Here’s who endorses each Chicago School Board candidate
Below are endorsements from education-related groups for each Chicago School Board candidate. We also list organizations that do education-related work that are providing meaningful financial support to candidates. Election Day for the city's first elected board is Nov. 5.
We are not listing all endorsements, including from those from elected officials, from non-education organizations or those that aren't directly tied to Chicago Public Schools. Those are available on each candidate’s website. Comprehensive information on each candidate is available at our voter guide.
Details on each group are below the endorsement/support list. One group, Urban Action Center, is a super PAC (political action committee), which means it's prohibited from coordinating with candidates in any way, including on endorsements or with financial support.
District 1
- Jennifer Custer - Chicago Teachers Union, CPS Parents for Buses, Our Schools Coalition
- Michelle N. Pierre - INCS Action PAC, Urban Center Action*, CPS Parents for Buses, Chicago Democrats for Education, Illinois Policy PAC
District 2
- Ebony L. DeBerry - Chicago Teachers Union, Our Schools Coalition
- Margaret “Maggie” Cullerton Hooper - CPS Parents for Buses
- Kate Doyle - CPS Parents for Buses
- Bruce Leon - Urban Center Action*, Illinois Policy PAC
District 3
- Carlos A. Rivas, Jr. - INCS Action PAC, Urban Center Action*, CPS Parents for Buses, Chicago Democrats for Education, Illinois Policy PAC
- Jason C. Dónes - Chicago Teachers Union, CPS Parents for Buses, Our Schools Coalition
District 4
- Karen Zaccor Chicago Teachers Union, Our Schools Coalition
- Ellen Rosenfeld - Urban Center Action*, Chicago Democrats for Education, Illinois Policy PAC
- Kimberly Brown - CPS Parents for Buses
- Thomas Day
- Carmen Gioiosa
- Andrew A. Davis
District 5
- Aaron “Jitu” Brown - Chicago Teachers Union, Our Schools Coalition
- Jousef M. Shkoukani (write-in)
- Kernetha Jones (write-in, no questionnaire)
District 6
- Jessica Biggs - CPS Parents for Buses
- Anusha Thotakura - Chicago Teachers Union, Our Schools Coalition
- Andre Smith - INCS Action PAC, Urban Center Action*, Illinois Policy PAC
- Danielle Wallace (write-in)
District 7
- Yesenia Lopez - Chicago Teachers Union, Our Schools Coalition
- Eva A. Villalobos - INCS Action PAC, Urban Center Action*, CPS Parents for Buses, Chicago Democrats for Education, Illinois Policy PAC
- Raquel Don
District 8
- Angel Gutierrez - INCS Action PAC, Urban Center Action*, CPS Parents for Buses, Chicago Democrats for Education, Illinois Policy PAC
- Felix Ponce - Chicago Teachers Union, Our Schools Coalition
District 9
- Therese Boyle
- Lanetta M. Thomas - Chicago Teachers Union, CPS Parents for Buses, Our Schools Coalition
- La’Mont Raymond Williams
- Miquel Lewis - Urban Center Action*, Chicago Democrats for Education, Illinois Policy PAC
District 10
- Adam Parrott-Sheffer
- Che “Rhymefest” Smith - CPS Parents for Buses
- Karin Norington-Reaves - INCS Action PAC, Urban Center Action*, Chicago Democrats for Education, Illinois Policy PAC
- Robert Jones - Chicago Teachers Union, Our Schools Coalition
- Rosita Chotonda (write-in, did not respond)
INCS Action PAC for Public Charter Schools: This is an advocacy organization affiliated with the Illinois Network of Charter Schools “focused on engaging the charter school community in the legislative and political process.” This group didn’t make endorsements but has made substantial financial contributions to six candidates through its political action committee after interviewing many of them.
Chicago Teachers Union: The largest union in Chicago Public Schools, including nearly 30,000 teachers, paraprofessionals, clinicians and school-related personnel.
