Dive Brief:
- Federal investigators are currently looking into Chicago Public Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett's 2013 relationship with her former employer, SUPES Academy, due to a $20.5 million no-bid contract signed a few months after Rahm Emanuel appointed her in fall 2012.
- SUPES provides "leadership development services" to school leaders, principals and administrators. Prior to heading CPS Byrd-Bennett was a consultant for the company.
- Her contract, which includes $250,000 base pay, expires in June.
Dive Insight:
Since 2012, CPS has paid SUPES about $15 million — just under $4 million a year to a professional development company that only focuses on upper-leadership and not teachers. PD is very important for teachers, who can benefit from learning new techniques, behavior management programs and ways to analyze data.
There is a lot of money in schools and making sure it is spent most effectively is key. When Byrd-Bennett was heading up Cleveland public schools from 1998 to 2006, a state audit was commissioned because Byrd-Bennett was spending private donations on restaurants and hotels. According to the Chicago Tribune, the auditors found nothing illegal but suggested the district pay more attention to its budget. She was also credited for improved high school graduation rate, raising test scores and streamlining finances.