Elected Representative School Board
“We should be electing [the members of the Board of Education]. Most of the people Rahm Emanuel chose don’t even have kids in CPS or taught in CPS schools. 46% of students in CPS schools are Latino and 37% African American. We should be able to have more Latinos and African Americans running the school board. It’s time for Our Voice to be heard. It’s time for CPS students to be heard.”
- Maria Martinez, Hancock College Prep
Chicago is the only school district in Illinois with an appointed Board of Education. The Mayor-appointed school board in Chicago is responsible for fiscal mismanagement and corruption that have led to years of severe budget cuts. The lack of democracy and transparency in CPS due to an un-elected school board has meant a dangerous disregard for community input in decision making.
For years, BPNC, through the Grassroots Education Movement Coalition (GEM), has organized for an elected school board in Chicago. In 2012, almost 90% of voters in Chicago voted in favor an elected school board. In 2016, the Illinois State House passed a bill that would have established an elected board of education in Chicago. Unfortunately, the Senate failed to vote on the bill.
