CPS to end automatic enrollment in JROTC military program

CPS has one of the country’s largest JROTC operations. After a yearlong internal investigation, the district has pledged to revamp its program.

Martin Luther King College Prep High School in Chicago
King College Prep High School in Chicago on May 21, 2021. Youngrae Kim / Chalkbeat
Martin Luther King College Prep High School in Chicago
King College Prep High School in Chicago on May 21, 2021. Youngrae Kim / Chalkbeat

CPS to end automatic enrollment in JROTC military program

CPS has one of the country’s largest JROTC operations. After a yearlong internal investigation, the district has pledged to revamp its program.

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A new report by Chicago Public School’s inspector general’s office found students at predominantly Black and Latino high schools were enrolled in the JROTC military program at higher rates than students at mostly white schools. In response, the district has pledged to make a number of changes to stop this practice.

Reset checks in with a CPS parent and the reporter whose story prompted the investigation.

GUESTS: Wiley Johnson, CPS parent and chairman of the Local School Council at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. College Prep

Alex Ruppenthal, independent journalist