CPS Interim CEO Dr. Macquline King (Photo Credit: Chicago Public Schools).
Almost two weeks into the job, Dr. Macquline King is drawing on lived experience and working against the clock to reopen Chicago Public Schools on August 18.
Her first goal is clear: achieve a smooth start to the school year. But behind that urgency sits a hard truth: a tight budget, mounting uncertainty and the real possibility of more layoffs.
“Everything is on the table,” King said. “Unfortunately, there may be additional layoffs. We’re trying to protect the classrooms, first and foremost.”
That urgency defines her leadership style. Born and raised on Chicago’s South Side, King brings credentials and personal history. She came through the system as a student, sent her own children through CPS, and now leads it in one of its most pivotal moments, filling in for the departed Pedro Martinez, who served his last day on June 18 after the school board voted to dismiss him without cause.
“I carry all those experiences with me,” she said. “It brings my focus to equity, accountability and transparency.”
She Came Through the System. Now She Leads It.
King was shaped by Chicago Public Schools long before she began leading them. Raised on the city’s South Side, she experienced the disruptions of school closures and shifting classrooms.
“I grew up on the South Side, and I attended several elementary schools. I was part of the ‘Willis Wagons,’” she said, referencing the mobile classroom trailers CPS used during overcrowding in the 1960s. “The student experience resonates with me.”
King later attended Metro High School, known as a “High School Without Walls,” before earning her bachelor’s degree and multiple advanced degrees from National Louis University. She also experienced CPS as a parent—both of her children graduated from the system.
Now, as the district’s interim CEO and superintendent, those experiences help to fuel her. “It brings my focus to equity, accountability and transparency,” she said.
“I carry all those experiences with me,” she said. “It brings my focus to equity, accountability and transparency.”
Her “Why”
King didn’t set out to become an educator. She began as a pharmacy major at UIC until time spent volunteering in classrooms changed her path.
“It was the interactions with teachers and the students that caused me to change my trajectory,” she said. “I believe the future does lie with our children.”
That belief now fuels her mission at the top of the district she once attended.
The Budget Comes First
King didn’t hesitate when asked about her top priorities.
“Balancing the budget and opening schools,” she said. “There is a sense of urgency.”
Much of that budget pressure ties directly to enrollment, which has declined in recent years. “Parents want to send their children to schools where there is ample programming,” King said. “But wherever enrollment is low, programming is impacted—because student enrollment impacts the budget.”
She stressed that enrollment isn’t the only financial driver, but it’s a key one.
Where the Money Goes—and What’s at Risk
Approximately 80% of CPS’s budget is allocated toward staffing, including teachers, principals, support staff and security personnel.
“They support the programming that our students need to be successful,” she said.
But with state funding shrinking and federal cuts looming, King isn’t sugarcoating the reality.
“I step into this role understanding that I cannot do this alone,” she said. “We are actively building and strengthening our relationships with the city, with our CTU, with our Principals Association, SEIU, community organizations and the electeds.”
ICE, Mental Health, and Keeping Schools Safe
As public concern grows over possible ICE activity under the current presidential administration, King said the threat is on her radar—but her top focus hasn’t changed.
“At this time, the budget is going to be my major focus,” she said. “I’m on day 11. We have to make sure that schools open smoothly on August 18.”
If Not Her, Then Who?
Despite the pressures, King feels called to this role.
“I resonate with the students that I serve. I resonate with the parents that I serve. I resonate with the educators that I serve,” she said. “Coming from that perspective, caring and being shaped by Chicago and primed by Chicago Public Schools for this moment, I feel like this is the job for me.”
So will she drop the interim title?
“It is a question that I’m asked often,” she said. “I’m staying focused on those two priorities for now.”
A Message to Black Chicago
King had a message for Defender readers and the broader Black community:
“Our students need our community—the collective community—to get behind the needs that we have,” she said. “CPS serves a diverse group of students, and our needs are outpacing the revenue sources we have.”
“That’s what the call to action is.”
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