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Question of the day
Thursday, May 6, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller * The governor was asked at his press conference today if he had talked with Mayor Lori Lightfoot about the elected school board bill…
* Gov. Pritzker was also asked where he stood on a compromise of a temporary hybrid board before a fully elected board is implemented…
* The Question: Where do you stand on an elected school board for Chicago?
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- Arsenal - Thursday, May 6, 21 @ 2:39 pm:
Extremely pro.
The argument against it- that CTU might win too many races- proves too much. Should we not have elections for Congress because Republicans might win too many of those?
- Precinct Captain - Thursday, May 6, 21 @ 2:41 pm:
I favor an elected, representative school board for Chicago. Every other school district in the state has an elected school board. The alleged problems of an elected school board have not manifested themselves elsewhere in Illinois. Additionally, all the current problems in CPS, fiscally and elsewhere, are solely the cause of mayoral hacks and lackeys.
- NIU Grad - Thursday, May 6, 21 @ 2:42 pm:
“She has not reached out about that bill.”
That’s some quality legislative outreach right there, Mayor. Probably not important to get an idea of what kind of bill the Governor would want to sign.
- 47th Ward - Thursday, May 6, 21 @ 2:42 pm:
I’m opposed. If CTU wants to control CPS, it should find a candidate for mayor that can win.
What problem is solved by re-establishing an elected school board? I honestly want to know, because i can think of several problems that will emerge if the legislature gets bullied into passing this.
- Pizza Man - Thursday, May 6, 21 @ 2:44 pm:
No mayoral oversight, keep the local parental councils (LSC’s) and make it an elected board of, by, for, and responsive to the people of the City of Chicago via the ballot box.
- TheInvisibleMan - Thursday, May 6, 21 @ 2:45 pm:
Pro.
That being said, I look forward to seeing the off-the-wall reasons enumerated in all the new piles of ballot petitions that will be challenged.
With that, I’ve caused myself another question to go find the answer for - Which electoral commission would be responsible for hearing those ballot challenges on this board. And who is on that commission.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 6, 21 @ 2:45 pm:
Gotta be “honest”… if I could get candidate Lightfoot to debate Mayor Lightfoot I may be able to decide…
Ok, enough, to the post
“Where do you stand on an elected school board for Chicago?”
I’ve come around, I’m not for an elected school board insofar as this idea of the Mayor, or any mayor frankly, is seemingly concerned that the “unpopular CTU” would win all the seats… the best way to hold accountable CTU for the mentally twisted would be to see CTU win… and then hold accountable every time come “next election”
Plus… anyone afraid of democracy because they have a need to control policy… that seems unAmerican
Run em all. Winners make policy.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 6, 21 @ 2:47 pm:
===She has not reached out about that bill.===
The “Rauner Pouting and Screaming Strategy” in full effect.
- Rich Miller - Thursday, May 6, 21 @ 2:48 pm:
===re-establishing an elected school board===
It’s been an appointed board since the 19th Century.
- Levois J - Thursday, May 6, 21 @ 2:49 pm:
I have little issue with a hybrid board, even if that proves to be the winning proposal.
- Blake - Thursday, May 6, 21 @ 2:49 pm:
Living elsewhere I think there are likely too many offices already on the ballot & that we should move in the direction of where Chicago presently is, not them moving in our direction. I could support handing school board appointments off to the alderman though.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Thursday, May 6, 21 @ 2:53 pm:
I think the hybrid or a small fully elected school board would probably be good policy. It depends on the powers the board has as well.
It will be interesting to watch Mayors try to distance themselves from CPS now though. I don’t think the voters are going to buy it and will still think CPS is the Mayor’s responsibility. The MO will have to work with the Board once it happens.
- Ducky LaMoore - Thursday, May 6, 21 @ 2:56 pm:
Every other district has an elected school board, right? Why shouldn’t CPS?
- James - Thursday, May 6, 21 @ 3:07 pm:
Fully elected.
First, the Mayor has enough to do managing the city and enough delegate agencies to run (eg CTA,CHA, Park District). CPS management is a major job in itself. Take some of the heavy load off the mayoral plate.
We don’t elect Mayors based on their qualifications to run schools, we elect them to run municipalities.
Regarding parental involvement, which the Mayor cited as her objection to the bill that passed the House, there are no parents of CPS students that I’m aware of on the appointed board today, so the Mayor could have fixed that long ago if that was anything other than a made-up justification.
That said, I think the Lightfoot appointees are more progressive-minded than the Emanuel appointees, several of who were closet charter school owners and advocates.
My own 12 year experience as a parent of a CPS student was that the appointed Boards in the past didn’t listen to parents when we met with them one on one or in Board meetings, but rather 0followed the Boss’s orders.
I think the elected members of a Board would be more attentive to parental input and more representative of diverse community needs–their attentiveness would be necessary for their survival in those positions.
The hybrid concept is just a phony cover for maintaining absolute mayoral control.
- The Opinions Bureau - Thursday, May 6, 21 @ 3:09 pm:
I’m for it. In my experience, in the suburbs you don’t see some of the TIF shenanigans you see in Chicago. A big reason is because the elected school/park/library boards raise a stink when their municipalities attempt to abuse it.
- 47th Ward - Thursday, May 6, 21 @ 3:13 pm:
===It’s been an appointed board since the 19th Century.===
Yes, as you just recently reminded us. My mistake. Despite that, I think the 1995 changes put accountability on the mayor, where it belongs. Moreover, I think the problems facing CPS are terribly complex and linked to issues of urban poverty.
