Sign up for Chalkbeat Chicago’s free daily newsletter to keep up with the latest news on Chicago Public Schools.
Chicago Public Schools is undergoing a major shift in governance. This year is the first time the Board of Education has 21 members — 10 elected and 11 appointed by the mayor.
Chalkbeat spoke to 15 current and one former board member about what it’s been like to navigate major issues, including passing a budget, hiring an interim leader, and figuring out how to be responsive to their constituents.
Over roughly 16 hours of interviews, board members shared insight into the challenges of navigating political divides, the obstacles in communicating with so many colleagues, the time commitment for this unpaid role, especially while balancing jobs and family, and other topics.
Many of those comments were included in a Sept. 17 story looking back at the new board’s first months on the job. But with the election of all 21 school board members looming in 2026, Chalkbeat wanted to share some of the insights that didn’t make it into that article. Here is more of what the board members interviewed had to say. We included audio clips from some of the interviews.
Reema Amin is a reporter covering Chicago Public Schools. Contact Reema at ramin@chalkbeat.org.