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Educating for better health outcomes

The  2023-2026 Health Education and Training Institute Strategic Plan  seeks to deliver on our vision to be the first-choice partner for education and training in NSW Health.

Our vision is the foundation of our strategic plan, and serves as a reminder of our purpose - we educate for better health outcomes.

Our core values - Collaboration, Openness, Respect, Empowerment - guide our decisions and actions and keep us accountable and dedicated to our vision.

Key Objectives and Initiatives

Our strategy focuses on three strategic priorities, underpinned by key initiatives:

• Targeted Learning and Pathways - Deliver world class education and training for NSW Health workforce to respond to system priorities
• Trusted Partnerships - Extend collaborative relationships to drive compassionate, sustainable and safe care and improve patient outcomes and experiences
• Inspired People - Support our people to thrive and enable them to deliver exceptional learning outcomes for NSW Health

The strategic priorities and initiatives are enabled by:

• Effective Communication - System-wide communication, planning and co-ordination
• Best Practice - Evidence-based approach to training and education programs
• Digital Enablement - Virtual learning capabilities and tech-enabled solutions
• Diverse & Engaged Workforce - An inclusive and culturally safe working environment

View the HETI Strategic Plan

Engaging Our Stakeholders

The success of any strategic plan depends on the support and engagement of its stakeholders. Our Strategic Plan was developed in consultation with stakeholders across NSW Health including the Ministry of Health Workforce Planning and Development division, Local Health Districts and Specialty Health Networks, and HETI staff.

Alignment with NSW Health Strategic Focus Areas

HETI strategic priorities and initiatives align with NSW Health's Future Health Plan and supports Strategic Outcome 4 that requires NSW Health staff are engaged and well supported. Our aim is to support NSW Health staff deliver safe, reliable, person-centred care driving the best outcomes and experiences for patients, their families and staff.

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The department's strategic plan provides the framework within which schools and other sections of the department develop their own plans in order to produce the best opportunities and outcomes for all students.

Disability plans and strategies

The department is committed to improving the lives of people with disability, their families and carers.

• Our Disability and Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP) outlines our five-year roadmap to ensure Education is an inclusive organisation for our students, staff and our community
• The Disability Strategy sets out the department's plan for providing children and young people with disability, their families and the broader community with an education system that meets their needs.

Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2018-2022

The Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2018-2022 is our five-year commitment to creating a fair and inclusive working environment and to building a workforce which better reflects the diversity of our students, parents/carers and the NSW community.

Department of Education Digital Strategy

The NSW Department of Education Digital Strategy (PDF 958KB) provides direction for the department’s transformation into a modern hybrid education system enabled by technology, data, and services.

Information Management

The Information Management Strategy 2015-2019 (PDF 897.96KB) details the department's programs of work in information management.

Multicultural Plan

The Multicultural Policies and Services Program (MPSP) is the NSW Government's response to the cultural and linguistic diversity of the people of NSW. All public sector agencies have a responsibility to plan for initiatives undertaken to meet the needs of a culturally diverse society, as well as to report annually to the Parliament on those initiatives. The department's Multicultural Plan (PDF 340.43KB) provides a framework for meeting these legislative requirements.

For reports on the progress of the department's multicultural plans, see Multicultural Policies and Program Reports .

Procurement Solutions Business Plan

The Procurement Solutions Business Plan sits alongside the Strategic Procurement Plan (PDF 1.68MB) to form the Department's strategy for procurement providing direction from 2013 to 2018.

• Procurement Solutions Business Plan Summary (PDF 223.99KB)
• Procurement Solutions Business Plan 2013-18 (PDF 1312.61KB)

Previous strategic plans for the department

Download previous strategic plans to see where we've come from.

• The Strategic Information Technology Plan 2016-2019 (PDF 3167.62KB)
• Strategic Plan 2012-2017 – overview (PDF 293.32KB)
• Strategic Plan 2012-2017 – full (PDF 2151.38KB)

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Strategic Plan

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Our Strategic Plan 2021-25

Our Strategic Plan 2021-25 sets out our approach to building an inclusive, connected and socially cohesive multicultural NSW.

