Mayor Brandon Johnson is facing criticism from aldermen and parents after the entire Chicago Board of Education announced their resignations. The resignations come amid tensions between Johnson and the board over financial issues, including funding pensions for non-teacher CPS employees and taking out a high-interest loan to pay for these pensions and a new teacher’s union contract. At least 40 aldermen, including 12 members of Johnson’s leadership team on the council, disapproved of the mayor’s efforts to take greater control of CPS.
In a letter, they stated that taking out the $300 million in loans was “not a smart decision” and praised CPS CEO Pedro Martinez, who has resisted Johnson’s initiatives. The aldermen urged Johnson to convene a hearing before the end of the month and before any new appointments to the CPS board are made. They emphasized that Chicagoans deserve a voice in decisions affecting the city’s school system.
Board challenges raise concerns
Less than 24 hours after the news broke, more than 40 family members of Chicago Public Schools students gathered at Lane Tech College Prep’s auditorium to hear candidates pitch why they should serve on the city’s partially-elected school board starting in January. Many attendees expressed hope that the upcoming election would provide an opportunity to shape the future of CPS and decentralize education policy from the mayor’s office.
However, some attendees were left frustrated and seeking more answers. Ryan Jagnandan, who has children in 1st and 3rd grade at the Alexander Graham Bell School in North Center, said she had explicitly wanted the candidates to discuss the budget issues faced by the district, but the moderators asked candidates to discuss other topics instead. Several City Council members have expressed their concerns about Johnson’s ability to push through significant policy priorities, including his upcoming budget. Ald.
Scott Waguespack said, “What’s astounding is that he controls the whole table, and he’s still incapable of properly managing not just CPS, but the whole situation.”
Johnson himself has refrained from publicly criticizing Martinez directly, framing the resignations as part of the transition to a hybrid elected school board set to be seated in January. However, critics argue that the ongoing power struggle casts doubt over Johnson’s ability to deliver on his promises, affecting his standing both in City Hall and in Springfield.
