New Chicago school board sworn in after Mayor Brandon Johnson's controversial shakeup
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Following months of drama at the Chicago Public Schools, seven new Chicago Board of Education members were sworn in on Thursday, replacing the previous board, who resigned en masse earlier this month.
The seven new board members attended their first official meeting on Thursday, a meeting of the board's agenda review committee, a week after none of them showed up for a City Council Education Committee meeting they were invited to, telling the committee chair they "weren't prepared" to discuss the school board shakeup.
Aldermen were frustrated they didn't have to chance to question the new board members about Mayor Brandon Johnson's overhaul of the board, but no aldermen showed up on Thursday when those school board members were sworn in at their first official meeting.
All seven previous board members resigned on the same day earlier this month, and Johnson named six replacements just days later. The seventh new board member was appointed earlier this week.
Some, if not all, of the seven new board members could remain on the school board in January when the mayor's handpicked board is replaced with a 21-member hybrid board.
Voters will choose 10 members from 10 districts next month, as Chicago moves forward with its very first partially-elected board. Johnson will select the 11 other board members, including the board's president. All 21 members of the hybrid board will take office in January.
Johnson could choose some of the current seven board members to stay on board in January, but that depends on the results of the November school board election. The board is divided into 10 districts, and each district is divided into two halves. Once each district elects its member in November, the mayor must appoint someone who lives in the other half of the district. The board president can live anywhere in Chicago, meaning Rev. Mitchell L. Ikenna Johnson, who the mayor picked as the new board president can stay on board in January if the mayor wants.
Chicago will move to a fully elected school board in January 2027, following the 2026 elections.
Thursday's agenda review committee meeting focused on reviewing proposals the new school board will consider at its first full board ahead of the full board meeting on Nov. 1.
While not mentioned during Thursday's meeting, it's expected the board will soon take up settling a contract with the Chicago Teachers Union, the mayor's request for the Chicago Public Schools to take out a $300 million high-interest loan to pay for pensions and teacher raises, and to decide the fate of CPS Chief Executive Officer Pedro Martinez.
Martinez, who was at the agenda review committee meeting, has resisted the mayor's demand for the $300 million loan at CPS, and has said he refused the mayor's demand that he resign over that dispute.
Asked Tuesday if he has asked the new board to fire Martinez, Johnson did not answer, saying only that "they're tasked to carry out the vision that I have for public education in this city."