Statement on CPS School Board Resignations
On Friday, October 4, all seven sitting members of the Chicago School Board resigned. These vacancies, which will now be replaced with direct appointments from the Mayor, will be tasked with overseeing the CPS budget, CEO Martinez's employment, and the ongoing negotiations with the Chicago Teachers Union. Please read the following statement which Alderwoman Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth put out along with 40 other alders on Saturday, October 5 discussing what this means for the Chicago Public School District, especially in light of the upcoming budget hearings:
October 05, 2024
City Council Members
City of Chicago
121 North LaSalle Street, Suite 300
Chicago, Illinois 60602
Statement on CPS School Board Resignations
This past Friday, all seven sitting members of the Chicago School Board resigned. These vacancies, which will now be replaced with direct appointments from the Mayor, will be tasked with overseeing the CPS budget, CEO Martinez's employment, and the ongoing negotiations with the Chicago Teachers Union. This is unprecedented and brings further instability to our school district.
Taking out a $300 million, high-interest payday loan is not a smart decision when CPS is already facing a massive deficit and the city an almost $1 billion deficit. With federal Covid-relief funds having recently expired for CPS, it is critical that CPS leaders keep the interests of taxpayers and our children top of mind as they make budget decisions that will impact the District for decades to come.
CEO Pedro Martinez and the members of the School Board, who have announced their resignation, understood the reality of that situation by passing a budget that did not include this loan. There is extreme cause for concern now that those voices have been diminished.
Earlier this year, legislators in Springfield noted the requests they received from the city's lobbying efforts. Many of them shared that the requests focused too much on $2 billion for a new Bears stadium, and not enough on additional funds for CPS and other school districts across Illinois. We must find new ways to work with one another, CPS leadership, and our colleagues in Springfield to achieve our shared vision of fully funded schools for all Illinois students.
Additionally, City Council must also convene for a hearing before the end of October, and before any new appointments are established. Chicagoans deserve a voice when it comes to decisions that will affect our school system and city as a whole. A School Board full of lame-duck appointees carrying out only a few months of a term before residents get a chance to elect representatives is not what is in our best interest. A revolving door of CEOs that cannot complete more than a handful of years before transitioning out is not in our best interest.
With the next School Board meeting scheduled for late October, only days away from the general election, it would be a disservice to appoint anyone without thorough vetting - this is not what we fought for in our efforts for a fully elected School Board.
Signed by:
Leni Manaa-Hoppenworth - 48th Ward Chicago Alderwoman
Daniel La Spata - 1st Ward Chicago Alderman
Brian Hopkins - 2nd Ward Chicago Alderman
Pat Dowell - 3rd Ward Chicago Alderman
Desmon Yancy - 5th Ward Chicago Alderman
Gregory Mitchell - 7th Ward Chicago Alderman
Michelle A. Harris - 8th Ward Chicago Alderman
Anthony Beale - 9th Ward Chicago Alderman
Peter Chico - 10th Ward Chicago Alderman
Nicole Lee - 11th Ward Chicago Alderman
Julia M. Ramirez - 12th Ward Chicago Alderman
Marty Quinn - 13th Ward Chicago Alderman
Jeylu Gutierrez - 14th Ward Chicago Alderman
Raymond Lopez - 15th Ward Chicago Alderman
Stephanie Coleman - 16th Ward Chicago Alderman
David Moore - 17th Ward Chicago Alderman
Derrick Curtis - 18th Ward Chicago Alderman
Matthew O'Shea - 19th Ward Chicago Alderman
Jeannette Taylor - 20th Ward Chicago Alderman
Ronnie Mosley - 21st Ward Chicago Alderman
Michael Rodriguez - 22nd Ward Chicago Alderman
Silvana Tabares - 23rd Ward Chicago Alderman
Monique Scott - 24th Ward Chicago Alderman
Ruth Cruz - 30th Ward Chicago Alderman
Felix Cardona - 31st Ward Chicago Alderman
Scott Waguespack - 32nd Ward Chicago Alderman
Bill Conway - 34th Ward Chicago Alderman
Gilbert Villegas - 36th Ward Chicago Alderman
Emma Mitts - 37th Ward Chicago Alderman
Nicholas Sposato - 38th Ward Chicago Alderman
Samantha Nugent - 39th Ward Chicago Alderman
Andre Vasquez - 40th Ward Chicago Alderman
Anthony Napolitano - 41st Ward Chicago Alderman
Brendan Reilly - 42nd Ward Chicago Alderman
Timmy Knudsen - 43rd Ward Chicago Alderman
Bennett Lawson - 44th Ward Chicago Alderman
James Gardiner - 45th Ward Chicago Alderman
Angela Clay - 46th Ward Chicago Alderman
Matt Martin - 47th Ward Chicago Alderman
Maria Hadden - 49th Ward Chicago Alderman
Debra Silverstein - 50th Ward Chicago Alderman
