CPS Chief Education Officer LaTanya McDade to exit after end of school year

Chicago Public Schools on Wednesday announced LaTanya McDade’s plans to resign as chief education officer at the end of this academic year after she was tapped to be the next superintendent of Virginia’s second largest school district.

In an email to the CPS community, the district’s CEO Janice Jackson said the district will begin its search for McDade’s successor in the coming months. McDade will be stepping down from her current position at the end of this school year “to ensure a smooth transition,” Jackson said.

McDade, who’s been with the district for more than 20 years, was a longtime CPS teacher and served as Keller Elementary’s school principal and network chief who oversaw principals before assuming her role as chief education officer in 2016.

In that position, McDade was in charge of the teaching and learning side of the school district. She was also responsible for overseeing the transition of lessons from classrooms to computers amid the pandemic last year.

“In the past year she has faced challenges experienced by no prior Chief Education Officer, leading the district’s efforts to re-imagine student learning and offer the best possible instruction during the pandemic,” Jackson said.

McDade was a leader of the district’s bargaining team that negotiated historic agreements with the Chicago Teachers Union in 2019 and 2021.

Jackson praised McDade for her leadership, which she said helped the district embark on “significant, lasting efforts to promote equitable access to quality instruction, including the Curriculum Equity Initiative.”

“While I am deeply sorry to see her go, I could not be more appreciative of her contributions to our schools and I am proud she has earned this well-deserved opportunity,” Jackson said.

McDade will be the first person of color and the first woman to lead the Prince William County Public Schools, which serves more than 90,000 students.

In a statement, McDade said the district shares her “fierce commitment to equity.”

“[PWCPS] is a district that is rightly proud of its schools but refuses to settle for anything less than a world-class education for every student. That’s the kind of community I want to be a part of and the kind of district my career has prepared me to lead,” McDade said. “I am excited to engage deeply with the Prince William County students, staff, families, and community to realize our shared vision for advancing achievement for all students.”