A New Chicago School Board Steps In Amid District Leadership Turmoil
New Board Meets, Swears in Members, and Reviews Agenda
The school board that Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson appointed earlier this month amid a dramatic leadership shakeup met for the first time Thursday. The meeting was a mostly uneventful one, with the seven new members being sworn in and reviewing the agenda for next Friday’s meeting.
eyes on the New Board to Remove CEO Pedro Martinez
All eyes were on the new board to see if it might take action to remove Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez amid an increasingly public clash between the schools chief and Johnson over navigating the district’s and city’s financial challenges. The entire previous board made up of mostly Johnson appointees resigned earlier this month, reportedly following pressure to oust Martinez.
New Board President and Vice President Elected
At Thursday’s meeting, the Rev. Mitchell Ikenna Johnson, former executive director of the Developing Communities Project, became president of the new board, and Mary Gardner, a West Side community organizer, took on the role of vice president.
New Board Members Pledge to Promote Free Expression and Protect Student and Employee Privacy
The new members jointly recited the standard oath of office at the meeting’s start, vowing to promote the free expression of opinion by fellow board members, protect student and employee privacy, and respect the interests of city taxpayers as they “set the course for Chicago Public Schools.”
New Board Faces Challenges Ahead
The Johnson administration has said the board changeover was part of an orderly transition to a new partially elected board in January, made up of 11 mayoral appointees and 10 members that Chicago voters will elect on November 5. However, Martinez’s supporters have voiced concern that Johnson replaced a board unwilling to fire the CEO with new members prepared to remove him from his post roughly three years after former Mayor Lori Lightfoot hired him.
Conroversy Over Short-term, High-interest Loan and Pension Payment
The mayor and the CEO have clashed over a Johnson request for the district to take on a short-term, high-interest loan to cover the cost of a teachers contract the district is now negotiating as well as the non-teaching staff pension payment to a city fund. Martinez has argued that the district must find a way to balance its budget without taking on more high-cost debt, and he has insisted the city should cover that pension expense as it has in the past.
What’s Next for the New Board?
The board will meet again next Friday to review and discuss the district’s finances, including the proposed loan and pension payment. What’s unclear is if the new board will take action to remove Martinez, despite the controversy surrounding the district’s leadership.
FAQs
* What is the current situation with the Chicago Public Schools CEO and Mayor Johnson?
+ The two are in a public dispute over the district’s financial challenges, with the mayor requesting a short-term, high-interest loan and the CEO opposing it.
* What is the background of the new school board members?
+ The board is made up of seven new members, including Rev. Mitchell Ikenna Johnson (president) and Mary Gardner (vice president), who were appointed by Mayor Johnson.
* What is the timetable for the new board?
+ The new board is expected to serve until January, at which point a partially elected board will take its place, with 11 mayoral appointees and 10 members elected by Chicago voters.
After the meeting, the new members will continue to meet to review and discuss the district’s finances, policies, and contracts. Only time will tell if the new board will take action to remove the CEO and address the district’s leadership challenges.