CITY HALL — Thirty-four preschool assistants have been laid off as part of an effort to revamp the Chicago Public Schools' preschool programs, officials said.
The layoffs are a part of an effort by CPS officials to ensure that every "child who attends pre-K in the city has access to a program that meets Head Start's high-quality standards," according to a statement from district spokesman Michael Passman.
The employees — known as program resource assistants — were notified Friday that their jobs were being eliminated as part of CPS' officials decision to require that all of the district's preschool programs meet the requirements of the Head Start program, which is funded with federal grants, Passman said.
Martin Ritter, an organizer with the Chicago Teachers Union, said on Twitter that most of the laid-off employees are "black and Latina women" who performed "essential" duties.
The employees' duties included helping schools with "data entry and family engagement," Passman said.
Head Start programs require "an enhanced level of data collection relative to state-funded programs," Passman said.
The laid-off employees were encouraged to apply for 13 new positions, known as comprehensive service coordinators, who "will oversee implementation and compliance at each school; support physical health, mental health and social services resources for schools to support pre-K students and families; and coordinate early childhood community resources and partnerships," Passman said.
Despite the elimination of 21 positions, CPS spending on preschool programs will not be reduced, Passman said.
Under the new system, each school will get a stipend to pay an employee to complete preschool data entry and to help families, Passman said.
"This is not a spending cut," Passman said. "It is a realignment of resources to better support a universal model of high quality early childhood standards and programming."
