The whole school board bailed. The deficit is $500M. Can Brandon Johnson turn things around? (Photo Credit: X).
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This article was originally published on Word In Black.
When he was sworn in as mayor of Chicago last year, Brandon Johnson, a former negotiator for the city’s teachers union, promised to write a new chapter for Chicago public schools. He vowed that the struggling, cash-strapped district would get the resources it needs to provide students with a “world-class education.”
That vision for the district — which is 35% Black and 47% Hispanic — hit a major stumbling block earlier this week.
On Sunday, all seven members of the Chicago Board of Education, most of whom Johnson appointed last year, resigned at once, an apparent mass protest over Johnson’s handling of Chicago Public Schools, the nation’s third-largest school district.
Their resignations come amid Johnson’s high-profile clashes with the current schools CEO, who is a holdover from the previous administration, and a massive, $1 billion budget hole in the city budget. That includes a $500 million gap in the Chicago Public Schools 2025 budget that Johnson wants to address with a short-term, high-interest loan, a move that the CEO, Pedro Martinez, opposes.
The situation is so intense that, at a press conference on Monday announcing the replacement school board members, protesters heckled Johnson, and Johnson defiantly sparred with reporters. The heated session came a day after 41 of 50 city aldermen signed a letter criticizing Johnson’s leadership of the school district.
“Make no mistake about it, I’m going to stand firm and flat foot(ed) to ensure our students get what they deserve,” said Johnson, responding to a reporter’s question about his authority to make the change. “I was legitimate when I took an arrest against other administrations when they were closing down Black schools. I was also legitimate when I went down to (the state capitol) Springfield to fight for fully elected school boards.”
As Johnson spoke, a handful of protesters — some holding “Fire Brandon” signs — tried to disrupt the press conference, chanting “Not Legit!”
The stunning turn of events has put Johnson on the defensive: he ran for the city’s highest office on the strength of his relationship with the teachers union, his experience with advocating for education equity, and his vision to restore schools in the largely underfunded district.
And the resignation comes as contract talks between the city and the powerful Chicago Teachers Union — Johnson’s former employer — have stalled. The district has offered 4% raises this year, and between 4% and 5% raises over the next three years, while the union has sought 9% annual raises.
Though he’s facing several problems, Johnson’s biggest headache is the city budget deficit, the result of Chicago’s rising operating expenses, declining population, and falling tax revenue.
The budget crisis “is playing out as the city faces one of the highest unemployment rates in the country, and its population is the lowest it’s been since 1920,” according to Illinois Policy, a nonprofit public-interest magazine. “Chicago Public Schools is also facing a major budget deficit of $500 million, which does not include added costs from a new contract Johnson is negotiating with his former coworkers at the Chicago Teachers Union. CTU wants at least $10 billion in new contract demands.”
The school board’s mass resignation, including its president, reportedly stems from the district’s budget woes and the animosity between Johnson and Martinez.
With the board’s support, Martinez had vehemently opposed the mayor’s plan to close the deficit with what opponents have called a “payday loan,” and the schools chief didn’t include it in CPS’s nearly $10 billion budget for 2025. So Johnson purportedly asked Martinez to resign late last month, according to The Chicago Sun-Times and the local station WBEZ.
Johnson has denied the allegation, and would not comment at the press conference whether the new board members would use their authority to fire Martinez.
Throughout the event at Sweet Holy Spirit Church, Johnson pointed to various reasons for the CPS deficit, including the end of COVID relief funds. He also challenged the notion that he has mismanaged the school system and insisted he will make good on his promise to elevate Chicago public schools.
In a recent interview with WBEZ, Johnson insisted the turbulence over city schools “is not about a loan,” and that he has his eyes on what’s most important: investing in Chicago’s children.
“This is about investing in our children and not accepting cuts,” he said. “For too long in this district, that’s all that it has done. And guess who loses when we cut schools? Black and brown children. I don’t want Black and brown children to lose under my administration. In fact, they’re not going to lose under my administration.”
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