtown. Crazy!
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