An Elected School Board for Chicago?
In April, the Illinois House of Representatives passed HB2908, a bill to create a 21-member elected school board for the City of Chicago. Led by Rep. Delia Ramirez, this legislation is the product of years of collaboration between legislators, local officials, advocates, parents, teachers, and students. The bill passed an Illinois Senate Committee on May 26.
As written, the bill will divide Chicago into 20 electoral districts as determined by the General Assembly for seats on the Chicago Board of Education. The 21st seat is a city-wide election for the board’s president. Qualified persons would need to be a U.S. citizen, registered voter, and resident of the city and the electoral district for at least one year immediately preceding their election. Like many other laws enacted by the General Assembly, HB2908 would sunset on June 30, 2029, to allow legislators and stakeholders to evaluate its effectiveness and refine provisions, if necessary.
The Civic Federation released a statement opposing the legislation on May 18: “The proposal would establish a governing board that would be too large to be effective; lead to expensive and divisive political campaigns funded by interest groups; allow the legislature to create gerrymandered electoral districts; not necessarily lead to improved educational outcomes; and create a potential financial disconnect between the City of Chicago and the Chicago Public Schools."
For more information on Chicago Public Schools governance, visit the Civic Federation’s review of Chicago's and other cities’ public school board practices.
League Study of Appointed, Elected, and Hybrid School Boards
LWV Chicago also explored governance of Chicago Public Schools. In April 2016, LWV Chicago’s Education Committee released the results of its study comparing elected school boards to appointed and hybrid boards. The study was led by Rae Sokolow and included Jill Althage, Nancy Brandt, Marcia Dillon, Helene Gabelnick, Joyce Hecht, and Esta Kallen.
The study was conducted after Chicagoans voted overwhelmingly for the creation of an elected school board in February 2015. At that time, schools were being closed without obtaining input from community members, charter schools were being approved despite opposition from local communities, and Chicago media noted that mayorally appointed school board members had little incentive to provide needed oversight.
The League study evaluated school boards in five major U.S. cities as well as the methods by which elected school boards are selected and presented the pros and cons of elected, appointed, and hybrid school boards. The study found:
There is more to governance than the choice of an appointed or elected school board.
No method of governance is perfect; each has its pros and cons.
No peer-reviewed study or comparative analysis has found that student performance depends on the method of selection of board members.
The method of selection of board members may be important for other reasons, such as opportunities for community engagement or for oversight over the administration.