The plan brings the Multicultural Principles to life in our culturally, religiously and linguistically diverse context. It helps us to understand the strengths and challenges of living together in a complex multicultural society and supports us in collaboratively delivering outcomes that benefit us all.

The work we do touches everyone in NSW. This strategy steers the way into a future where we can all work together to celebrate our diversity and who we are as individuals. It focuses on what needs doing to shift stereotypes and to connect, so we are stronger together.

Our priorities

Our priorities over the next five years are:

NSW Language Services

Promoting the sustainability and standards of an industry-leading service used across government agencies.

Sector Capability

Modelling good practice and building capability across sectors to meet the needs of diverse communities through policy, programs and service delivery.

Community Resilience

Expanding robust relationships that inspire people to foster social cohesion, unite against divisive forces and come together in times of need.

Supporting longer-term communities and new arrivals to thrive in place.

A Shared Sense of Value

Understanding the value of cultural, religious and linguistic diversity.

To move the plan forward, we will continue to work in partnership with the community, government and our staff, because we’re Stronger Together.

Please read the full report here

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Strategic Planning Toolkit

The Strategic Planning Toolkit is a hub for resources to support local councils and planning professionals in LEP making.

The aim of the toolkit is to provide guidance on LEP making and to assist in the implementation of the goals and directions contained within the Regional Plans and the five District Plans.

The Strategic Planning Toolkit will provide an up-to-date resource for local councils and planning professionals to employ best practice planning across NSW.

State plans

Regional plans are state-led strategic planning documents that set the direction and establish objectives to deliver a liveable productive, and sustainable planning framework in NSW.

Learn more about regional plans .

Five district plans implement the vision and objectives of the Greater Sydney Region Plan at a district level.

These 20-year plans provide a bridge between regional and local planning to inform LEPs, local strategic planning statements (LSPS), community strategic plans and the assessment of planning proposals.

Precincts provide a placed based strategic planning approach to growth in Sydney and set specific actions and objectives for specific areas, based on the vision outlined in the region or district plan.

Precincts provide a coordinated approach by state and local government to help ensure infrastructure such as schools, parks, community facilities, public transport and road upgrades are delivered in line with increased housing and jobs to support community needs.

Learn more about a new approach to precincts .

There are a number of other strategic planning documents including the Greater Newcastle Metropolitan Plan 2036 and special activation precincts in regional NSW. These documents set out strategies and actions for a particular LGA or precinct to create jobs, attract businesses and investors, support local industries and fuel economic development.

Learn more about:

• Greater Newcastle metropolitan planning
• Special Activation Precincts .

Local plans

A Local Strategic Planning Statement (LSPS) sets out the strategic planning ambitions for a LGA as a whole and for specific areas. The LSPS allows councils to translate their strategic planning into local priorities and actions and identifies the need for further local strategic planning work.

Learn more about strategic planning from the updated Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 .

The LSPS Guideline for Councils (PDF, 2.6 MB) provides information for councils, the community, and other stakeholders on the contents of a LSPS, how it is made and how it is implemented.

Local housing strategies are detailed strategic and implementation plans that show where and how new homes are best developed in each local government area.

Learn more about local housing strategies .

The local housing strategy guideline provides a step-by-step process for producing local housing strategies.

Local council strategies that are endorsed, in full or part, by us may be used:

• to demonstrate the strategic merit of planning proposals;
• by planning panels or the Independent Planning Commission to determine whether a planning proposal being considered for a rezoning review has strategic merit;
• by the planning proposal authority to justify inconsistency with certain section 9.1(2) Local Planning Directions.

Endorsed local council strategies are listed below for each region, and endorsement letters are attached. Only the version of the strategy at the time of endorsement is considered endorsed not subsequent amendments.

Sydney Metropolitan

Northern Region

Western Region

Southern Region

Hunter and Central Coast Region

Policy and ministerial directions

State environmental planning policies (SEPPs) are instruments that address planning issues on a state-wide level. This is different to a LEP which addresses planning controls for a local government area.

Planning proposals must provide an assessment against the relevant SEPPs and advise on how a proposal may satisfy the requirements of a SEPP.

The current list of SEPPs is located at  NSW legislation .

