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Parents and LSC chair tell Chicago Board to place Inter American Magnet School principal on leave amid safety and oversight complaints
Summary
Parents and the local school council (LSC) chair said the district failed to communicate with families and alleged the principal at Inter American Magnet School ignored directives, failed to report incidents and reassigned staff; they asked the board to place Principal Juan Carlos Saez/Zayas on leave and to update families about a formal investigation.
Parents and community leaders told the Chicago Board of Education on Nov. 10 that longstanding concerns about leadership and student safety at Inter American Magnet School require immediate board action.
Maria Luis Algarte, identifying herself as a CPS parent, said district communications promised to families and LSC members have not been sent and urged the board to “protect our students” by recommending the removal of Principal Juan Carlos Saez. She said the principal had not met with the sanctuary team and that families had been left without district updates.
Dr. Julie Wexler, chair of the Inter American Magnet School LSC, said the LSC filed charges more than a year ago seeking the principal’s removal. Wexler alleged that Principal Zayas implemented a budget different from the LSC-approved plan, which she described as a contractual violation under Illinois law, and said the school had multiple safety and mandated-reporting concerns that had not been addressed. “Please place principal Zayas on leave, and please update parents and staff who to this day have received no formal notice from CPS that principal Zayas has been under formal investigation,” Wexler said.
Why it matters: Both parents and the LSC chair framed the issue as an ongoing failure of local leadership and district oversight with potential consequences for student safety and trust; they asked the board for personnel action and clearer communications.
What the board did: Public participation concluded and the board later moved into closed session; no public vote on personnel action was announced during the Nov. 10 meeting.