CPS Parents for Buses: A parent group formed to advocate for CPS families that lost bus service last school year and to propose solutions.
Urban Center Action: A group organized this summer to support “independent thinkers,” according to its founder, Juan Rangel, arguing for its need given a close relationship between the mayor and the teachers union. This so-called “independent expenditure committee,” or super PAC, can accept unlimited dollars to run ads or send text messages or other indirect campaign support, without coordinating with candidates. The group can oppose candidates too. Urban Center Action endorsed nine candidates. This group, along with another independent expenditure committee affiliated with INCS Action, has raised millions and is spending heavily. It also has a regular political action committee making modest donations to a few candidates.
Chicago Democrats for Education: This political action committee launched in late September to support “independent” candidates for school board. The group was explicitly set up to be a counterbalance to the CTU and the mayor. It was formed by Hugo Jacobo, a heavyweight political consultant.
Our Schools Coalition: This group describes itself as a coalition of “diverse organizations from across Chicago, united by a common goal: to ensure that our city's first-ever elected school board represents the values and voices of our communities.” The Chicago Teachers Union is part of its coalition; Our Schools Coalition’s platform generally mirrors the CTU’s goals and its endorsements are exactly the same.
Illinois Policy PAC: The affiliated Illinois Policy Institute describes itself as “a liberty-forward nonprofit fighting government corruption, poverty and high taxes in Illinois and Chicago and a strong advocate for school choice. The Illinois Policy PAC, in making endorsements, said, “These independent reform candidates will stand up for Chicago students, and stand against Brandon Johnson and the CTU political machine.” Two endorsed candidates, Michelle N. Pierre and Ellen Rosenfeld, did not participate in the group’s endorsement process but the group still chose to endorse them.
Chicago Teachers Union
- Jennifer Custer
- Ebony DeBerry
- Jason C. Dónes
- Karen Zaccor
- Aaron “Jitu” Brown
- Anusha Thotakura
- Yesenia Lopez
- Felix Ponce
- Lanetta M. Thomas
- Robert Jones
INCS Action PAC
- Michelle N. Pierre
- —
- Carlos A. Rivas Jr.
- —
- —
- Andre Smith
- Eva A. Villalobos
- Angel Gutierrez
- —
- Karin Norrington-Reaves
Urban Center Action*
- Michelle N. Pierre
- Bruce Leon
- Carlos A. Rivas Jr.
- Ellen Rosenfeld
- —
- Andre Smith
- Eva A. Villalobos
- Angel Gutierrez
- Miquel Lewis
- Karin Norrington-Reaves
* Urban Center Action is a super PAC, which can spend money on behalf or against a candidate but can’t coordinate with candidates.
CPS Parents for Buses
- Jennifer Custer and Michelle N. Pierre
- Kate Doyle and Margaret “Maggie” Cullerton Hooper
- Jason C. Dónes and Carlos A. Rivas Jr.
- Kimberly Brown
- —
- Jessica Biggs
- Eva A. Villalobos
- Angel Gutierrez
- Lanetta M. Thomas
- Che “Rhymefest” Smith
Chicago Democrats for Education
- Michelle N. Pierre
- —
- Carlos A. Rivas Jr.
- Ellen Rosenfeld
- —
- —
- Eva A. Villalobos
- Angel Gutierrez
- Miquel Lewis
- Karin Norrington-Reaves
Our Schools Coalition
- Jennifer Custer
- Ebony DeBerry
- Jason C. Dónes
- Karen Zaccor
- Aaron “Jitu” Brown
- Anusha Thotakura
- Yesenia Lopez
- Felix Ponce
- Lanetta M. Thomas
- Robert Jones
Illinois Policy PAC
- Michelle N. Pierre
- Bruce Leon
- Carlos A. Rivas Jr.
- Ellen Rosenfeld
- —
- Andre Smith
- Eva A. Villalobos
- Angel Gutierrez
- Miquel Lewis
- Karin Norrington-Reaves