Federal authorities investigating misconduct at CPS

Описание: A federal grand jury is investigating a $20 million no-bid contract awarded by Chicago Public Schools to a Wilmette company and what role CPS CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett played in it, according to a source familiar with the matter.
The FBI and U.S. Attorney's office have been investigating the contract awarded to SUPES Academy for training school principals for more than a year, the source told the Chicago Sun-Times.

At the time it was negotiated, the contract didn't raise any eyebrows except with Deputy Editor of Catalyst Chicago Sarah Karp, an education watchdog. She first wrote about the questionable contract in 2013, and said the CPS Inspector General has been investigating it since then.
"University of Illinois, University of Chicago, National Louis, they all have worked with principals in Chicago Public Schools and so why wouldn't they be given an opportunity to bid on this contract, and then the other thing is what is Supes Academy, has anybody even heard of it?" Karp said.

Meanwhile, Byrd-Bennett's $250,000 a year contract, set to expire in June, has not yet been renewed nor will it be until the investigation at the district has been cleared up, two City Hall sources have told the Sun-Times.

The Chicago Board of Education confirmed Wednesday that federal authorities are investigating “a matter” at Chicago Public Schools but declined to say what it is.

Board of Education president David Vitale released a vague statement saying, “Yesterday the Board of Education was made aware that federal authorities are investigating a matter at CPS and have requested interviews with several employees.

“We take any allegation of misconduct seriously, and we are fully cooperating with investigators who requested that we not discuss any specifics regarding the ongoing investigation.”

SUPES contracted with CPS to provide principal training in the district's largest no-bid contract in recent memory. Following a June 2013 story by Catalyst-Chicago detailing Byrd-Bennett's employment history with the company, Chicago's inspector general opened an investigation. Before CPS hired her, Byrd-Bennett worked as a coach for SUPES, Catalyst reported.