The mayor's office still has no word on any candidates or the progress of the search to replace Michael Scott as school board president more than two months after his death.
When reached late Wednesday, Mayor Richard M. Daley's press secretary Lance Lewis had no comment on any possible candidates or the progress of the search.
But education advocates across the city are chiming in on what type of person should lead the Chicago Board of Education.
The Chicago Teachers Union already asked that an educator replace Scott, who committed suicide in early November. And other education groups are asking that not only for an education-focused board president, but a new direction for the overall board.
The groups--the Caucus of Rank and File Teachers, Black Star Project and Parents United for Responsible Education--say that the school board needs to shift its focus from business to education. They are also pushing for a board that's more independent from the mayor.
"I'd love to wipe them clean and it be an elected school board that reflects the wants of the community," says Jackson Potter, the co-chair of the Caucus of Rank and File Teachers.
In order for the new board president to be able to have a real agenda to improve education for students, he or she needs to be independent of the mayor, says Julie Woestehoff, executive director of Parents United for Responsible Education.
"But that's unlikely to happen," Woestehoff says in an e-mail. Read more...
The Chicago Teachers Union has one request for the mayor as he begins the process to appoint a new school board president: Appoint an educator.
The union says naming an educator to head the Chicago Board of Education would give the board a better understanding of classroom dynamics and teacher needs.
In the past, the board presidents have had a business, rather than educational, expertise. The best way to truly address the issues of a school district is simple, union spokeswoman Rosemaria Genova says. Have an educator run the school board just as a surgeon would run an operating table. Read more...
A bouquet of flowers sits behind Michael Scott's nameplate Credit: Ben Meyerson
The Regional Transit Authority honored one of their own at their monthly meeting this morning: former RTA board member and Chicago School Board President Michael Scott.
Scott's body was found on the banks of the Chicago River near the Merchandise Mart earlier this week.
Before proceeding with business, board member Jim Reilly called for a moment of silence in Scott's honor. Read more...
Cook County commissioners yesterday honored Michael Scott, the Chicago Board of Education president who is suspected of committing suicide early this week.
Those who knew him gave tribute to the man they recalled as a dedicated public servant and a role model.
Scott “never forgot the West Side,” said Commissioner William Beavers. Though he served under four mayors and was a proud West Sider, “The people he really served were the people of Chicago.” Read more...
Looks like the big conflict on this year's budget will center on police and fire spending, which some alderman pegged at 70 percent or more of the city's total outlay.
Msall faced lengthy and aggressive questioning from Ed Burke, whose face turned so red that he looked like he might eventually require the assistance of the firefighters whose budget he was defending. Read more...
