This story was reported and published in collaboration with WBEZ, the Chicago Sun-Times, and Block Club Chicago, a nonprofit newsroom covering Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods. Stay informed with Chalkbeat Chicago’s newsletter, WBEZ and the Sun-Times’ education newsletter, and Block Club Chicago’s newsletters.
Two Latinas with backgrounds in public service are vying to represent a slice of the Southwest Side that has one of the highest shares of schools with the state’s top two performance designations.
Incumbent Yesenia Lopez was elected to the school board in 2024 with the backing of the Chicago Teachers Union and then-U.S. Rep Jesus “Chuy” Garcia. Without the CTU’s backing this time, she faces a challenge from Erika Diaz-Chavez, a project manager at the Chicago Park District who attended private schools growing up. She is supported by the Illinois Network of Charter Schools’ political arm and The Urban Center, a centrist political organization that advocates for charter schools and school choice across public and private schools.
Lopez is endorsed by the Service Employees International Union Illinois State Council, which represents thousands of CPS support staff and has split politically with the teachers union in recent years.
There are 34 schools in District 7b, 13% of which rank among the top 10% in Illinois.
District 7b schools serve the highest percentage of Hispanic students in CPS, but a few schools also serve predominantly Asian American students. About 84% of students come from families with low incomes, and around half are English learners.
Both candidates say they want to provide more special education resources for students in response to parents’ concerns that their children aren’t getting the help they need. They also want to ensure CPS is doing enough to protect immigrant families amid increased immigration enforcement in the city.
But their views diverge on Sustainable Community Schools, a program favored by the CTU that gives dozens of schools additional funds to partner with community organizations and provide extra services for families. The CTU represents roughly 30,000 teachers and other CPS staff and is known for its strong focus on social justice issues.
Diaz-Chavez isn’t sure the model, which is now enshrined in CTU’s contract, is delivering results and wants to evaluate the program before spending more money on it. Lopez sees the model as a boon to families and supports it, though she agrees the district should track its progress.
Lopez is a graduate of Juárez Community Academy High School in Pilsen. She’s worked and volunteered with several Southwest Side schools. She also served as the Latino outreach director for JB Pritzker’s gubernatorial campaign in 2022. Most recently, she was deputy campaign manager for Patty Garcia, who is running for Garcia’s old seat in the 4th Congressional District.
Lopez’s priorities include protecting immigrant families and increasing services to support student mental health. She recently called on the mayor’s office to move forward with creating a school board advisory panel focused on the needs of noncitizen students and families, as required by state law.
SEIU, which endorsed Lopez, is a top contributor to her campaign, as it was in 2024.
This time, however, she is not supported by the CTU. She won with their support two years ago, but her votes have sometimes veered away from those of CTU-aligned board members.
Lopez said she was surprised not to have the CTU’s support this time: “I’m the candidate that is pro-public education, have attended public schools myself, and have been very vocal in supporting our neighborhood schools.”
Most recently, Lopez abstained from voting on an amendment to the CPS budget championed by union-backed members.
“I’ve shown that I’m truly independent,” Lopez said.
Lopez did not respond to our questionnaire.
A Chicago Park District employee for more than 20 years, Diaz-Chavez oversees The 606 trail on the city’s near Northwest Side and manages data for the agency’s culture and natural resources department.
She decided to enter the race because she thinks the board should be doing more to improve student outcomes.
“I think we are kind of failing our kids,” Diaz-Chavez said. “That needs to be our focus, 100%. How do we do the best we can for these kids academically?”
Diaz-Chavez grew up in the Pilsen area and attended Catholic schools in Chicago and suburban Oak Park. She is a parent but does not send her children to CPS.
She is endorsed and financially backed by The Urban Center, the pro-school choice political group. Diaz-Chavez says she would be an independent voice on the board.
“I want to make sure that we can work with everybody, not just people who align the same way I do or are part of a slate,” she said.
Diaz-Chavez said it would be easier to make decisions that are best for the district in the long term if there were more independent voices. That includes analyzing what to do when a school closure moratorium expires next summer.
“Nobody wants to see schools close,” she said. But, she added, “we have to have a very honest conversation about how we can be sustainable for future generations.”
Diaz-Chavez’s campaign has raised little money so far but has received contributions from the Illinois Network of Charter Schools and The Urban Center, both of which support charter schools.
Diaz-Chavez did not respond to our questionnaire.
Emmanuel Camarillo is an education reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times. Contact Emmanuel at ecamarillo@suntimes.com.