I’m still waiting for someone to tell me how an elected school board can succeed where mayors haven’t. How is this an improvement? Because it’s more democratic? I don’t find that terribly compelling.
Anything else?
- JS Mill - Thursday, May 6, 21 @ 3:20 pm:
Fully elected.
What is the actual fear of CPS geting their candidates elected?
I see it as more of a dog catching the car scenario. Teaching is a tough job, especially at CPS. Try leading. It isn’t a cake walk. They will not simply hand CTU a blank check. It will be a rude awakening to CTU if that is what they think.
Definitely elected.
- NIU Grad - Thursday, May 6, 21 @ 3:25 pm:
“It’s been an appointed board since the 19th Century.”
Right around when Mike Madigan won his first race, I believe. Recent history.
- Enviro - Thursday, May 6, 21 @ 3:40 pm:
Mayor Lightfoot promised an elected Chicago Public School Board.
It is time to keep that promise.
- Wow - Thursday, May 6, 21 @ 3:40 pm:
If we get an elected school board I’m selling my house and heading to a far away collar county.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 6, 21 @ 3:43 pm:
=== If we get an elected school board I’m selling my house and heading to a far away collar county.===
“Yeah. Ok.”
- dbk - Thursday, May 6, 21 @ 3:47 pm:
My instinct says “pro-elected,” but having followed shenanigans in LAUSD and SF, both of which have elected boards, I’d say “whoa.”
It looks like Chicago will end up either with a fully- or partially-elected/transitional format going forward.
Caveat emptor: in the largest districts (CPS isn’t comparable to any other district in IL), Big Money gets involved in elections and so, in LA for example, charter school advocates - backed by Eli Broad’s money, among others - got elected. It was the most expensive school board election in US history, and precious few public school advocates won out over deep-pocketed rivals. San Francisco became involved in a bitter fight against its own Board/District this winter - the city sued them - over school re-openings.
A Chicago School Board election will be expensive - CTU may get a candidate or two elected, but they’re not the threat here - and it’s not going to be a job for amateur education enthusiasts.
Hope the Sun-Times and Chalkbeat Chicago are gearing up to hire a full-time reporter, because that’s what will be needed.
An elected Board is no panacea in these times; rather, it’s a long-delayed, necessary step that will lead almost inevitably to a contentious relationship between the Mayor and the Board, further contentiousness between the Mayor and CTU and, in all likelihood, between the Board and CTU.
Necessary, yes. But it’s going to be conflict-ridden.
- Earnest - Thursday, May 6, 21 @ 3:54 pm:
Fully elected. It’s a higher level of accountability from the voters. In voting for a mayor, schools may count but may not be the primary factor in choosing a candidate. In voting for someone on the school board, you have just one issue on which to choose a candidate and are part of a smaller electorate so your vote carries more weight. Will an elected school board intrinsically make things better? It can’t cure the biggest problem, which is insufficient resources for the job at hand.
- Lucky Pierre - Thursday, May 6, 21 @ 4:00 pm:
Lightfoot promised?
JB promised an independent commission to draw fair maps
How is that working out?
- Blake - Thursday, May 6, 21 @ 4:05 pm:
Wow, I’m against it too, but you stretch belief. What would be so problematic about suburban Cook? Are you planning on moving anyway?
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 6, 21 @ 4:08 pm:
=== How is that working out?===
Better than Pritzker might’ve hoped.
The Raunerites today did a “Geraldo Rivera, Al Capone’s” comedy bit that won’t sway too many people.
“My friends… here’s the vault… we don’t know what we’ll find… “
So… there’s that.
- Last Bull Moose - Thursday, May 6, 21 @ 4:09 pm:
Fully elected. End the requirement that teachers live in the city. Move municipal and school board elections to match up with statewide elections.
- TheInvisibleMan - Thursday, May 6, 21 @ 4:28 pm:
– in the suburbs you don’t see some of the TIF shenanigans you see in Chicago –
Oh, to not know of plainfield.
Not that long ago a Naperville councilman was poking fun of an unnamed village by suggesting naperville should just convert its entire town to a TIF district.
- Snarkie from Schaumburg - Thursday, May 6, 21 @ 5:10 pm:
Chicago voters have a rich history of making the best choices.
- Southern Skeptic - Thursday, May 6, 21 @ 5:55 pm:
Horrifically bad idea. It will be a fight between CTU and right wing GOP funders who will be awakened by the campaign. I get the impulse and it works fine most places including where I live. But Chicago is not the same and CTU is just looking for opportunities to fight. This will not end well.
- Really - Thursday, May 6, 21 @ 6:16 pm:
Opposed. If you can imagine CPS being a bigger mess than it already is, that is what will happen if the CTU gets hold of the school board. They have had a hard enough time showing up to teach this year.
- Oswego Willy - Thursday, May 6, 21 @ 6:22 pm:
=== that is what will happen if the CTU gets hold of the school board.===
You do know… they’d need to be elected… no one is getting a hold on anything the voters wouldn’t elect.
So you’re against democracy… or…
- Chicagonk - Thursday, May 6, 21 @ 7:38 pm:
Against even though my wife is a CPS teacher. I’m support most of what CTU does, I just think there are many stakeholders and CTU really is only focused on one of the stakeholders. And it’s clear CTU will slate their preferred candidates… they are well organized and people listen to their teachers.
- Pundent - Thursday, May 6, 21 @ 9:33 pm:
In favor. I think we need to embrace democracy not run away from it.