The s9.1 ministerial directions cover the following broad categories:

• planning systems
• biodiversity and conservation
• resilience and hazards
• transport and infrastructure
• industry and employment
• resources and energy
• primary production.

Current and previously issued s9.1 directions

The following documents provide advice on ministerial directions issued under section 9.1 of the EP&A Act .

Directions for planning proposals

• List of local planning directions issued by the Minister on or after 1 July 2009 (PDF, 703 KB) latest version issued on 1 August 2024
• Map Sheet LAP_001 St Leonards and Crows Nest 2036 Plan Section 9.1 Direction 1.13 (PDF, 608 KB)
• Map Sheet LAP_001 Cooks Cove Precinct Section 9.1 Direction 1.12 (PDF, 677 KB)
• Map Sheet LAP_001 Pyrmont Peninsula Place Strategy Section 9.1 Direction 1.15 (PDF, 1.4 MB)
• Map Sheet Map LAP_001 Bays West Place Strategy Section 9.1 Direction 1.17 (PDF, 1.9 MB)
• Map Sheet LAP_001 Macquarie Park Innovation Precinct Section 9.1 Direction (PDF, 876 KB)
• Map Sheet LAP_001 Westmead Place Strategy Section 9.1 Direction (PDF, 1 MB)
• Map Sheet LAP_001 Camellia-Rosehill Place Strategy Section 9.1 Direction (PDF, 618 KB)

Directions for local infrastructure contributions

• Environmental Planning and Assessment (Local Infrastructure Contributions) Further Amendment Direction 2020 (PDF, 68 KB)
• Environmental Planning and Assessment (Local Infrastructure Contributions – Timing of Payments) Direction 2020 (PDF, 168 KB)
• Environmental Planning and Assessment (Local Infrastructure Contributions) Amendment Direction 2020 (PDF, 40 KB)
• Environmental Planning and Assessment (Local Infrastructure Contributions – Information) Direction 2020 (PDF, 125 KB)
• Environmental Planning and Assessment (Local Infrastructure Contributions – Pooling of Contributions) Direction 2020 (PDF, 127 KB)
• Environmental Planning and Assessment (Local Infrastructure Contributions) Further Amendment Direction 2019 (PDF, 237 KB)
• Environmental Planning and Assessment (Local Infrastructure Contributions) Further Amendment Direction 2018 (PDF, 1.9 MB)
• Environmental Planning and Assessment (Local Infrastructure Contributions) Amendment Direction 2018 (PDF, 678 KB)
• Environmental Planning and Assessment (Local Infrastructure Contributions) Amendment Direction 2017 (PDF, 6 MB)
• Environmental Planning and Assessment (Local Infrastructure Contributions) Amendment Direction 2016 (PDF, 3.6 MB)
• Environmental Planning and Assessment (Local Infrastructure Levies) Direction 2015 (PDF, 87 KB)
• Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979
• Revocation of Direction in force under section 94E and Direction under section 94E (PDF, 27 KB)

Directions for planning agreements

Requires all councils to consider a series of matters when negotiating a planning agreement with a developer for the purposes of affordable housing in connection with a development.

• Environmental Planning And Assessment (Planning Agreements) Direction 2019 (PDF, 96 KB)

Resources for section 9.1 Integrating Land Use and Transport

• Improving Transport Choice – Guidelines for planning and development, August 2001 (PDF, 935 KB)
• The Right Place for Business and Services – Planning policy, August 2001 (PDF, 225 KB)

Resources for section 9.1 Coastal Management

• NSW Coastal Design Guidelines 2023 (PDF, 9.2 MB)
• NSW Coastal Design Guidelines Appendix 1: Assessment checklist for planning proposals (PDF, 258 KB)

Relevant planning system circulars

• Circular PS 08-002 State Environmental Planning Policy (Rural Lands) 2008 – Issued 9 May 2008 (PDF, 56.9 KB)
• Circular PS 07-008 New section 117 directions – Issued 17 July 2007 (PDF, 36.8 KB)
• Revised local planning directions: Overview of key changes – includes a comparison of new and previous directions and the effect of the changes (July 2007)
• Circular PS 07-003 New guideline and changes to section 117 direction and EP&A Regulation on flood prone land – Issued 31 January 2007 (PDF, 122 KB)

The LEP Making Guideline will help you understand the LEP making process and how to prepare a planning proposal.

