Interim CPS Chief Looking Forward To Working With New Board
CHICAGO (CBS) -- In the wake of the resignation of Chicago Public Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett, the interim head of the district was pledging to work with the new Chicago Board of Education, while begging off staying in his current position on a permanent basis.
Interim CPS Chief Executive Officer Jesse Ruiz said he would stay on as long as the mayor needs him to run the district until a permanent successor is found for Byrd-Bennett.
Byrd-Bennett resigned earlier this week, amid a federal investigation into a $20.5 million no-bid contract CPS awarded to her former employer, SUPES Academy.
"There's no timetable, and I'm willing to serve as long as is necessary, and so the work continues. That's what's critical; that the work continues right now. We're not missing a beat, and we're continuing to build upon the success we've had the past four years," he said.
Ruiz has been serving as interim CEO since Byrd-Bennett took a leave of absence in April. Now that she's officially gone, he said he's not interested in staying in the post permanently.
"I'm looking forward to getting back to serving the students of Chicago as a board member again," he said. "Honored to serve in this role now, looking forward to moving the work forward, but I look forward to returning as vice president [of the Chicago Board of Education]."
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Ruiz wouldn't say if he feels the new CEO for the district should be from Chicago, as some have suggested – unlike the previous two chiefs. Bennett came to Chicago from Detroit, Cleveland, and New York City; her predecessor, Jean-Claude Brizard had previously worked in Rochester, New York, and New York City.
"I'm focused on serving the students of Chicago today, and so I'll leave that to others who are involved in that work. My work is focusing on running the district, keeping us moving forward, and the progress we've made over the past four years," he said.
With CPS facing a billion dollar deficit, and the feds still sweating top CPS managers, CBS 2's Derrick Blakley asked former interim CEO Terry Mazany: Who would want the job of CPS CEO?
"I think you're looking for somebody who's not trying to build their career but who has the confidence and maturity to be able to know what they're up against and provide the stable, confident leadership for the district," he said.
And the mayor's touching all bases, including CTU president Karen Lewis.
"I appreciate the fact he has reached out on that level," Lewis said. "He's asked me for some ideas of names of people I would consider."
As for Emanuel's appointment of four new members to the Chicago Board of Education, to replace four members whose terms soon expire, Ruiz said those kinds of changes are normal as terms expire, and are not fallout from the board's vote to award the controversial SUPES contract.
Four of the seven members of the Chicago Board of Education have terms that expire at the end of June, and, Emanuel will not renew their appointments. Instead, the mayor has decided to replace board members Deborah Quazzo, Andrea Zopp, Carlos Azcoitia, and Henry Bienen with retiring Loyola University president Rev. Michael Garanzini, retiring BMO Harris Bank CEO Mark Furlong, Chicago Scholars foundation president Dominique Jordan Turner, and former Walter Payton College prep principal Gail Ward.
Quazzo has been the focus of her own controversy, due to her investments with companies that do business with the district. According to published reports, companies in which Quazzo has a financial stake have seen their business with CPS triple since Emanuel appointed her to the school board.
Zopp has announced plans to run for the U.S. Senate in 2016.
