This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters By Erica Meltzer Chalkbeat November 3, 2026 Did you know search engines like Google are changing…

Philip Holden’s conviction follows a 2017 Chalkbeat investigation into ballooning enrollment and financial conflicts at the virtual charter school.

It appears voters chose Margie Luczak and her “anti-establishment” platform over incumbent Ed Bannon, a longtime community development advocate.

From school vouchers to culture wars, the 2026 election could mark a turning point in education politics.

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Getting pizza is one thing journalists across the country can count on for Election Night. Chalkbeat Chicago asked for suggestions from the school board candidates themselves.

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All 21 members of the Chicago Board of Education are up for election this fall. Chicago voters can cast a ballot for a school board president and a representative from their district. Find what district you live in and learn more about the candidates.

Guided Learning, which is designed to walk students through lessons rather than do their work for them, will become the default AI chatbot in Google Classroom. But districts that try to ban AI entirel...

_This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters atckbe.at/newsletters_ _This is a developing story. Check back for the latest election results._ CHICAGO — Chicago voters made history Tuesday casting ballots for 21 members of the Board of Education, ending 30 years of mayoral control of the city’s schools. While not all races had been settled Tuesday night, the results appeared to set up a divided board with about half aligned with the Chicago Teachers Union but led by a woman who gathered a broad mix of support, from the union representing school support staff to multimillionaires. The brutal election season drew more than $10 million in campaign money as special interests lined up behind their favored candidates. Special interest groups drew battle lines across the city. Jessica Biggs, a current school board member and former CPS principal, was set to be elected board president after a heated campaign. She was backed by SEIU, the union representing school support staff, several current and former CPS administrators, and special interest groups, including Common Ground Collective, a new anti-CTU political action committee funded heavily by billionaire Michael Sacks. The Chicago Teachers Union hoped to elect one of their organizers as school board president to maintain an 11-member majority, but that appears to be slipping away. Ten union-backed candidates were leading in district races, which would be one member short. This story will continually be updated as results come in. Jessica Biggs, a current school board member and former CPS principal, is set to become Chicago’s first elected school board president, capturing roughly 50% of the vote in a three-way competition against Chicago Teachers Union organizer Hilario Dominguez and attorney Victor Henderson. The high-stakes race to become the city’s first elected school board president was a showdown between a teachers union candidate, a current board member backed by a coalition of labor groups and billionaires, and an independent self-funded candidate. Biggs was backed by the union representing CPS support workers and the Common Ground Collective, an anti-CTU political action committee funded heavily by billionaire Michael Sacks. Former Chicago Teachers Union organizer Hilario Dominguez conceded shortly after 9 p.m. Victor Henderson, an attorney and board member at the charter Urban Prep, who ran as an independent with his own money had roughly 17% of the vote when Biggs declared victory. The school board president sets the board’s agenda and direction, and come January, will be a full voting member. Currently, the board president only gets a tie-breaking vote. The race drew millions in spending for negative ads and personal attacks about the candidates’ backgrounds. All three candidates faced intense public scrutiny for past controversies in recent months. _Read more_ _._ ### Find your district here **District 1A: O’Hare, Norwood Park, Forest Glen, Jefferson Park, Dunning, Edison Park** Ed Bannon, a current school board member appointed by Mayor Brandon Johnson, is trying to fend off Margie Luczak, a retired Chicago police officer backed by some of the local aldermen. Unlike some of the other school board races, Bannon and Luczak have two very different ideologies and approaches to governance. Luczak has taken on a more anti-establishment role that could resonate in the Far Northwest Side, which leans more conservative than other parts of the city. Bannon is backed by both the Chicago Teachers Union and Service Employees International Union and is a Johnson appointee, although he didn’t always align with the mayor’s agenda. Campaign money for Bannon surged in recent weeks, but Luczak has benefitted from spending by the anti-CTU Illinois Network of Charter Schools. _Read more_ _._ **District 1B: Portage Park, Dunning, Irving Park, Belmont Cragin, North Park, Montclare, Albany Park** Though there is no incumbent in the District 1b race, voters may recognize Michelle Pierre, a seasoned education leader, who narrowly lost to Jennifer Custer in the 2024 school board elections. This time, Pierre is facing off against Claudia Peralta, an experienced community organizer supported by the city’s two major staff unions. District 1b is one of the top school board districts for campaign fundraising, garnering more than $310,000 in contributions for both campaigns and more than $450,000 from special interest groups. Peralta is backed by CTU and U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez, whom Peralta works for. Pierre has raised nearly $100,000 from the Coca-Cola Company director David Weinberg, pro-charter school special interest groups, and venture capitalist Paul Finnegan. She is also backed by pro-school choice groups and the Common Ground Collective, an anti-CTU political action committee funded by billionaire Michael Sacks. The two candidates have diverging viewpoints on how to address Chicago Public Schools’ budget deficit, with Pierre emphasizing fiscal responsibility and auditing. Peralta wants more state funding. _Read more_ _._ **District 2A: West Ridge, Rogers Park and North Park** Ebony DeBerry is looking to stay on the Chicago Board of Education for at least another four years after being elected