Chicago Mayor Appoints New School Board After Entire Panel Resigns

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson announced new appointments to the city’s school board after the entire panel resigned earlier this month.
On Monday, Johnson announced six new school board members with plans to name a seventh later at a news conference held at a South Side church. Although the new members are still technically nominees undergoing vetting, Johnson described the process as a formality. He indicated they are likely to stay on when the board expands in January, transitioning to a hybrid model with 11 mayoral appointees and 10 elected members.
“I’m confident that these new candidates will work to lead CPS (Chicago Public Schools) into the world class school system that our children deserve,” Johnson said during the press conference. “I will continue to nominate Chicagoans who are dedicated to meeting the needs of our students.”
Johnson, a former Chicago Teachers Union organizer, has been pushing to remove the district’s CEO, Pedro Martinez, who was appointed by former Mayor Lori Lightfoot in 2021. The two have clashed, particularly over strategies to address the nearly $10 billion budget shortfall. Despite Johnson’s efforts, Martinez has refused to step down, emphasizing the importance of maintaining stability within the district.
In a surprising turn, all seven school board members announced on Friday they would resign at the end of the month. The move comes during the tenure of a mayor who has emphasized his commitment to education and equity in the largely low-income district. The departing members, appointed by Johnson in 2023 just months after he took office, have not commented on their decision to step down.
Next month, Chicago will hold its first-ever school board elections, transitioning to a 21-member hybrid board that will remain in place until 2027, when the city shifts to a fully elected board.
Johnson’s new school board appointments don’t need City Council approval, but a majority of aldermen signed a letter over the weekend demanding a hearing on the issue. Cristina Pacione-Zayas, Johnson’s chief of staff, informed reporters that the district is currently vetting the appointees for any potential conflicts of interest.
Johnson, who is in his first term, has faced sharp criticism over the chaotic appointment process, with accusations that he’s attempting to consolidate power—undermining his progressive agenda. City Council members called the wave of appointments an “extreme cause for concern.” Business leaders who support Martinez criticized the borrowing plan as reckless, while Illinois legislators hinted that the state might step in.
Johnson dismissed the criticism on Monday, pointing instead to what he called the real chaos in the district: Former Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s decision to close more than 50 schools in 2013—a move Johnson actively opposed during his time as a community organizer.
At the event, Johnson stood alongside his handpicked nominees, a group that included a minister, a former Chicago Teachers Union member and an environmental activist. The gathering featured vocal support from local clergy and church members. Bishop Larry Trotter, a prominent Black pastor in Chicago, expressed his unwavering backing of the mayor.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.