June Board Meeting Preview

Here's what to expect at this afternoon's board meeting. The full agenda is here.

Macquline King will make her first public appearance before the board as interim superintendent/CEO. You can learn a bit more about her in my latest article for the Chicago Reader (p.13 in the print issue).

The superintendent search firm, Alma Advisory Group, will present an overview of what they learned from the dozen community meetings held between mid-May and mid-June. Although board members have publicly said they hope to complete the search by early fall, experts suggest a more realistic timeline could be nine months or more. In late May, I spoke with a superintendent of a mid-size school district in the South who confirmed what many have been saying here in Chicago--superintendents beyond Chicago have reservations about applying for the job.

The board will vote to authorize expenditures for FY 2026 before it adopts a full budget. The Chicago Public Schools budget must be adopted by the end of August. Chalkbeat has a solid story about the district's fiscal situation, including the lowballed budget projections that could lead to schools cutting staff right before school starts.

Earlier this week, Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates spoke to the City Club about Reconstruction and its parallels to the current moment. She made the argument that budgets are choices, not "math problems," and suggested a short-term loan to "make the structural deficit more manageable" would be a choice in favor of students while continuing to put pressure on the state to increase its contribution to CPS.

Notably, she made no mention of TIF revenue, the property taxes diverted into city-controlled development funds and away from schools and parks. In his final days on the job, former CEO Pedro Martinez went on a press blitz to hammer home the message that the city can solve the schools' budget crisis by releasing TIF funds. Though Mayor Brandon Johnson has allowed more TIF funds to expire and return to schools than any previous mayor, the city is facing its own budget crisis and many City Council members will fight to maintain control of TIF funds in their wards.

Jobs

The Chicago Children's Advocacy Center recently reposted its ad for a chief development and marketing officer. ChicagoCAC is the city's frontline agency responding to and working to end sexual abuse of children.

The Chicago Teachers Union is looking for a chief of staff. Deadline to apply is July 21.

Girls on the Run-Chicago is seeking a director of impact.

Mid-Year Report on Board Rule

Thanks to all of you, the Board Rule newsletter now has 175 subscribers, 19 of whom are paid subscribers. That's the good news, and I'm deeply grateful.

Here are some of the things you are telling me about Board Rule.

"That chart of the board members' votes on charter renewals was so helpful!"

"I shared that information on what good budget questions could look like with a bunch of other LSC members. Thanks!"

"Thank you for covering what's going on with Acero."

Board Rule's next goal is to increase the number of paid subscribers to 35, or 20% of the total subscribers. The Junior Board subscription is just $5 monthly, or $50 annually. If you find Board Rule of value, please consider subscribing. To be honest, the more support I have from you, the less time I have to spend on freelance projects or job-hunting. And that means I can spend more time going deeper into the many issues ahead for the school board, from making big decisions about school district finances to preparing for the elections in 2026.

Thanks again for all your support. Board Rule will be taking next week off, but expect to see this in your inbox again on Wednesday July 9.