Chicago Teachers Union, Mayor Brandon Johnson oppose bill to protect selective enrollment schools

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The Chicago's Teachers Union and Mayor Brandon Johnson are at odds with state lawmakers over a bill introduced to protect selective enrollment schools until a fully elected school board has been seated.

Selective enrollment schools began years ago as a way to integrate Chicago Public Schools, but has subsequently become a highly competitive program that the mayor and CTU say has taken resources away from underserved neighborhood schools.

"I'm confident people in Chicago want to see us fully invest in all of our schools, this isn't about cherry picking in all of our schools," Johnson said.

In response to a five year school board plan that lifts up neighborhood schools and de-emphasized school choice, Illinois' general assembly has passed a bill that protects selective enrollment, magnet and charter schools.

"The intent of the this bill is before there is an elected board in place that we don't make any major policy decisions such as shift in how we fund the schools," said Rep. Ann Williams (D-Chicago).

The bill also calls for a moratorium on all schools until a fully elected school board is in place in 2027. A moratorium was set to expire next year, but Johnson and the CTU strongly oppose the bill. They do not believe it's needed because CPS has already made it clear selective enrollment and magnet schools are not going away.

"It says we in Springfield only want to protect these handfuls of schools," said CTU President Stacy Davis-Gates.

Rep. Williams, a co-sponsor of the bill, doesn't see it that way.

"We all see the need to recognize that every student as access to a high quality education. This bill provides that no school can close until there is a fully elected choosing board in place," she said.

Williams and others said Springfield will continue to work on making sure CPS and all Illinois schools are fully funded by the state. The mayor says a fully funded district means the state owes CPS $1 billion, money he said will go toward making sure neighborhood schools have the resources they need.

The bill now heads to the State Senate. If it passes, Governor JB Pritzker said he supports the idea of waiting for a fully elected school board before making policy decisions about schools.