Campaigning for School Board and Against Johnson
A Quietus to the Status Quo?
Bruce Leon has three opponents in his race for District 2 on the Chicago Board of Education, but he’s really running against a man who’s not on the ballot: Mayor Brandon Johnson. "Bruce Leon will stand up to the bully Brandon Johnson," Leon trumpeted in a mailer to voters, declaring himself against a $300 million high-interest loan, against firing schools CEO Pedro Martinez, and against defunding selective enrollment schools — all priorities of Johnson’s.
A Man and His Machine
Johnson is a former organizer for the Chicago Teachers Union, and is closely aligned with the union, which endorsed and funded his candidacy for mayor. Johnson also has a 26 percent approval rating. He recently caused an uproar when the entire school board resigned, allowing him to appoint new members who will, presumably, rubber stamp his personal vision for the school district. The City Council was so outraged that 41 alderpersons signed a letter calling for a hearing on Johnson’s handling of the schools.
A Plea for Change
With Johnson and his education policies so unpopular, could voters take out their displeasure with the mayor by voting against CTU-backed candidates? Leon hopes so. The board that takes office in January will include 10 members appointed by Johnson, so it’s important to have a few independents to push back, he says. "I think it’s an important part of this election in general," he says. "Are we happy with the status quo, or do we want change? It’s better to have a board that can push back on the payday loan and the CEO. I’m an independent. I am not even taking outside money. I am someone who, in my opinion, will act with no strings attached."
No Strings Attached
Leon also emphasizes his uniqueness in this election. "I’m an independent," he says. "I am not affiliated with the Democratic machine. I am not affiliated with the Chicago Teachers Union. I’m someone who, in my opinion, will act with no strings attached. No matter what happens, the mayor gets to pick 10 people. Even if five of us win, we’re still only 25 percent of the board."
A Word About the Competition
The Chicago Teachers Union has endorsed Ebony DeBerry in District 2, and DeBerry and the CTU have sent out mailers calling Leon a millionaire "trying to buy his way onto the school board" and claiming he’s the candidate of "Trump Republicans and out-of-state billionaires" who are using him to support the agenda of Project 2025, which "calls for an end to public education…and rips money out of our public schools and into for-profit charter schools." Leon has been endorsed by the Chicago Republican Party, the conservative Illinois Policy Institute, and the libertarian Chicago Tribune. INCS Action Independent Committee, a pro-charter school organization that has raised $3.2 million, sent out a mailer attacking DeBerry.
Not Just Leon’s Campaign
In District 4, candidate Ellen Rosenfeld is also running an anti-Johnson campaign. According to a Rosenfeld mailer, "she will stand up to Mayor Brandon Johnson and his CTU allies and reject the mayor’s reckless payday loan proposal for our schools." Rosenfeld also calls herself an independent. "What it means to be independent to me is I’m beholden to no one’s agenda," she says. "I’m not the CTU’s candidate, I’m not Mayor Johnson’s candidate. We can’t afford for this board to be a rubber stamp for Mayor Johnson."
The Road Ahead
The mass resignation of the school board put Johnson’s control of the schools at the top of voters’ minds, Rosenfeld says, and may turn out to be an advantage for anti-Johnson candidates. "It brought it to the spotlight," she says. "Now, when I talk to people, there are so many people engaged. People are doing their research. It has far-reaching tentacles."
Conclusion
With Johnson’s education policies so unpopular, could this be the perfect opportunity for a Quietus to the Status Quo? While some may view the school board election as a means to an end, others may see it as an opportunity to shake things up. Whether or not the message resonates with voters remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: the stakes have never been higher for the future of education in Chicago.
FAQs
Q: What is the significance of this school board election?
A: This election will determine the composition of the school board, which will have a profound impact on the direction of the school district.
Q: What do the candidates in this election stand for?
A: Some candidates, like Bruce Leon, are against Mayor Johnson’s education policies, while others, like Ebony DeBerry, back the mayor’s vision for the school district.
Q: What are the major issues in this election?
A: The major issues in this election are the high-interest loan, the firing of schools CEO Pedro Martinez, and the defunding of selective enrollment schools – all priorities of Mayor Brandon Johnson.
Q: What does it mean to be an independent candidate in this election?
A: In this election, being an independent means not being affiliated with either the Democratic machine or the Chicago Teachers Union, but rather a candidate who is beholden to no one’s agenda.
