Parents and arts educators urge CPS to preserve ShArts conservatory as mass layoffs loom

Preserving the conservatory at Chicago High School for the Arts was the dominant theme among public commenters addressing the board Wednesday, with parents, artists and teachers warning that recent staffing decisions put the school’s specialized arts training at risk.

Gustavo Cortiñas, a music educator who said he has worked at the school since 2022, told the committee he was “profoundamente decepcionado” and said the community sees “un camino claro a seguir para la formación artística preprofesional en ShArts.” Several speakers echoed that the district has not presented a clear funding or hiring plan to retain the artist‑teachers who lead conservatory instruction.

Dara Miller, who described the conservatory as “the heart of ShArts,” said the school has not seen evidence of a hiring process to bring artist‑teachers on for next year and warned the reductions will reduce both academic and arts offerings. “Sin un proceso de contratación claro, estamos en camino de perder a los mismos expertos que construyeron esta escuela,” she said.

Phib Peterson, a special‑education teacher at GA Arts, said recent layoffs cut critical special‑education staff and that reduced co‑teaching threatens legally required services for neurodivergent students. Parent speakers described children arriving home in tears and asked the board to prioritize staff retention over further cuts.

Union leaders and community organizers asked CPS to provide an explicit plan to: (1) preserve conservatory hours and pre‑professional training; (2) prioritize rehiring existing artist‑teachers and classroom staff; and (3) publicly share a timeline for hiring and funding sources. Several requested that the board ensure any transition preserves the existing mentorship relationships between students and artist‑teachers.

The board did not take a vote on ShArts staffing during the agenda‑review committee meeting. Staff presenters later continued the public agenda with contract and policy items; the ShArts community said it will press the board for a specific, written commitment ahead of the May 28 full board meeting.

The next procedural step is the board’s public agenda on May 28, when the committee’s presented items will return for possible votes; community members said they will continue to follow up with both school leaders and the central office.