Is CPS superintendent search ‘on track’ or ‘stalled’? Depends who you ask on school board

The president of the Chicago Board of Education says the board is on track to find a permanent superintendent by the start of next school year.

But not everyone seems to agree: six of the 21 board members said in a statement that the process has “stalled and major decisions have been put on hold.”

The letter, first made public by the Chicago Tribune and Chalkbeat, and later provided to the Chicago Sun-Times, was signed by elected members Jessica Biggs, Che "Rhymefest" Smith, Therese Boyle, Ellen Rosenfeld, Carlos A. Rivas, Jr. and Angel Gutierrez.

The group called the decision to part ways with the search firm hired to help find a new CEO “a sad development.” They accused Mayor Brandon Johnson “and his allies” of interfering in the search process and creating dysfunction that made it “impossible” for the firm to finish the job. They likened the situation to “sabotage.”

But the mayor’s office said that claim was “baseless and inaccurate” and that, so far, they have not been presented with any candidates. Board president Sean Harden, who was appointed by Johnson, called the statement divisive.

“We are supposed to be showing up and supporting students as trustees,” Harden said in an interview “They should ask themselves if [their] actions really are in the best interest of the district.”

This is the latest complication in a search process that began last spring shortly after the school board fired former CPS CEO Pedro Martinez without cause. The board initially set out to find a new leader by the end of December, and appeared to be on track when it narrowed its search down to a few finalists in November. But there was little movement after the names of the candidates were leaked and one of them withdrew his name from consideration.

The board now says it will “bring in the next leader for a full orientation and transition planning with CPS leadership” before the start of the next school year.

Adding another layer of complication: All of this is happening as the school board governance is about to change. Currently, the board is a mix of 10 elected members and 11 appointed by Johnson, but it will move to a fully elected body after voters head to the polls later this year. The board is heading the hiring process for the district’s next leader after years of mayoral control.

The six board members who signed the statement called on the district to retain interim CEO Macquline King “through the 2027 school year so a fully-elected board can have a say in a permanent leader for the District.” King applied to the permanent position, but did not make the first cut of finalists.

Harden said the termination of the search firm’s contract is another step in the process and the board is on track to identify the next leader by next school year. He thanked the firm, Alma Advisory Group, for its efforts, which he said went beyond what they were initially asked to do.

“They offered extensive support, conducted intake screening of over 100 candidates, provided interview training to each board member based on best practices and participated in countless meetings,” Harden wrote in a statement.

Harden said the board stopped accepting applications for the superintendent role on Feb. 6 and will work closely with Alma over the next 30 days “to ensure a seamless transition into final interviews.”

It wasn’t immediately clear how many candidates are left or whether the district would release their names to the public.

“We’ve provided critical insights and support throughout this process, and we wish them well as they move forward into the next phase of their search,” a spokesperson for the firm wrote in a statement.