Chicago Schools Get a Reprieve Until 2027

In a big decision, the Chicago Board of Education voted to stop school closures until January 2027. This vote comes after a tough month where the district was accused of planning secret school closures. The fate of CEO Pedro Martinez's job was also questioned. On Thursday, the board focused on the possibility of schools being closed or merged. The Chicago Teachers Union fought against this idea. During the meeting, Martinez talked about a "misinformation campaign" around school closures and said there were no plans to close schools. He asked the board to adopt a resolution extending the ban on school closures until January 2027. However, he didn't address rumors that he might be fired soon. CTU Vice President Jackson Potter suggested changes to Martinez’s resolution. He said it doesn’t protect schools from sharing facilities without changing programs. Board President Jianan Shi started the meeting by saying there were no plans to close schools. She also clarified that they won't discuss confidential matters or staff changes in public. Outside the school, activist and school board candidate Aaron “Jitu” Brown talked about rumors of school closures with CTU members and the press. The crowd chanted, "No school closings! "