The mass exodus of staffers from Mayor Lightfoot’s CPS leadership team, which includes Chief Operating Officer Arne Rivera and Chief Education Officer LaTanya McDade, cannot be a deterrent to addressing the needs of our school communities, which have been exacerbated in this pandemic.
CHICAGO, May 3, 2021—The Chicago Teachers Union released the following statement today regarding the resignations of Chief Executive Officer Janice Jackson and Chief Operating Officer Arne Rivera from Chicago Public Schools:
“The next chief executive that Mayor Lori Lightfoot appoints must work with educators to implement the common good standards won in our contract, and as the city of Chicago awaits its sixth Chicago Public Schools CEO in the last 10 years, we will continue to meet and exceed expectations to enforce our agreements with CPS and return safely to school buildings in the fall. Our union formally calls for a process in which CPS families and school communities are public and active participants in hiring the incoming CPS CEO, who will be tasked with working in partnership with all stakeholders in bringing stability to our district.
“The mass exodus of staffers from Mayor Lightfoot’s CPS leadership team, which also includes today’s announcement of the departure of Chief Operating Officer Arnaldo Rivera and Chief Education Officer LaTanya McDade’s announcement in March, cannot be a deterrent to addressing the needs of our school communities, which have been exacerbated in this pandemic. We are hopeful the mayor can improve on her ability to work collaboratively and cohesively with others, in particular her own staff and appointees in CPS, because trauma support, special education and bilingual education resources, and equitable spending of federal funding remain high priorities for families and educators. The next CPS CEO will also be working with an elected school board, so democracy has to be at the forefront of everything our district does in providing services for hundreds of thousands of CPS children and families.
“We are extremely proud to be part of a movement that includes parents, students, grassroots organizations and community groups that work tirelessly toward being a stabilizing force for public education, and a model for other cities nationwide. That discipline and commitment won’t change as we pursue educational equity for schools and communities.”
“We wish CEO Janice Jackson, Chief Education Officer McDade and COO Rivera the best in their future endeavors, and look forward to a collegial and collaborative relationship with their successors as we continue our work toward creating the schools our students deserve.”
