Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has swiftly appointed a new school board following the collective resignation of all seven members. Their departures come amid mounting conflicts over the direction of Chicago Public Schools, a district managing roughly 325,000 students. Johnson, who has previously clashed with Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez on budgetary concerns, faces criticism by protesters labeling the board appointments as "Not Legit!"
Tensions have been exacerbated by a stalled contract dispute with the teachers union. While the city proposed raises of 4% this year and 4% to 5% over the next three years, the union demands a 9% annual increase. Simultaneously, Johnson's attempt to secure more state funding was denied, leaving financial solutions contentious. Martinez opposed a $300 million short-term loan as "fiscally irresponsible," leading the district to contemplate budget cuts and furloughs.
The newly appointed seven-member board will serve temporarily: Chicago will in October hold its first school board elections, which will see a 21-member hybrid board consisting of elected and mayor-appointed members put in place until 2027. The board will transition to fully elected at that time. Martinez, who was named CEO by former Mayor Lori Lightfoot, had previously declined to resign, saying the district needed stability at this time. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
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