We have a historic opportunity this November. For the first time ever, Chicago will be electing members of the School Board! These individuals set the districts’ direction and vision, decide on policies and the budget, hire the superintendent, and much more. As a former Chicago Public Schools student and an OPC intern this summer, I wanted to learn more about the history of the Elected School Board, how it will work, and why it matters.

Electing Our School Board Gives Us a New Chance for Representation in Education

The Elected School Board is a newly established body of elected officials in Chicago that will inform, shape policies, make financial decisions, and have governing power over Chicago’s Public Schools. In the past it had seven members appointed exclusively by Chicago’s mayor. Now it is expanding to 21 elected members over several election cycles. The first election is in November 2024, with terms scheduled to begin on January 15, 2025. The City of Chicago established school board districts across the city, which were split to form sub-districts. The mayor is to appoint one member within each subdistrict. An elected member will represent the other subdistrict.

In this upcoming election season, 10 members will be elected, and 11 will be appointed by the mayor, including the Board President. The board members will serve 2-year terms, and the Board President, who will serve the city, will serve 4-year terms. During the second election cycle of the Elected School Board in 2026, all board members will be elected, beginning their terms on January 15, 2027. From seven members appointed by the mayor to 21 members elected by the people, this is a big expansion of democratic representation.

Who is running for Elected School Board? How can I get involved?

ONE People’s Campaign has endorsed Ebony DeBerry for School District 2 and Karen Zaccor for School District 4. Ebony and Karen are progressive champions with platforms focused on expanding funding to address the needs of vulnerable and marginalized students, advocating for funding of schools founded on justice and equity, and promoting sustainable practices in schools.

This upcoming election season holds great importance due to national implications, and regionally due to the power to shape the future of CPS in Chicago as they serve students across the city and strive for positive change.

To see what School Board District you live in, check out the maps here.

ONE People’s Campaign is supporting Ebony and Karen to win in November by talking to neighbors door-to-door, calling voters, hosting house parties, and leading community presentations about the Elected School Board. Many people don’t even know that this important new office will be on their ballot on November, so it is crucial that we get volunteers to spread the word! If you want to volunteer this summer or fall, sign up at this link.

Chicago’s Elected Representative School Board Took Years of Organizing to Win

The promotion of a representative school board by advocates in Chicago has been ongoing for a long time. In 1988, CPS experienced a strike that lasted three weeks. Demands included reforming the Chicago Board of Education to increase input from the community. The Illinois General Assembly passed the Chicago School Reform Act, establishing local school councils (LSCs) for CPS schools, composed of parents, teachers, community members, and student representatives. Advocacy for the elected board has been active for more than a decade. Following the closing of 50 schools in 2013, this demand greatly increased, leading to the mobilization of educators, activists, community members, and organizers, among others, as they worked to implement the Elected School Board.

In December 2010, the Chicago Teachers Union-Community Board proposed the transition from a mayor-appointed school board to an elected body that represented the people of each district. Governor Pritzker signed this proposal into law in 2021, becoming effective on June 1, 2022.

What This Election Means to Me as a Former CPS Student

Working with ONE People’s Campaign on this election fostered insight into the inner workings of the school board election. As a former CPS student who experienced as well as witnessed inequities within Chicago’s education system and later learned of larger conflicts within the education system—such as the educational opportunity gap within America and its generational implications—a representative body like the Elected School Board is truly inspiring. It places children’s futures in the hands of the people, as they entrust elected officials to represent their needs and work towards improving the education system in Chicago, furthering democracy within other aspects of civic life and fundamental structures that impact current and future generations.

• By Nancy Barrera, ONE People’s Campaign Intern