CPS School Board: The race in the South Side’s District 10
The candidates for the 10th District contest
The race in School Board District 10 boasts the biggest celebrity in the Chicago Board of Education election this fall, but he is joined by other heavy hitters — a Harvard education consultant, a workforce development expert and an activist pastor who went on a hunger strike to save a school.
About the candidates
Karin Norington-Reaves is a Harvard-educated education consultant who has worked with the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership. Her passion for education comes from advocating for her daughter, who is blind and has had to travel to a North Side school that can accommodate her needs. She emphasizes the need for more career and technical training in schools.
Robert Jones, a pastor at Mount Carmel Missionary Baptist Church in Bronzeville, took part in a 34-day hunger strike to keep Dyett High School open in 2015. He has also been involved in other battles to save South Side institutions, including Mercy Hospital. He has four children who attended school in East St. Louis.
School types and choice
Jones and Smith said they oppose publicly funded, privately managed charter schools as an option. However, at forums, they said they were okay with existing charters staying open. Jones sees the school ecosystem as a fabric, and that there are many parts of the fabric, including charters. Smith said some charters will push out students who aren’t at a certain grade-point average or have behavioral issues, leaving neighborhood schools to grapple with these students. He also doesn’t like that money from charter school operators is pouring into this election.
Norington-Reaves believes that who runs a school is not as important as the quality of education it offers. She pointed to unique charter schools, such as Betty Shabazz International Charter, which provides an Afrocentric education and “gives children an opportunity to learn about themselves and to come out of that school with a sense of self that flies in the face of what society generally teaches.”
Parrott-Sheffer also supports charter schools as an option. He wants to see neighborhood schools become so appealing that parents are “knocking down doors” to get their children a seat. “It shouldn’t be to close existing schools, regardless of governance models, and to tell families that we know more about what is right for their child than they do,” he said.
CPS budget and leadership
Parrott-Sheffer publicly pledged support for CPS CEO Pedro Martinez, which came as it became clear the mayor’s office wanted him replaced. This comes as it became clear the mayor’s office wanted him replaced. The CEO and the mayor remain in a standoff over how to address a budget shortfall.
Martinez recently said he wants the mayor to provide $462 million from special taxing districts called TIFs. The mayor has said he will provide as much as he can from TIFs, but that CPS may need to borrow — an idea Martinez has rejected as fiscally irresponsible.
Parrott-Sheffer wrote on LinkedIn, “It is important we have an adult in the room who rejects pressure to take on high-interest loans that would ruin our city. We can’t sell out our future because we don’t have the courage to face hard truths now.”
Smith said he is not in a position to make a call on Martinez or the loan. Without knowing all the details, he said it would be irresponsible for him to have already decided.
Jones is endorsed by the CTU, which is aligned with Johnson, but he said he needs to evaluate Martinez before making a decision. He opposes a loan. At a forum, he recommended an audit of CPS’ budget and said the board needs to “prepare to make tough decisions as it relates to expenditures. You can’t just print out money,” Jones said.
Norington-Reaves said she would not remove Martinez because the move to replace him is not based on his actual job performance. She also said that not enough attention is being paid to decreasing expenditures. “Where can we cut fat?” she asked at a candidate forum.
Conclusion
The candidates for the 10th District contest are a mix of innovators and advocates, each with a unique perspective on the challenges facing Chicago Public Schools. From charters to CEO accountability, the issues are complex, and the solutions will require nuanced and informed decision-making.
FAQs
* What does district 10 cover? District 10 starts at 26th Street and stretches along Lake Michigan to the city’s southern border.
* Who is endorsed by whom? Karin Norington-Reaves is supported by the Illinois Network of Charter Schools and endorsed by Urban Center Action, an anti-CTU independent expenditure organization. Robert Jones is endorsed by the Chicago Teachers Union and other progressive organizations. Adam Parrott-Sheffer and Che “Rhymefest” Smith are independent candidates. Adam Parrott-Sheffer is backed by a write-in candidate, Rosita Chotonda.
* What does the budget dispute between the CEO and the mayor involve? The budget shortfall is projected to be around $400 million to $500 million, and the CEO wants the mayor to provide $462 million from special taxing districts called TIFs. The mayor is willing to provide some of this money, but the CEO has rejected the idea of borrowing the rest.
