In the next 48 hours, Chicago Public Schools may advance a principal selection process that excludes the one leader who has provided continuity through years of upheaval at ChiArts. Parents must act now—and CPS leadership must listen.

 
The Issue
My child is currently a junior in the Visual Arts Conservatory at ChiArts. In just three critical years, they have experienced three different principals. For any school, that level of turnover is destabilizing. For a pre-professional arts high school like ChiArts, it is especially disruptive.

Through all of this last year of change, one constant has remained: Principal Nestor Corona. For many families, including mine, his leadership has been the stabilizing force that allowed students, staff, and families to remain focused on learning, growth, and artistic excellence.

Now, as Chicago Public Schools prepares to assume full management of ChiArts in the 2026–27 school year, our community faces yet another major transition. This is precisely the moment when continuity, institutional knowledge, and trust are most critical.

And yet, Nestor Corona has been excluded from the current pool of principal candidates finalists.

This decision is deeply concerning. It removes from consideration a leader who already understands ChiArts’ unique mission, its conservatory model, and the complex needs of its students. It signals a process that prioritizes expediency over stability—and risks compounding disruption at a pivotal moment for the school.

ChiArts is not a typical CPS school. It is a demanding, pre-professional environment where students pursue rigorous academics alongside intensive arts training. Leading such a school requires more than generic administrative credentials. It requires a leader who understands the balance between artistic development and academic accountability—and who has earned the trust of the community.

Selecting the next principal of ChiArts should not be treated as a routine bureaucratic exercise. This is a decision with lasting consequences for students, families, and staff. Continuity matters. Experience matters. Community trust matters.

By signing this petition, parents, students, and supporters are calling on CPS Network Leadership and the Chicago Board of Education to immediately expand the candidate pool for ChiArts’ next principal and to include Nestor Corona in that process. Doing so does not predetermine an outcome—it ensures that CPS is making a fully informed, community-responsive decision.

Our students deserve leadership that matches the caliber of their talent. Our school deserves a transition guided by stability, not avoidable disruption.

Parents & Students: please sign and share within the next 48 hours.
CPS leadership and Board members: hear this community and act now.

Please note: there is no need to donate with this campaign. Donations would go to change.org, NOT ChiArts. Please sign and spread the word! If you want to donate to ChiArts, visit https://chiarts.org/