More on the election Chicago School Board What you need to know about Chicago’s elected school board City voters will elect school board members this fall for the first time. We break down how candidates got on the ballot and how to vote. By Nader Issa , Sarah Karp , and 1 more [month] [day], [year], [hour]:[minute][ampm] [timezone]   The Sun-Times/WBEZ and Chalkbeat emailed a questionnaire to candidates who filed to run in the city’s first school board elections on Nov. 5. Answers have been lightly edited for typos, grammar and consistency in styling, but not for content or length. Age was calculated as of Sept. 1, 2024. *Reader questions: We surveyed hundreds of CPS parents to learn what they wanted to hear from the candidates and used several of their questions on our questionnaire. Jump toAbout the candidateQuestions:AcademicsCPS financesSchool choiceIndependencePolice in schoolsBusing and facilitiesBilingual educationTop local issue Academics About 31% of Chicago Public Schools elementary students are meeting state standards in reading, and 19% are meeting math standards. How would you approach growing reading and math achievement?* My focus as a board member would be to provide more resources to our trusted teachers and administrators. The board is a governing body that doesn’t have day to day interaction with children but we trust those who do and it will be our job to make sure they have everything they bneed to thrive. Do you support standardized testing more than once a year? No. There is so much innovation in assessing student outcomes that I think we have some really good and viable options that don’t have to include the damaging effects of high stakes standardized testing. Do you support requiring all schools to select from a certain curriculum authorized by the board of education? No. I believe the board can act more as a guardrail not a guide. Our administrators, teachers, support staff and students are the active participants in improving student outcomes and should have the space to collaborate towards establishing and implementing innovation in curriculum. Chicago Public Schools has consistently fallen short when it comes to serving students with disabilities. What would you do to improve special education? n/a CPS finances In recent years, Chicago’s Board of Education has consistently raised the property tax levy to the maximum allowed by state law every year. Should the board continue to raise the levy to the maximum? No. We have become so reliant on property taxes as a major source of funding for our schools. I would love to see us reimagine how we could engage with The Children First Fund for innovations in funding. Do you think CPS needs more funding, or do you think the school district’s budget is bloated? How would you balance the CPS budget?* Two things can be true. CPS needs more diversity in funding sources and better oversite in spending. More on the election Education How much cash is being raised by Chicago school board candidates? WBEZ and the Sun-Times are tracking campaign contributions for every candidate running for Chicago’s School Board on Nov. 5. By Jesse Howe , Nader Issa , and 3 more [month] [day], [year], [hour]:[minute][ampm] [timezone]   Jump toAbout the candidateQuestions:AcademicsCPS financesSchool choiceIndependencePolice in schoolsBusing and facilitiesBilingual educationTop local issue School choice Do you support the current board of education’s decision to prioritize neighborhood schools and shift away from the current system of school choice with selective enrollment, magnet and charter schools? No. I trust that parents and students know what schools are the best fit for them. I do, however, support creating a plan to be intentional about revitalizing our school that are in deep disrepair. Given the board of education’s decision to prioritize neighborhood schools, how would you balance supporting those schools without undermining the city’s selective enrollment schools and other specialized programs?* n/aThe first charter school opened in Chicago in 1997 and these privately run, publicly funded schools grew in number throughout the 2000s. Today, 54,000 Chicago Public Schools students, or about 17%, attend charters and contract schools. Do you support having charter schools in CPS as an option for students? Yes. I support innovation. I believe that charter schools aren’t the enemy of public schools. Public schools and charter school are apart of the education ecosystem. Figuring out how to exist in this ecosystem is a task that we constantly try to circumvent however for every innovation we try to prevent there are four more to take its place. IndependenceIf elected, how will you maintain your independence from the mayor’s office, the Chicago Teachers Union or other powerful forces shaping the school system?* I’m not affiliated with them today. Police in schoolsDo you support having sworn Chicago Police Department officers stationed in schools? No. Police in schools is a reactionary practice that began in the wake of a decline in the sanctity, and respect for the school environment. As we address the overall culture of CPS we will see less of a need for police in schools. Jump toAbout the candidateQuestions:AcademicsCPS financesSchool choiceIndependencePolice in schoolsBusing and facilitiesBilingual educationTop local issue Busing and facilities Last year, in an effort to prioritize transportation for students with disabilities as required by state and federal law, CPS canceled busing for general education students who attend selective enrollment and magnet schools and hasn’t found a solution to reinstate that service. Do you support busing for general education students? Yes. Students that need busing should have busing. About one-third of Chicago public school buildings have space for at least double the students they’re currently enrolling. Chicago officials have previously viewed under-enrolled schools as an inefficient use of limited resources — and a decade ago the city closed a record 50 schools. Do you support closing schools for low enrollment? No. Schools that have low enrollment are schools that have experienced decades of disinvestment. It’s adding insult to injury to close a school for poor management. Bilingual educationCPS has long struggled to comply with state and federal laws requiring bilingual programs at schools that enroll 20 or more students who speak a different language. The recent influx of migrant families has exacerbated the problem. What policies do you support to ensure the district is supporting bilingual students and in compliance with state and federal laws? n/a Top local issuePlease share one issue that’s a top concern for your community or your larger elected school board voting district. n/a School board election 2024 Voter guide Latest news Campaign finance tracker District maps