Chicago Public Education Fund

“John dugenske and siddharth mehta have a business relationship.”

“The chief executive officer reviews the completed form 990. Then, it is emailed in final form to the governance, operations, finance, and audit committee, as well as to the entire board of directors, for their review and comments. Finally, it is filed with the irs.”

“Officers, directors, and key employees complete a questionnaire to disclose annually any business transactions or relationships they or a family member may have had with the fund or any of its officers, directors, or key employees. Potential conflicts noted in the responses are passed along to the chief executive officer (ceo) for review and, when necessary, referred to the executive committee for consideration. In addition to the required annual conflict of interest questionnaire, the fund's board of directors' policy covering conflicts of interest provides that directors and staff have the responsibility to immediately disclose potential conflicts of interest and refrain from influencing other directors or staff on those matters. If a potential or actual conflict arises, directors also have the responsibility to recuse themselves at an appropriate time. Directors, staff, and their immediate family members cannot realize any direct or indirect personal financial benefit from a fund investment.”

“Q15a: the executive committee of the board is responsible for reviewing and approving the compensation package for the president and ceo. The determination of the appropriate level of compensation included a review of compensation levels for the equivalent positions at comparable organizations. The committee used data from form 990s and survey data produced by national and regional industry associations to assist in their process and discussed final recommendations in executive session with the entire board of directors before finalizing. The process is documented. Q15b: for staff salaries, including those of key employees, the independent human resources business partner (hrbp), a consultant, reviewed compensation levels at comparable organizations and shared analysis with the ceo and members of the executive committee. Ultimately, the governance, operations, finance, and audit committee reviewed these salary recommendations in conjunction with the annual budget planning process. The process for determining the compensation is documented.”

“Financial statements for recent fiscal years are available to the public on the fund's website. Also, the governing documents, conflict of interest policy, and financial statements are available upon request for the same period of disclosure as set forth in irc section 6104(d).”

“In 2023, we launched a first-of-its kind local school council (lsc) member engagement survey, with responses from 560 lsc members. In 2024, we published local decision-makers in our schools: a baseline report on chicago's local school councils to share the survey data, showcase stories of the positive impact lscs have on school communities, and highlight areas where we plan to expand our supports. For example, while 82% of lsc members reported positive relationships with their principals; responses from members representing 65 schools indicated they may need additional support, as weaker relationships between lscs and principals can negatively impact school culture and shared decision-making. In response to this data, we piloted initiatives to strengthen principal-lsc relationships, address the challenge of lsc vacancies in schools, and uplift the importance of local autonomy. Our pilot initiatives included an lsc mentorship program in partnership with chicago public schools (cps), which paired 14 school leaders with six experienced peers to help them navigate the nuances of working with lscs. Through our community engagement accelerator pilot, seven school leaders received coaching to improve their engagement practices, including planning community events and filling vacancies within their lscs. Additionally, we launched an lsc masterclass series and lsc working group, which are described in the program #1 and program #2 sections below. Finally, given the rapidly changing education governance and policy environment in chicago, we launched a public engagement campaign to uplift the voices and needs of school leaders. This is detailed in the program #2 section below.”