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Newly elected Chicago school board members sworn in at historic January meeting
Summary
Chicago Public Schools held an Agenda Review Committee meeting Jan. 15 where 21 board members took the oath of office, delivered brief remarks and emphasized priorities including equity, student supports and community engagement.
More than 20 newly seated members of the Chicago Board of Education took the oath of office Wednesday morning as the district transitions to a hybrid elected board.
At the boardroom in CPS’s Loop office at 42 West Madison Street, President Sean B. Hardin called the meeting to order and recognized senior leadership including Chief Executive Officer Pedro Martinez, General Counsel Ruchi Verma, Chief Education Officer Bogdan Chikungova and Chief Operating Officer Charles Mayfield.
The oath included a pledge to “respect taxpayer interests” and to follow the board’s operating procedures and applicable state and federal laws. Several newly sworn members used their remarks to emphasize equity, family engagement and student supports.
Ellen Rosenfeld said she was “humbled and deeply honored to take this oath of office for the Chicago Public Schools' 1st elected school board,” and promised to “be a voice for all the families in our district.”
Jessica Biggs, who will represent part of District 6, noted her background as a principal and said she is “eager to partner with my colleagues and District staff to support the implementation of our new strategic plan.”
Several other incoming members — including Angel Gutierrez, G2 Brown, Makyla Blaise, Yesenia Lopez, Angelina (Angel) Gutierrez and Dr. Chay Ryfess Smith — offered brief remarks describing priorities ranging from student voice and family engagement to vocational education and special education needs.
The meeting opened with acknowledgments that board members and senior leadership were physically present in the boardroom and that registered speakers could participate in person or virtually.
The swearing-in and the remarks reflect the formal start of the board’s elected membership and framed the policy priorities board members repeatedly invoked during public comment and later presentations: equity, school stability, and student supports.
Looking ahead, President Hardin and CEO Martinez will lead the board through an organizational period in which the committee schedule, committee leadership and the calendar for formal votes will be set.
