CTU Endorses Candidates for Chicago Board of Education Ahead of Election

3 weeks ago 0

The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) has endorsed 15 candidates for the 21 available seats on Chicago’s Board of Education, influencing the upcoming November election. CTU’s endorsement includes a blend of new faces and mayoral appointees. However, in six races, four of which are uncontested, they found no suitable candidates.

The shorter list of endorsements, published on Monday, may pose challenges for CTU in maintaining a majority on the school board. Despite the influence of CTU’s 30,000 members potentially being a decisive factor, the effectiveness of their endorsement remains uncertain. In the 2024 elections, only four out of nine candidates backed by CTU emerged victorious.

CTU’s political director, Hilario Dominguez, stands out in this election cycle as the union-endorsed candidate for board president. Dominguez was previously endorsed by the union and is among the five candidates vying for the at-large position.

The union has also backed seven sitting board members who were appointed by Mayor Brandon Johnson, a former CTU organizer. Among these are Ebony DeBerry, representing District 2A, and Jitu Brown in District 5A. These individuals were elected with CTU’s support.

The transition currently happening in the Chicago Public Schools governing board is significant, with a shift from an appointed to an elected structure. All board seats will be contested in the upcoming election.

In the South Side’s District 10A, CTU supports Tameka Walton as a write-in candidate. Despite Walton’s intentions to run alongside 50 other candidates, her nominating papers were challenged. If Walton’s papers are invalidated, incumbent Che “Rhymefest” Smith will be the only candidate listed on the ballot.

Appointed board members, Angel Velez and Cydney Wallace, faced successful challenges to their nominations, leaving their seats uncontested. Similarly, Ellen Rosenfeld in District 4B and Angel Gutierrez in District 8A, both without CTU alignment, are running unopposed.

Some notable exclusions include Yesenia Lopez. Despite previously receiving CTU support, Lopez has increasingly voted with independents on key issues, such as charter schools.

CTU plans to compete with special interest groups backing charter schools. In 2024, CTU’s political action committees spent $4.3 million on these races, surpassing expenditures by pro-charter entities.

The endorsement process involves discussions with candidates and a review by the CTU political committee. The endorsement list requires a majority approval from CTU’s House of Delegates.

SEIU Illinois State Council endorsed 13 candidates, including some current appointees and incumbents. This union represents 13,000 support staff in the Chicago Public Schools and could play a substantial role in the elections. Only four candidates shared endorsements from both CTU and SEIU.

“Nobody questions that doctors should run hospitals… The doctors, who are experts, should run that organization. So, why wouldn’t teachers? Why wouldn’t paraprofessionals?” — Kathryn Zamarrón, CTU’s legislative committee chair.

The candidates endorsed by CTU are: