Breaking news : A Moment in Time That We Cannot Afford to Squander’: New Chicago Board of Education Members Sworn in at First Meeting
Chicago’s Board of Education met Thursday for the first time since the full board membership abruptly resigned amid ongoing tensions between Mayor Brandon Johnson and Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez.
hybrid board on the horizon, “laying a strong foundation for the shift is necessary to serve the best interests of students and families in Chicago Public Schools.”
But their resignations also came amid ongoing strife between Johnson and Martinez following squabbles over finances, possible future school closures and the district’s ongoing contract negotiations with Johnson’s former employer, the Chicago Teachers Union.
In addition to Johnson and Gardner, the other new board appointees include: Olga Bautista, Michilla Blaise, Deborah Pope, Frank Niles Thomas and Rafael Yáñez.
Yáñez, who ran unsuccessfully to represent the 15th Ward on the Chicago City Council in 2015 and 2019, was announced as the board’s seventh member just this week, while the other six were appointed days after the outgoing board members announced their resignations.
The members each recited an oath of office at the start of Thursday’s meeting and introduced themselves to the public.
Blaise called the last few weeks “an amazing sort of whirlwind” and said that despite the tumultuous time for the school district, she plans to bring “calm” to the board.
“We’re here for the kids and the families,” she said, “we’re here for the schools, we’re here to make sure people are safe (and) to make sure that people are getting what they need.”
Following Thursday’s agenda review committee meeting, the board is set to reconvene for its first full meeting Nov. 1.