Supporting information

• Local Environmental Plan Making Guideline – August 2023 (PDF, 4.7 MB)
• Attachment A – Scoping Proposal Template (DOCX, 6.9 MB)
• Attachment B – Interim Authority and Government Agency Planning Proposal Pre-Lodgement Referral Checklist (PDF, 219 KB)
• Attachment C – Supporting Technical Information Guide (PDF, 119 KB)
• Planning Reform Action Plan – Frequently asked questions (PDF, 198 KB)

The NSW Government is ramping up its efforts to get more people into homes sooner, releasing the 23A Guidelines on the withdrawal of Development Applications (PDF, 670 KB) for councils.

The guidelines help address the state’s housing shortfall and ensure the DA process is not holding up the potential pipeline of housing projects across NSW.

• Legislation NSW Standard Instrument Principal — Local Environmental Plan
• Standard Instrument — Local Environmental Plan (ZIP, 516 KB)
• Legislation NSW Standard Instrument (Local Environmental Plans) Order 2006
• Planning circular PS 11–011 Amendment to the Standard Instrument (Local Environmental Plans) Order 2006 (PDF, 534 KB) issued 10 March 2011
• Follow-up Review of 2022 Audit of Councils’ use of clause 4.6 – March 2023 (PDF, 431 KB)
• 2022 Audit Report – Councils’ use of clause 4.6 of the Standard Instrument – November 2022 (PDF, 627 KB)
• 2020 Audit Report – Councils’ use of clause 4.6 of the Standard Instrument – August 2021 (PDF, 599 KB)
• 2020 Report on the audit of council use of SEPP1/clause 4.6 – August 2021 (PDF, 593 KB)
• Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2000 assumed concurrence notice (PDF, 69 KB)
• Varying development standards: A Guide – November 2023
• Report on the follow-up of 2016 audit recommendations – July 2019 (PDF, 276 KB)
• 2016 Report on the audit of council use of SEPP1/clause 4.6 – November 2017 (PDF, 30 KB)

All planning proposals and draft LEPs must comply with State law regarding reportable political donations. For more details, including a disclosure form, refer to:

• Guideline on Disclosure of political donations and gifts (PDF, 128 KB)

Planning system circulars provide non-statutory advice on NSW Government principles, procedures and practices to assist in implementing relevant planning laws and policies.

• Current planning system circulars
• Archived planning system circulars

Planning practice notes provide updated commentary, guidance, and advice for planning matters generally related to principle local environmental plans and the Standard Instrument. A practice note is for information purposes only and does not comprise legal advice.

• PN 22-002 Local environmental plan zone objectives (PDF, 183 KB) replaces LEP PN 09-005
• PN 22-001 Requesting that the Minister facilitate the preparation of a local environmental plan (PDF, 101 KB) replaces LEP PN 09-004
• PN 16–001 Classification and reclassification of public land through a local environmental plan (PDF, 95 KB) replaces LEP PN 09–003
• PN 11–003 Preparing LEPs using the Standard Instrument: Standard Definitions (PDF, 615 KB)
• PN 11–002 Preparing LEPs using the Standard Instrument: Standard Zones (PDF, 104 KB) replaces LEP PN 06–002
• PN 11–001 Preparing LEPs using the Standard Instrument: Standard Clauses (PDF, 136 KB) replaces LEP PN 06–001
• PN 10–001 Zoning for Infrastructure in LEPs (PDF, 292 KB)
• PN 09–006 Providing for tourism in Standard Instrument local environmental plans (PDF, 181 KB)
• PN 09–002 Environment Protection Zones (PDF, 95 KB)
• PN 09–001 Exempt and complying development (PDF, 43 KB)
• PN 08–001 Height and floor space ratio (PDF, 85 KB)
• PN 07–001 Standard instrument for LEPs – frequently asked questions (1) (PDF, 121 KB)

Contributions practice notes

• Section 7.12 fixed development consent levies (PDF, 240 KB)
• Local Infrastructure Contributions – review by IPart (PDF, 468 KB)
• Development Contributions – Introduction (PDF, 342 KB)
• Development Contributions Plans – Section 94 (now s7.11) (PDF, 926 KB)

