On Election Day, November 5th, voters will have a chance to elect members to the Chicago Board of Education for the first time. With 37 days to go, some candidates running for office made their pitch Saturday to voters on the city’s south side.
“Taxpayers are a huge advocate for CPS whether they have children or not,” Lanetta Thomas said. “They all have over 300,000 kids in CPS, the taxpayers. It’s their kids, because they’re paying for it.”
Thomas is running to represent the 9th District, from Canaryville to Pullman. She faces three other opponents in the race, including Miquel Lewis.
“I tell you one clear thing that sets me apart from all the other candidates is that I actually have a background in serving on this board of education,” Lewis said.
The board currently has seven members and will soon expand to 21 next year. Its duties and responsibilities include hiring and evaluating the CEO.
Pedro Martinez, who serves in that role, was asked to resign last week by Mayor Brandon Johnson, multiple sources said. Another candidate, La’Mont Raymond Williams, weighed in on the strain between the two in an interview with NBC Chicago.
“I think it’s unfortunate, because right now the district itself can’t really afford any more distractions than it already has with its budget deficit,” Williams said.
The district is facing a $500 million budget deficit. The conflict between Johnson and Martinez stems from a short-term $300 million loan to cover a new teachers union contract. Therese Boyle, another candidate, questioned the timing of the calls for Martinez to resign in the middle of the negotiations.
“I don’t know. It seems a little risky, and the other thing is if he had such a hard time doing his job – how come we didn’t make the switch, like at the end of last school year?” Boyle said.
The four candidates told NBC Chicago they are independent and believe their experiences can help shape the board while they wait to see how things will work out with leadership at the top.
More than 30 candidates are running in 10 different districts. Each district will be represented by two members – one elected and one appointed by the mayor before transitioning to a fully elected board in 2027.