The Board of Education overseeing Chicago Public Schools is scheduled to meet Thursday evening for their monthly meeting.
An hour before the meeting begins, the Chicago Teachers Union will demonstrate outside the district’s administrative offices in Greater Grand Crossing demanding their four-year contract be settled before the Trump administration is sworn in. They are tying their contract demands to fears of changes on the federal level due to Project 2025.
Once the board is seated, among the most salient topics is a discussion on the district’s response to the planned closure of seven schools operated by the Acero charter network at the end of the school year. The district will present options for the families of the approximately 2,000 predominantly Latino students impacted, according to the meeting agenda. Whether ongoing political tension over the Chicago Teachers Union contract negotiations will come to a head remains to be seen. The six Board members recently appointed by union ally Mayor Brandon Johnson plan to discuss the negotiations in a closed session.
The outcome is being closely watched as the CTU continues to demand an immediate resolution and the district faces a deficit of around $500 million in each of the next five years.
District chief Pedro Martinez has maintained a firm grip on his job despite the mayor and the teachers’ union’s efforts to oust him, in part for his refusal to take on a hefty, high-interest loan to help fund their new CTU contract and a pension payment to the city. Since the November board meeting, support for Martinez has expanded, as a letter of support from school principals and local officials has swelled to roughly 700 signatures.
However, sources tell the Tribune that Martinez’s employment status is not expected to be discussed during the board meeting’s closed session.
The CTU rally is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. CST, followed by the board meeting at 5 p.m. CST. Thursday’s board meeting is the last time the body will convene before a new hybrid, partially-elected 21-member Board is seated in January. Follow along below for live updates from Tribune education reporters Sarah Macaraeg and Nell Salzman after the rally has begun.
