Politics & PolicyChicago Public SchoolsSchool boards

Mayor Lightfoot appoints a juvenile-justice official and former charter leader to Chicago school board

By 
Mauricio Peña
 | March 3, 2023, 8:36pm UTC
The facade of Chicago Public Schools headquarters, with the district’s sign hanging on the wall behind windows with green silhouettes of students.

Days after losing her bid for a second term, the mayor announced her last appointment to Chicago’s Board of Education. (Mauricio Peña / Chalkbeat)

Mayor Lori Lightfoot appointed a probation official and former charter network chairman to the Chicago Board of Education, her last appointment before her term comes to an end after she lost her bid for reelection.  

Miquel A. Lewis, a current acting director of Probation Services at the Cook County Juvenile Probation and Court Services Department, is replacing Sendhil Revuluri, who stepped down in December, according to a press release from the mayor’s office.

Lewis trains graduate students and professionals pursuing education certifications, and serves on the state Supreme Court Committee on Juvenile Courts, according to the press release. 

He formerly served as a chairman of the Noble Network of Charter Schools.

It’s unclear how long Lewis will serve on the board before new appointments are made by the next mayor.

“As a trained Behavioral Health Practitioner, I look forward to sharing my expertise and experiences as a resource to center our work on the emotional wellbeing and academic success of our students,” Lewis said in a prepared statement.  

Lewis received his doctorate in clinical psychology and his master’s in counseling psychology from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology. He has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Southern Illinois University

Lightfoot said in a statement that Lewis’ “years of experience serving young people who are impacted by other institutions will be a great asset to our board and will benefit our students and teachers.”

Revuluri was appointed to the board in 2019.

In announcing his departure in December, Revuluri lauded fellow board members for their work navigating the pandemic and the road to recovery, while also sounding alarms about the financial solvency of the district and its future as it begins transitioning to an elected school board in 2025.

Mauricio Peña is a reporter for Chalkbeat Chicago, covering K-12 schools. Contact Mauricio at mpena@chalkbeat.org.

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