ChiArts community urges board to preserve conservatory model as CPS proposes schedule changes

Members of the Chicago High School for the Arts community told the Chicago Board of Education on March 4 that a proposed compressed school schedule would dismantle the school’s conservatory model and harm students’ academic and arts outcomes.

"Shy Arts was founded to provide preprofessional training to novice artists to expand and diversify access to arts education in Chicago," said Philip Lewandowski, an English teacher at ChiArts. "This uninterrupted, intentional conservatory time is crucial to developing and nurturing young scholar artists." Lewandowski and other speakers said the draft schedules shown to families so far would force cuts to arts and academic classes and remove the protected conservatory hours that distinguish ChiArts.

Rebecca DeSalvo, speaking for ChiArts families, said the executive director of arts education and district leaders had emphasized that arts are central to CPS instruction, and asked how a plan that converts conservatory time into optional after-school programming could meet that standard. "We are not resisting change," DeSalvo said. "We are asking to help build the table and maintain 15 hours of preprofessional conservatory training and an 8AM–5PM structure."

Other teachers and students described practical impacts. Melissa Arning, a music teacher, said compressing the day would create scheduling conflicts with her career as a working musician and make some classes impossible. Dara Miller, a longtime English teacher, cited alumni outcomes and said ChiArts’ conservatory model produces higher postsecondary enrollment and arts careers. Lisa Miranda, speaking near the end of the ChiArts public comment block, asked the board to make the Department of Arts Education central to future planning.

Board members and district staff did not vote on a final timetable at the meeting. Instead, presenters and union representatives pressed for more detailed planning, clearer financial analyses of replication costs, and structured stakeholder negotiations so that any changes to the school’s schedule preserve core elements of the conservatory model.

The district has scheduled a follow-up meeting with TriArts families on March 11 to continue discussion; speakers at the March 4 meeting asked the board to ensure arts leadership, CTU and parents participate in next steps.

The board’s next formal consideration of related items will take place at the March 19 regular meeting.