Frustration follows Johnson's school board moves at city hall: 'What's going to happen to our kids?'

CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Frustration and concern for the future of Chicago’s students took center stage at Chicago City Hall Monday afternoon, after Mayor Brandon Johnson named his new, handpicked school board members in a contentious news conference.

The big question on the minds of those gathered at city hall: “What’s going to happen to our kids?”

“Seven new people — six announced today — are going to be seated to make very, very important long-term decisions in a very short amount of time,” said South Side Ald. Nicole Lee (11th). “We have a right to demand answers and transparency about who these individuals are who are going to be put in this position.”

Lee and others, including Ald. Gil Villegas (36th), have invited the newly appointed school board members to City Hall to answer some key questions later this week. Those who abruptly resigned on Friday will also be invited to speak.

“The board has stood up and said, ‘We want to do the right thing,’” said Villegas, whose ward includes Humboldt Park and Belmont Cragin. “The mayor has the prerogative to change the board out, so he’s changed the board out with folks that are going to do, ultimately, his bidding, in taking out a $300 million payday loan as well as terminating the CEO of CPS.”

Johnson’s new appointees include: Southeast Side environmental activist Olga Bautista, Rev. Mitchell Johnson, West Side activist Mary Gardner, Michilla Blaise, Deborah Pope and Frank Niles Thomas.

The mayor was feisty during the announcement and even feistier as he took questions from reporters.

He stressed repeatedly that he was exercising the power that he and other mayors have had in appointing other school board members — even during the transition to a fully elected board.

Johnson balked at questions about whether he expects the board to oust CPS CEO Pedro Martinez, who has resisted taking out the loan to fund the new teachers contract.

“Here’s what I’m always willing to talk about: making sure that every single school has a social worker, a counselor and a nurse,” he said. “Making sure that every single school has a library and a librarian. Making sure that our schools have real college careers.”

Monday’s news came ahead of the Chicago Board of Education’s October meeting and with voting already underway in the city's first-ever board of education election.

Greg Hinz, the political columnist for Crain’s Chicago, told WBBM on Monday that the school board election has largely flown under the radar, until now.

“This may spark up the interest and pump it up, and maybe the [Chicago Teachers Union] — whose allies are favored to win most of these races, won’t anymore,” Hinz said. “We’ll see.”

Chicago voters: Get to know your school board candidates with WBBM’s Chicago Board of Education guide .

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