CPS School Board: The race in the Southwest Side’s District 7

As Chicago gears up for its first school board election, three women are vying to represent the largely Latino Southwest Side’s District 7 in a race where outside groups are spending to try to influence the outcome.

The district includes Pilsen, Little Village, Gage Park, Brighton Park and the Near West Side, along with parts of Bridgeport, Archer Heights, Chinatown and McKinley Park. Candidates Raquel Don, Yesenia Lopez and Eva Villalobos each bring different experiences they say make them the right person for the seat. Election Day is Nov. 5.

Don, from Armour Square, is a parent of Chicago Public Schools students, while Lopez and Villalobos are graduates. Lopez is an executive assistant in the office of the Illinois Secretary of State and has worked with several area schools. Don and Villalobos are stay-at-home parents who volunteer at their children’s schools, and Don serves on two Local School Councils.

The 7th District serves a large percentage of students learning English as a second language. Ensuring proper services has emerged as a priority for some of the candidates.

Two candidates are getting lots of attention from groups on opposite sides of the ideological spectrum. Lopez is endorsed by the Chicago Teachers Union. She has received about $25,000 in in-kind support from the CTU and another union-affiliated PAC.

Meanwhile, Villalobos is endorsed by or has financial support from a pro-charter school group and more conservative groups backed by wealthy donors who oppose the teachers union. Two organizations, a pro-charter school super PAC and another super PAC that says it supports “independent” thinkers without ties to the CTU or the mayor, together have spent $150,000 on ads and text messages supporting her. Neither group is allowed to coordinate with Villalobos.

School choice

A new five-year district plan prioritizes neighborhood schools and shifts away from CPS’ school-choice model. Between the two perceived frontrunners, Lopez supports investing in neighborhood schools, while Villalobos supports charters as a way of “empowering families and students with options.”

At a forum sponsored by the Southwest Collective, Brighton Park resident Villalobos said prioritizing neighborhood schools can make charter schools feel alienated.

“How can we say that, when they are servicing our children, community, our parents, and they have been hubs for more than just education?” she said.

Lopez said when students decide on a charter, selective enrollment or magnet school, the district should look at the reason.

“That means that their local neighborhood is not meeting their needs,” Lopez said. “Let’s find out why.”

In our candidate questionnaire, Don said the district shouldn’t shift away from school choice without first finding a better option for families who feel their neighborhood schools aren’t sufficient.

“One type of school is not conducive to all students regarding their whole educational experience,” she wrote.

Finances and CEO Pedro Martinez

CPS CEO Pedro Martinez has made headlines for his falling-out with Mayor Brandon Johnson over how to handle the district’s budget deficit. Martinez says Johnson asked him to resign over the budget disagreement, but Martinez refused.

Villalobos and Lopez both say they would keep Martinez in his role, which is up to the board. And while they agree that short-term borrowing to cover a projected $300 million budget deficit is a bad idea, they have different strategies for filling the shortfall.

Don said she would also keep Martinez “unless I learned of him doing something egregious,” but was noncommittal about supporting a short-term loan.

“Without all of the information necessary, I can not say what recommendations I would make to the CEO,” Don wrote in an email.

Lopez, who lives in Gage Park, said the district has seen negative impacts from past borrowing and doesn't want to repeat that. Villalobos, drawing on her background in accounting, said it doesn’t make sense to borrow money without income flowing.

Both Lopez and Villalobos suggested seeking more state and federal funding. Villalobos said the first step should be an audit of the district’s financial situation.

Bilingual education

The candidates stressed the need for quality and accessible bilingual education at the Southwest Collective forum and a Chalkbeat Chicago forum. District-wide, 47% of students are Hispanic and more than 88,000 students are learning English as a second language.

Villalobos, who was born in Mexico, said the district could work with colleges to provide tutoring to help English learners while also helping out working parents.

“College students studying languages … can help our younger students grow their English and build positive relationships,” Villalobos wrote in our questionnaire. “If we don’t find ways to fill opportunities, we are going to find that schools with the highest need are not going to be fully staffed with bilingual teachers.”

Lopez also suggested increasing resources for the whole family. She said she’s worked with organizations in Little Village that have provided English classes for families. Schools should be “community hubs,” she said.

“Not just bilingual, but it’s important to be culturally sensitive, given everything that the families are going through,” Lopez told Chalkbeat. “I’m definitely grateful that we live in a city and a state that is welcoming. Now let’s put that — when we say ‘welcoming’ — into action.”

Don said English-language learners need more help from CPS.

“Many schools do not have an adequate curriculum for English language learning students to be proficient in English,” she wrote in our questionnaire. “These resources need to be assessed to further identify supports.”