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Chicago mayor names new school board after entire panel resigns amid a fight over district control
U.S. NEWS
Chicago mayor names new school board after entire panel resigns amid a fight over district control
BY SOPHIA TAREEN
Updated 3:48 PM EDT, October 7, 2024
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CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson named members of a new school board on Monday, batting away criticism of the move days after all seven members resigned amid an escalating fight over control of the public schools in the nation’s third-largest city.
During a news conference at a South Side church, Johnson introduced six new school board members and said he’d name a seventh at a later date. He said that although the new members are technically nominees who are still being vetted, it’s a formality and they could remain after the board triples in size in January and goes to a hybrid model that will include 11 mayoral appointees and 10 elected members.
“I’m confident that these new candidates will work to lead CPS into the world class school system that our children deserve,” Johnson said, referring to Chicago Public Schools. “I will continue to nominate Chicagoans who are dedicated to meeting the needs of our students.”
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Johnson has been trying to oust the district’s CEO, Pedro Martinez, who was named to the job in 2021 by Johnson’s predecessor, then-Mayor Lori Lightfoot. Johnson, a former Chicago Teachers Union organizer, has clashed with Martinez, including over how best to close gaps in the district’s nearly $10 billion budget. Martinez has refused to resign, citing the need for stability in the district.
{snip}
Chicago mayor names new school board after entire panel resigns amid a fight over district control
BY SOPHIA TAREEN
Updated 3:48 PM EDT, October 7, 2024
Share
CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson named members of a new school board on Monday, batting away criticism of the move days after all seven members resigned amid an escalating fight over control of the public schools in the nation’s third-largest city.
During a news conference at a South Side church, Johnson introduced six new school board members and said he’d name a seventh at a later date. He said that although the new members are technically nominees who are still being vetted, it’s a formality and they could remain after the board triples in size in January and goes to a hybrid model that will include 11 mayoral appointees and 10 elected members.
“I’m confident that these new candidates will work to lead CPS into the world class school system that our children deserve,” Johnson said, referring to Chicago Public Schools. “I will continue to nominate Chicagoans who are dedicated to meeting the needs of our students.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Johnson has been trying to oust the district’s CEO, Pedro Martinez, who was named to the job in 2021 by Johnson’s predecessor, then-Mayor Lori Lightfoot. Johnson, a former Chicago Teachers Union organizer, has clashed with Martinez, including over how best to close gaps in the district’s nearly $10 billion budget. Martinez has refused to resign, citing the need for stability in the district.
{snip}