Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson named members of a new school board on Monday, days after all seven members resigned amid an escalating fight over control of the public schools in the nation’s third-largest city.
Editor's Note: Johnson announced six of the appointees during a heated press conference Monday. Our latest story can be found here. Our original story continues below.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson will appoint seven new members to the Chicago Board of Education during an announcement Monday, according to a release from the Mayor's office.
The appointments come three days after the entire board said they would resign ahead of the start of a hybrid elected- and-appointed School Board in January 2025. They also come weeks after Johnson reportedly asked Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez to resign from his post.
Johnson later denied that he asked Martinez to resign, though Martinez defended his status as the district's leader in a Chicago Tribune op-ed.
The current school board, made up of members previously appointed by Johnson, had unanimously approved Martinez's five-year plan, which did not include taking out a high-interest, $300 million loan or $175 million pension payment for nonteacher CPS employees, both of which the Chicago Teachers Union asked for in ongoing contract negotiation talks.
The CTU, which supported Johnson's candidacy for Mayor, and is also calling for Martinez to be removed from his position.
At City Council, 41 of 50 alderman signed a letter over the weekend demanding a hearing take place before Johnson moved to appoint seven new members on his own.
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The letter says in part that City Council must convene for a hearing before the end of the month, and "before any new appointments are established."
"Chicagoans deserve a voice when it comes to decisions that will affect our school system and city as a whole," the letter read in part. "A School Board full of lame-duck appointees carrying out only a few months of a term before residents get a chance to elect representatives is not what is in our best interest."
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According to officials, legislators in Springfield were working on drafting legislation that would require City Council to approve all CPS board appointments.
Johnson over the weekend discussed the plan, saying the move was "ultimately about it's about securing opportunities for the families in the city of Chicago."
Johnson is expected to name seven new appointments to the Chicago Board of Education at 10:30 a.m. Monday at Sweet Holy Spirit Church on the city's Far South Side.
CPS, Martinez release statements after entire board resigns
A spokesperson for CPS issued the following statement in wake of the resignations:
"CPS CEO Pedro Martinez, on behalf of his leadership team, staff and students, extends his sincere gratitude to the members of the Chicago Board of Education for their service. School Board members are dedicated, civic-minded public servants who are not paid for their work. They each have spent countless hours volunteering their time, lending their considerable expertise and experience to support our system and our more than 325,000 students. School Board members review thousands of documents each year and spend additional time researching, asking questions, and offering input before voting on major decisions, including the District’s annual budget, and just last month, the District’s five-year strategic plan, ‘Success 2029: Together We Rise.’ These Board members in particular advocated for equity, emphasizing our collective responsibility to better serve all students but especially students with disabilities and those in neighborhoods that have been historically under-resourced and who remain furthest from opportunity. We extend special thanks to Board President Jianan Shi and Vice President Elizabeth Todd-Breland for their leadership. Vice President Todd-Breland is the only remaining Board member who has served through the COVID-19 pandemic and in the aftermath as the District worked to restore services and successfully lead academic recovery efforts.
We understand news that the seven-member Chicago Board of Education plans to resign later this month may concern our families and staff. CEO Martinez and his leadership team, principals and staff, remain focused on teaching and learning, continuing the great momentum we’ve seen in students’ academic gains and performance over the past two years."
Martinez offered the following statement to CPS staff and families in wake of the resignations:
Earlier today, all seven members of the Chicago Board of Education announced that they plan to resign their positions in the very near future. I want to take this opportunity to thank all seven of these individuals for their vision and their leadership — Board President Jianan Shi, Vice President Elizabeth Todd-Breland, Mariela Estrada, Mary Fahey Hughes, Rudy Lozano, Jr., Michelle Morales, and Tanya D. Woods.
I am sincerely grateful to each one of these dedicated, civic-minded public servants who have volunteered their time, their expertise, their experience, and their energy to supporting our system and serving more than 324,000 students.
School board members — who are not paid for their work — review thousands of policies and proposals each year and spend additional time researching, asking questions, and offering input before voting on major decisions, including the District’s annual budget, and more recently, the District’s five-year strategic plan, ‘Success 2029: Together We Rise,’ which this board approved just 19 days ago.
I want to salute these Board members in particular for their steadfast dedication to ensuring greater equity in our system, emphasizing our collective responsibility to improve the quality of education for those who are furthest from opportunity.
I want to extend my special thanks to Board Vice President Todd-Breland, who has been a board member since 2019, for her leadership through the COVID-19 pandemic and in the aftermath. She worked to restore services and lead academic recovery efforts that have yielded some of the biggest gains among large urban districts.
I know that families and staff may have concerns about what this means for the future of our District. Please know that regardless of the makeup of the Board of Education, my team and I remain focused on the work: robust teaching and learning, building on the great momentum we’ve seen in students’ academic gains, and continuing to realize our vision of a District where every student has a rigorous, high-quality, and joyful learning experience."
