Sybil Madison is a clinical and community psychologist who says her background in community psychology really influenced her career working in the education system. “We believe in working on a system level to affect change; a place of believing that everybody has a desire to do well,” she said.
So, when she was asked to be part of Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot’s transition team, she saw a chance to be part of the process to affect change in the city. Now, Madison is the deputy mayor for education and human services. For her it is an intersection of education and public health, looking at issues on a multisystemic level.
“To have the opportunity to serve a mayor who’s really thinking about problems in that way, I really wanted to be part of that administration,” she said. Madison said she has really been focused on the Mayor’s agenda for education, which includes strengthening neighborhood schools.
“(We want) to make sure all youth that come through our schools have a viable path to a career,” she said. “Preparing them for college but also other opportunities.” Another part of the agenda is early childhood education and the need to provide a safe nurturing environment to the city’s youngest population. “We’re just beginning to have those conversations, but we’re really excited what the leadership in Chicago Public Schools is doing. We feel we have a good team looking at those issues,” she said.
In addition to that, Madison wants to engage communities about equity-based funding, which would help underserved communities. “We want to make sure youth in those schools have what they need to be successful,” she said.
There also is a push to support students who attend local universities to ensure they complete college. One option Madison talked about is alignment between CPS and the City Colleges of Chicago, with a 2+2 plan, or certifications.
“I’m looking forward to doing more work to support Chicago youth,” she said. With that, Madison is looking for ways to support young people in exploring their interests.
“(We’re) thinking about how we can get young people connected to opportunities,” she said. “Get smarter about connecting so they can dive deep in areas they are interested in.”
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