CHICAGO SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES SUBMIT PETITIONS FOR NOVEMBER ELECTIONS
Chicago school board candidates have submitted petitions for the city’s first school board elections on November 5. To be printed on the ballot, candidates needed 1,000 valid signatures from residents of their district, with a deadline of June 24 at 5 p.m.
To learn more about the new school board districts and find out which one you live in, Chalkbeat created an interactive map.
Many candidates have also begun fundraising for their campaigns, reporting contributions to the Illinois State Board of Elections.
Here are the candidates running in each district, according to the Chicago Board of Elections. This list has been updated.
District 1
- Jennifer Custer, a CPS parent and former teacher, union leader, and school administrator in the Chicago suburbs
- Michelle N. Pierre, a CPS parent and Local School Council member, executive director at New Leaders, a training program for school leaders, former charter school leader, and former district administrator in Cleveland
District 2
District 3
- Jason Dónes, chief of people operations at non-profit Beyond 100K, former teacher and leader at Teach for America
- Carlos Rivas, a spokesperson for the Civilian Office of Police Accountability and former alumni counselor at UIC College Prep, a Noble charter school
District 4
- Kimberly Brown, a marketing professional, adjunct professor, and CPS parent
- Andrew Davis, a nonprofit leader, CPS parent, and former LSC member
- Thomas Day, a CPS parent, co-founder of Illinois Veterans for Change
- Carmen Gioiosa, a CPS parent, Local School Council member, adjunct professor, former CPS administrator, and former CPS teacher
- Ellen Rosenfeld, a family and community engagement manager at Chicago Public Schools, a CPS parent, and former CPS teacher
- Karen Zaccor, a teacher at Uplift High School and former LSC member
District 5
- Michilla “Kyla” Blaise, a CPS parent, chief of staff for Cook County Commissioner Frank J. Aguilar, political consultant, and public relations professional
- Jitu Brown, a community organizer with Kenwood Oakland Community Organization, director of the Journey for Justice Alliance, and a Dyett hunger striker
District 6
District 7
District 8
District 9
District 10
- Rev. Robert Jones, a pastor at Mt. Carmel Missionary Baptist Church and a Dyett hunger striker
- Karin Norington-Reaves, a CPS parent and consultant, former candidate in Illinois’s 1st congressional district
- Adam Parrott-Sheffer, a CPS parent, adjunct lecturer at Harvard, author, former principal in CPS and the Chicago suburbs, former district administrator in New York City
- Che “Rhymefest” Smith, a Grammy-award winning songwriter, rapper and community activist
UPDATE
As of Tuesday, August 27, the following candidates have voluntarily withdrawn or been removed from the ballot:
- Chuck Hernandez, Republican committeeman of the 38th Ward on the city’s North West side and retired detective with the Chicago Police Department (District 1)
- Daniel Steven Kleinman, community organizer and Local School Council member (District 2)
- Kirk J. Ortiz, vice president of a private security company and former candidate for Illinois House District 4 (District 3)
- Anthony Hargrove, an associate director of the Back To Our Future program at nonprofit Breakthrough Urban Ministries and former dean at Chicago Public Schools (District 5)
- Kernetha Jones, a retired CPS teacher (District 5)
- Jousef M. Shkoukani, an attorney and founder of an education nonprofit Unified Under Hope (District 5)
- Brenda I. Delgado, a CPS parent, vice president of Raise Your Hand for Illinois Public Education, and former Local School Council member (District 6)
- Danielle Wallace, a community youth advocate and non-profit leader (District 6)
- Felipe “Phil” Luna Jr., a management systems specialist for the Illinois Department of Public Health and Local School Council member (District 7)
- Jesus Ayala Jr., chief of program and strategy operations at Metrosquash (District 7)
- Darius Dee Nix, interim impact director for City Year Chicago, former CPS charter school teacher, former candidate in Illinois’s 1st congressional district (District 8)
- Brittany Bailey Preston, a construction manager and Local School Council member (District 9)
- Rosita Chatonda, nonprofit founder and teacher advocate, former CPS teacher and former teachers union organizer (District 10)
- James M. Walton, a former school principal and administrator in CPS and the Chicago suburbs (District 10)
- Nathaniel “Nate” Ward, director of community outreach & engagement for City Colleges of Chicago, CPS parent, and Local School Council member (District 10)
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who are the candidates running for the Chicago School Board?
A: There are multiple candidates running in each of the 10 districts, with a total of over 50 candidates vying for seats.
Q: What is the deadline for submitting signatures for the election?
A: The deadline for submitting signatures was June 24 at 5 p.m.
Q: How can I learn more about the school board candidates?
A: Chalkbeat created an interactive map to help residents learn more about the new school board districts and find out which one they live in.
Q: Who is funding the school board campaigns?
A: Candidates have begun fundraising for their campaigns, reporting contributions to the Illinois State Board of Elections.
