Chicago School Board members sworn into office

Chicago's first-ever hybrid school board was sworn into office Wednesday.

What we know:

The Chicago School Board consists of 10 members who were elected last November and 11 mayoral appointees, including the board president. There is an appointed board member and elected board member representing each of the city's 10 districts.

What is the Chicago School Board?

The backstory:

Chicago’s Board of Education — which passes a $9 billion budget, confirms a CEO and approves policies and contracts — was created by state legislators in 1872. After many versions, a seven-member board was instituted in 1999.

America’s third-largest city has long been an outlier with a mayor-appointed board overseeing Chicago Public Schools, and it took years of advocacy and legislative squabbles to reach this point.

In 2021, a new law signed by Gov. JB Pritzker phased out a seven-member board of mayoral appointees for a 21-member hybrid board until 2027, when a fully-elected board will take office for four-year terms.

The multi-year transition has been rife with conflict. Mayor Brandon Johnson named an entirely new board in October after all seven members resigned amid an escalating fight over control of CPS.

Who is on the Chicago School Board?

Chicago School Board members:

Sean Harden serves as the president of the Chicago Board of Education. He was selected by Johnson to lead the board in December. Harden, a native South Sider, has decades of experience working for the city, holding the title of deputy CEO of community affairs for CPS and director of workforce development for the city.

District 1: Ed Bannon (appointed) and Jennifer Custer

District 2: Debby Pope (appointed) and Ebony DeBarry

District 3: Norma Rios-Sierra (appointed) and Carlos Rivas

District 4: Karen Zaccor (appointed) and Ellen Rosenfield

District 5: Michilla Blaise (appointed) and Aaron Jitu Brown

District 6: Anusha Thotakura (appointed) and Jessica Biggs

District 7: Emma Lozano (appointed) and Yesenia Lopez

District 8: Angel Gutierrez was elected and Johnson has yet to appoint anyone to this district.

District 9: Frank Niles Thomas (appointed) and Therese Boyle

District 10: Olga Bautista (appointed) and Che "Rhymefest" Smith

CPS Board Resignations

Dig deeper:

Tensions escalated in October when all seven members of the CPS Board of Education, appointed by Johnson, resigned following pressure from Johnson and the Chicago Teachers Union to remove CPS CEO Pedro Martinez.

Martinez had opposed taking out a $300 million short-term loan to help fund portions of the union’s contract demands.

Days later, Johnson appointed seven new board members, sparking public backlash.

When the mayor attempted to introduce the new board members at a South Side church, a group of protesters interrupted the event.

"Not legit! Not legit!" the group shouted, referencing their dismay about the board turmoil, with some of them holding signs saying "Fire Brandon."

But the mayor, who referenced how he fought to achieve an elected school board, repeated over and over that the authority to appoint new members right now rested with him, and him only.

CPS CEO Pedro Martinez fired mid-school year

All six of the new Johnson-appointed School Board members voted to fire Martinez in December.

Martinez, who was fired without cause, will receive six months of salary and a lump-sum payment. His duties will also be modified, board members said.

Martinez will remain as CEO through the rest of the school year. He hinted at potential legal action, emphasizing the terms of his contract.

The meeting marked the board’s third attempt to remove Martinez following Mayor Brandon Johnson’s earlier call for his resignation and the board’s offer of a contract buyout.

The Source: This article was written from a combination of previous FOX 32 reporting, information from the Chicago Board of Education and details from The Associated Press.

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