Lawmakers Push To Create Elected School Board In Chicago
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A group of Chicago Democrats in the state legislature is pushing for voters to decide who serves on the school board--not the mayor.
State Rep. Rob Martwick says the bill he filed last week would bring Chicago inline with the rest of the state.
Pointing to a growing list of co-sponsors and the overwhelming voter approval of a non-binding referendum this spring, the Democrat says there's a groundswell of support for the measure.
Mayor Emanuel is opposed to the idea, saying it would politicize things.
He currently appoints the seven board members.
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Parents like Jeanette Taylor are among those who want to replace the board with elected members. Her biggest complaint: closing 49 schools hurt the others.
"The first year of the merge they gave us 296,000 dollars to do extra things to schools," she said. "Each year they take it away."
Those elected will more than likely be lay people, according to DePaul professor William Sampson and that could present some issues.
"I may have people on my board people who can't balance their household budget," Sampson said.
However, Sampson also sees some advantages an elected board.
"Relatively free from manipulation and influence on the part of the politicians," he said.
And, like elected politicians, unlike the appointed board, Representative Mary Flowers argues, "If that board that we have now was an elected board, we the people would get rid of them."
If the bill supporting an elected school board is ever passed, the first elections would be held in March of 2016.
But, the governor does not support the bill. At this point, he's on record saying the mayor should continue to appoint the board.