Planning agreements practice note

• Practice Note on Planning Agreements (PDF, 333 KB)
• Council/department request for authority or agency feedback and advice template (DOTX/ZIP, 175 KB)
• Concise project plan template (DOCX, 65 KB)
• Cost management tool (XLSX, 41 KB)
• Dashboard reporting tool (DOCX, 64 KB)
• Letter template (DOTX/ZIP, 52 KB)
• Programming tool (MS Excel version) (XLSX, 37 KB)
• Programming tool (MS Project version) (MPP/ZIP, 374 KB)
• Project scoping tool (DOCX, 34 KB)
• Resource management tool (XLSX, 34 KB)
• Response to submissions – landscape (DOTX/ZIP, 170 KB)
• Response to submissions – portrait (DOTX/ZIP, 167 KB)
• Risk management tool (XLSX, 87 KB)
• Section 3.22 Environmental Planning and Assessment Act submission form (DOCX, 142 KB)
• Scoping proposal template (DOCX, 6.9 MB)
• Stakeholder management tool (XLSX, 42 KB)

In 2015, we developed revised standard technical requirements for spatial datasets and maps contained within planning instruments and other plans.

The standard technical requirements cover LEPs, SEPPs, development control plans and contributions plans.

The revised requirements updated and consolidated previous requirements and guidance. Previous requirements can be sourced by contacting [email protected]

Councils need to prepare spatial data and maps as per the specified standards and submit to us at draft and final stages via the online submission system for planning data available on the NSW Planning Portal .

Our continuous quality assurance program involves working with councils to ensure that the planning data submitted as part of the plan-making process meets the adopted standard.

Read the Standard Technical Requirements for Spatial Datasets and Maps (PDF, 1.8 MB) document.

For more information read the Planning Circular PS 15-005 – Commencement of the NSW Planning Portal (PDF, 72 KB) .

Access the NSW Planning Portal and the Online Submission System for Planning Data .

The Parliamentary Counsel's Office (PCO) has issued advice regarding the drafting and notification processes for making delegated plans, which can be found at PCO – Information . PCO also has resources to assist in the drafting process, which can be found at PCO – Resources .

Additional provisions (commonly referred to as ‘local provisions’ or ’model local clauses’) are local clauses that have been settled by the Parliamentary Counsel’s Office that address common topics raised by councils in their standard instrument LEP preparation. The use of settled clauses reduces the time required to amend a standard instrument LEP.

Where councils would like to use one or more of the examples provided but wish to make some minor alterations to suit their specific circumstances, these may be considered with the appropriate justification, although we recommend that they be adopted 'as is' wherever possible.

For further information please contact your relevant place or regional team.

The land use matrix (XLSX, 177 KB) is an Excel spreadsheet that identifies standard land use terms, standard zones and permissibility. It has been prepared by the department to assist councils with the preparation of local environmental plans consistent with the Standard Instrument (Local Environmental Plans) Order 2006 . The matrix also includes permissible land uses under a number of state environmental planning policies.

Councils can complete the matrix of intended permitted and prohibited land uses to assist in discussions with the department about their draft plan. Instructions on how to complete the matrix are provided under the ‘Instructions’ tab of the Excel spreadsheet.

Find out more about how to use land use tables .

Important note: This information does not constitute legal advice. Users are advised to seek professional advice and refer to the relevant legislation, as necessary.

Disclaimer : While every reasonable effort has been made to ensure that this document is correct at the time of publication, the State of New South Wales, its agencies and employees, disclaim any and all liability to any person in respect of anything or the consequences of anything done or omitted to be done in reliance upon the whole or any part of this document.

The department provides regular and insightful information on demographics, forecasting and population change at Research and demography .

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CPS five-year plan aims to get more kids to attend neighborhood schools

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Chicago Public Schools unveiled a new five-year strategic plan Monday that sets out to increase the number of students attending schools in their neighborhood and redefine what it means to be a successful student.

The plan did not call for specific changes to selective enrollment, magnet, or charter schools, a possibility signaled in December when the board first announced its intention to rethink school choice . But the plan does seek to bolster resources for neighborhood schools “with an intentional focus on disinvested communities.”

