Mayor Appoints Six New Members to Chicago Board of Education
Chicago Public School students will begin the new school year just as new members of the Chicago Board of Education begin their terms of office. Appointed by Mayor Brandon Johnson, the board members’ terms began on July 18 and will continue until January 1, 2025, when the partially elected school board will be installed.
Beginning in November 2024, ten Chicago residents will be elected to four-year terms and be inducted in January 2025. By January 2027, the entire board will be composed of elected members.
In making the announcement, Mayor Johnson said: “It’s my honor to bring together such a diverse group of people from community, business, philanthropy and elsewhere to collaborate around a vision for our schools that ensures every student has access to a fully resourced, supportive, and nurturing learning environment.”
Jianan Shi is serving as Board President. Mr. Shi has served as Executive Director of Raise Your Hand for Illinois Public Education since 2019. He was a high school science teacher at Eric Solorio Academy, on the Southwest Side of Chicago. Mr. Shi holds a Master of Education in Secondary Education and Biology from Boston University as well as a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Boston College.
Elizabeth Todd-Brelan, Vice President, was reappointed to the Board of Education. Ms. Todd-Brelan is an Associate Professor in the History Department and affiliated faculty in Black Studies Department at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She earned her Doctor of Philosophy at UIC. Her work has focused on U.S. History, African American History, and Education History. She has had writings published in the Journal of African American History. Ms. Todd-Brelan is the author of A Political Education: Black Politics and Education Reform in Chicago since 1960s. She has taught at Governors State University and at Northwestern as a ACLS (American Council of Learned Societies) Postdoctoral Fellow. She is a CPS parent.
Mary Fahey Huges, Board Member, is a manager, actor and advocate for special education. She has been a parent liaison at Raise Your Hand for Illinois Public Education and a Parent Advocate for the Parent Educator Partnership Program at CPS. Ms. Fahey Hughes has been a Local School Council Member, a Parent Representative at the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences, and a founder and Director of the 19th Ward Parents for Special Education. She is a CPS parent.
Rudy Lozano, Board Member, is an Executive Director with Global Philanthropy at JPMorgan Chase & Company and is the head of the Fellowship Initiative. Mr. Lazano is a leader in youth development and community education and has held positions in The Association House of Chicago, Instituto Del Progreso Latino and Enlace Chicago. He has mentored students, coordinated community school programs and directed statewide citizenship programs. Mr. Lozano earned his Bachelor’s degree in youth and community organizing from Northeastern University and his Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He is a CPS parent.
Mariela Estada, Board Member, is the Director of Community Engagement at the United Way of Metro Chicago. Previously she served as Community Engagement Coordinator for the City of Chicago’s Inspector General’s Office and as Director of Organizing in the Brighton Park Neighborhood Council. Ms. Estrada earned a Bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of Illinois at Chicago, with a minor in Latin American and Latino studies. In 2014, she was selected to be part of the Latino Policy Forum’s Leadership Academy. She is an immigrant, a CPS graduate and a CPS parent.
Michelle Morales, Board Member, is the President of the Woods Fund Chicago. Ms. Morales is a first-generation U.S. born Puerto Rican. Prior to this she led the Illinois Chapter of the Mikva Challenge. Her background has been in the field of alternative education. She was a teacher at Chicago’s Humboldt Park community alternative high school and Associate Director at the Alternative Schools Network. She received her Bachelor's degree in Latin American/Latino Studies from DePaul University, a Master's in Special Education from UIC and a Master’s in Educational Leadership from Northeastern Illinois University. Ms. Morales currently serves as a Trustee on the Northeastern Illinois University Board of Trustees.
Tanya D. Woods, Board Member, is the Executive Director of the Westside Justice Center, a non-profit holistic legal aid clinic in East Garfield Park. Ms. Woods received her Law degree from Loyola University and a bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Northwestern University. She is the principal of her law practice and certified Mediator and Trainer at the Center for Conflict Resolution. Ms. Woods is also an adjunct faculty member at Loyola University School of Law. She is a former CPS parent.
Pedro Martinez will continue as the CEO of Chicago Public Schools.