* Press release…

The Illinois Latino Legislative Caucus affirms its unconditional support for HB2908, an elected and representative school board for the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), sponsored by Representative Delia Ramirez. Latino families, who make up a majority of CPS’ students, overwhelmingly supported the elected school board referendum in 2015 with 90 percent of voters in favor of increasing democracy. This is why we also firmly support SB1565, sponsored by Senator Villanueva, to give undocumented immigrants the right to vote for their local school board members. Our families consistently demand greater representation and shared accountability. They have waited too long to have a say in who makes decisions over their children’s school district and this basic democratic right is afforded to parents in all other school districts across Illinois.

We are deeply disappointed by recent efforts to pit undocumented and documented Latino immigrant families against each other over the current elected school board proposal. These tactics serve to distract, disrupt, and deny authentic democracy as they seek to preserve the status quo by solidifying centralized Mayoral control, limiting parental and family decision-making, and appointing board members who are not required to be accountable to the people.

Instead of pitting families against each other with disingenuous attacks on an elected school board, we urge everyone concerned about immigrant rights and representation to join the Latino Caucus by supporting SB 1565, to give undocumented immigrants the right to vote for elected school board members, and SB 148, sponsored by Senator Omar Aquino which would make it easier for undocumented parents to serve in Local School Councils.

We stand firmly behind the overwhelming majority of CPS parents and educators who want legislation this session to create a fully elected and representative school board for CPS.