Roughly 44% of elementary school students enrolled at a school other than the one they were zoned for in the 2022-23 school year, while about 75% of high schoolers did the same, according to district data.

Twenty years ago, when Chicago started expanding magnet, selective, and charter schools, just about a quarter of elementary school students enrolled in schools outside of their attendance area and 46% of high schoolers did the same.

The plan outlines priorities and specific goals to reach by 2029 in three different areas — students, schools, and communities — but did not signal policy changes. Officials, however, left the possibility open for future changes as a result of the plan.

“I don’t think this document is intended to indicate new policies,” Chicago Board of Education Vice President Elizabeth Todd-Breland told reporters. “As engagement continues around the different topics and areas there, if a policy change is seen as necessary, then perhaps that will be the case.”

The board will vote on the plan on Wednesday at a special meeting.

Under the plan, the district set the following goals to reach by 2029:

• Increase the percentage of students who attend a school in their neighborhood or community area. The district said it does not have a specific percentage it wants to reach, and that this is not just limited to a student’s zoned school.
• Increase the number of students in grades 3-8 who pass the state’s reading and math exams by 20%.
• Reduce chronic absenteeism – when a student misses 10 or more days of school – by 15%.
• Reduce teacher vacancies by 25% in schools that serve majorities of Black and Hispanic students.
• Increase funding for improving school facilities by $250 million.
• Increase internet bandwidth by 400% at elementary schools and by 900% at high schools to prevent outages and slow internet connections.
• Ensure that all schools will have a “robust” behavioral health team.
• Decrease class sizes, with priority on schools with higher needs.
• Ensure that all schools have the capacity to hire arts, P.E., and other “special instruction” staff.
• Increase the percentage of students enrolled in at least one district after-school program by 8 percentage points, from 42% currently to 50%.
• Transition 25% of personnel who come from the private sector, such as custodians and bus drivers, to district employees.

District wants to redefine student success

The plan also outlines specific priorities for certain groups of students. For example, the district said it wants to improve achievement and opportunities for Black students, who are disproportionately less likely to read and do math on grade level compared to their peers and are disciplined at higher rates; ensure students learn more than one language by the time they graduate and boost support for English learners; and improve quality of education and instruction for both students with disabilities and kids in pre-K through second grade.

District officials and school board leaders also want more emphasis on how students experience school.

Officials said the district will continue to track things like graduation rate and student growth and proficiency on subjects for their grade level. But it will also consider other factors when considering student and school success, such as how well schools are supporting students who are chronically absent, how many students are participating in early college and career credit programs, and if schools are providing “high quality curriculum,” according to CPS CEO Pedro Martinez and Chief Education Officer Bogdana Chkoumbova.

The district has also set an explicit goal to improve the number of schools rated strongly as “supportive environments” on the annual 5Essentials survey, which comes from the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research and is supposed to measure a school’s culture and climate.

“Social-emotional learning, student well-being, it’s not an add-on,” Todd-Breland said. “If it’s not deeply integrated into everything that we do, then learning cannot happen.”

The district also included priorities to increase funding for all of its schools.

Todd-Breland said board meetings will soon be restructured so they monitor the plan’s goals, “so that every month when you come to a board meeting, you’re going to find out something new about how the strategic plan is being monitored and how things are moving.”

But it’s unclear if that meeting structure will remain come January when the school board grows from 7 appointed members to 21 members, 10 of whom will be elected by Chicago voters on Nov. 5.

Strategic plan comes amid change, tensions at CPS

Martinez and his administration unveiled the plan eight months after the school board passed a resolution signaling the district’s intent to curtail a choice system that leaders said has undermined many neighborhood schools and bred inequities in the experience of students in different parts of the city.

That resolution was in keeping with campaign promises by Mayor Brandon Johnson, a former Chicago Teachers Union organizer, who called the district’s system “a Hunger Games scenario” in which families scramble to flee their neighborhood campuses for spots in coveted test-in and lottery programs across the city. Chicago’s selective enrollment, magnet, and charter schools are also prized by many families , and district leaders have spent the intervening months reassuring state lawmakers, parents, and others that they won’t close or severely weaken these choices.

Asked why the plan revealed Monday did not include explicit policy changes for choice schools, Todd-Breland said the board heard from people who valued schools beyond their neighborhood options, including selective enrollment and charter schools.

“What felt more important, and what continues to be the more important thing … is that the lever of change in Chicago Public Schools is to invest in neighborhood schools and our communities furthest from opportunity to make sure there are pathways that families are confident in and have high quality education provided in them from pre-K through high school in their neighborhood,” Todd-Breland said.

Still, the strategic plan says academic gaps among students and challenges have worsened because of “our current competitive enrollment policies and previous accountability policy, which pitted schools against each other and sorted students based on academic performance in an under-resourced system, reinforcing cycles of inequity.”

Martinez is putting out the plan just as reports emerged that Johnson might be gearing up to replace him following disagreements with City Hall over how to tackle budget deficits and rocky contract negotiations with the Chicago Teachers Union. Those reports raise questions about the district’s ability to see the new blueprint through, after a run of frequent CEO comings-and-goings that have destabilized CPS.

In a statement, CTU president Stacy Davis Gates said the “best parts” of the plan mirror the union’s current contract proposals with the district and that, at the bargaining table, Martinez is “out of step” with his own district.

“If the district actually led with this plan, then we’d have the partner we’re looking for to deliver for our students,” Davis Gates said.

Efforts to reinvigorate Chicago’s neighborhood schools date back to the tenure of Martinez’s predecessor, Janice Jackson, who served for three and a half years. She launched “equity grants” to give campuses with shrinking enrollment a funding boost as well as a program in which schools applied for dollars to start specialized programming, such as arts or STEM, in a bid to lure families seeking distinctive learning options. Jackson’s own five-year plan also emphasized improving how the district serves its Black students, especially Black boys.

After the school board’s December resolution, Martinez’ administration disclosed few details about the development of a new strategic plan, with officials saying they wanted to first hear from community members at a series of public meetings this spring . Officials said Monday that nearly 14,000 people “engaged” with the plan by providing feedback or attending community meetings.

But for some, the wait for more details on the plan produced anxiety about the future of school choice in Chicago. Families in the district’s selective enrollment and magnet programs worried those schools would be diminished – a claim CPS officials repeatedly denied and is not a part of the strategic plan released Monday. On some campuses, those worries spiked as the district unveiled a new approach to school budgeting in the spring that district leaders said would steer more dollars to campuses with the highest needs and correct for historical inequities in how Chicago distributed resources. At some selective schools, officials and parents said newly tight budgets made it hard to staff specialized programs.

The plan released Monday calls for the district to monitor both the strengths and weaknesses of the new funding formula.

In the spring, state lawmakers introduced a bill threatening to intervene if Chicago moved to close any of its selective and magnet programs. The bill didn’t gain traction during the legislative session, but it elicited reassurance from Johnson and district leaders that there were no plans to shutter these schools.

Anxiety has also run high among charter operators and families, who felt that the December resolution was taking clear aim at their schools. Last week, charter officials and parents rallied at a school board meeting to demand more clarity on the plan and a promise that it won’t undermine the city’s charters, which serve roughly a fifth of its students.

The plan calls for revisiting the district’s renewal process for charter schools in a couple of years, but provides no additional details.

Reema Amin is a reporter covering Chicago Public Schools. Contact Reema at [email protected] .

Mila Koumpilova is Chalkbeat Chicago’s senior reporter covering Chicago Public Schools. Contact Mila at [email protected]

The Chicago neighborhoods that either Raquel Don, Yesenia Lopez, or Eva A. Villalobos will represent include Pilsen, Little Village, Bridgeport, and Brighton Park.

Born and raised in the Bronx, Aviles-Ramos has been a teacher, principal, acting superintendent, chief of staff for David Banks, and a deputy chancellor for family engagement.

The budget would add another $125 million in grants for school districts this year.

The Chicago neighborhoods that Therese Boyle, Miquel Lewis, Lanetta Thomas, and La’Mont Raymond Williams will represent include Washington Heights, Beverly, and Auburn-Gresham.

The move comes after state test results showed third grade reading proficiency was at an all-time low at the end of last school year.

Some parents questioned the district’s timeline and community engagement efforts.