in 2024. Hector Morales, who serves as an attorney for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, is her opponent. To be successful in District 2a, both DeBerry and Morales must appeal to one of the most diverse districts along Chicago’s lakefront, which includes Rogers Park, a neighborhood home to a vast array of immigrant families. DeBerry is a lifelong resident of Rogers Park and taught at the neighborhood’s Sullivan High School. Morales volunteered in Rogers Park’s Gale Elementary School to teach kids how to make electronic music. The distribution of campaign contributions is one-sided in District 2a, with most spending coming from DeBerry’s campaign. She has received direct financial support from the Chicago Teachers Union and SEIU. Morales has not reported any contributions. _Read more._ **District 2B: Lincoln Square, Edgewater, Albany Park, Uptown and North Park** Two former teachers are going head-to-head to claim this two-year term seat along Chicago’s Lakefront. The incumbent, Debby Pope, worked as a bilingual social studies teacher at CPS schools such as Benito Juárez Community Academy High School and Gage Park High School. Challenger Kyna Lenhof has worked at Easterseals Academy and Scammon Elementary School as a special education teacher. A third candidate, Daniel Basco, will appear on the ballot despite suspending his campaign and putting his support behind Lenhof. The two candidates both believe increased funding for CPS — and the equitable distribution of that money to schools — should be a top priority. Pope wants tax reforms that increase contributions from wealthy Chicagoans to fund public education as a way to see that through, while Lenhof has stressed the need to move away district borrowing via high-interest loans. Pope is primarily funded by the Chicago Teachers Union’s political fundraising arm and the Chicago Working Families PAC, in addition to personal loans and some individual contributions. The bulk of Lenhof’s money comes from the Illinois Network of Charter Schools, venture capitalist Paul Finnegan, and the anti-CTU Common Ground Collective. _Read more._ **District 3A: Avondale, Irving Park, Logan Square, Belmont Cragin, Hermosa, Albany Park** Longtime community organizer and artist Norma Rios Sierra is hoping to hold onto the seat Mayor Brandon Johnson appointed her to in 2025. She faces a challenge from political newcomer Peter Gonzales, who has the support of school choice advocates. Rios Sierra is backed by CTU and SEIU in one of five districts where the two unions are aligned. Gonzales is backed by the anti-CTU Common Ground Collective, the pro-school choice Urban Center, and the Illinois Network of Charter Schools. This is one of a handful of races where special interest money has been flowing fast in recent weeks. Common Ground has spent significantly to oppose Rios Sierra and support Gonzales, while INCS spent big on mailers and ads for Gonzales. The two candidates differ on whether CPS should open more charter schools and whether schools should be given some kind of performance rating or letter grade. _Read more_ _._ **District 3B: Humboldt Park, Logan Square, Belmont Cragin, West Town, Hermosa** A contentious rematch is underway to represent Humboldt Park, with incumbent board member Carlos Rivas Jr. facing Jason Dónes, a CTU-backed CPS dad who lost in 2024. The two Latino men grew up in the neighborhood. Both attended selective enrollment high schools in CPS, went to college, and returned to Chicago to teach through Teach for America. Rivas is backed by SEIU, Common Ground Collective, and the Illinois Network of Charter Schools. Special interest groups and his own political action committee have spent more than $300,000 in support of his campaign. Dónes is backed by the CTU and has gotten a financial boost from Our Schools, a political action committee heavily funded by CTU. In the past week, Our Schools sent mailers attacking Rivas for a 2018 incident when he was on staff at the Noble Network of Charter Schools and allegedly was disciplined for excessive drinking and unwanted touching of a colleague. The two men hold similar stances on everything from school closures to restrictions on artificial intelligence in the classroom to school ratings. _Read more_ _._ **District 4A: Lakeview, Uptown, North Center and Edgewater** The race in district 4a on the city’s North Side has been among the most expensive and competitive. Retired teacher Karen Zaccor, a mayoral appointee and a staunch CTU ally on the current board, faces two challengers: Ellen Sherratt, who consults with districts and others on teacher quality, and Angel Alvarez, a stem cell researcher, CPS parent and advocate for students with disabilities. The race drew massive spending in support of Sherratt by several groups seeking to loosen the teachers union’s firm grip on the school board, including the Common Ground Collective and the Illinois Network of Charter Schools. District 4a was also among the ones where onetime close ally SEIU broke with the CTU in backing Sherratt. Sherratt said she would set ambitious student achievement goals and decried a 2026-27 district budget padded with “phantom” money the state hasn’t approved that the CTU-aligned majority passed. Zaccor said she would push hard for more state funding and the continued expansion of the district’s Sustainable Community Schools program. Alvarez promised special education and other services more responsive to parent needs and feedback. _Read more_ _._ **District 4B: Lincoln Park, North Center, Lakeview and Logan Square** Current school board member Ellen Rosenfeld, a former CPS family engagement official and teacher, is poised to serve on the board another four years after running unopposed in the North Side district. She had been elected decisively in 2024 against five opponents, including Karen Zaccor, whom Mayor Johnson then appointed to the board. Zaccor is running for reelection in District 4a. Rosenfeld is part of a block of board members who banded together to curb the influence of the CTU-aligned majority. She said the next school board should be less mired in politics and more focused on the student experience and outcomes. She also said the district must reckon with a decade of sharply declining enrollment, including by closing some severely underenrolled schools. _Read more_ _._ **District 5A: Austin, Humboldt Park, West Town and Montclare** The two people on the ballot and a third person running as write-in candidate are all CPS graduates and longtime West Side residents. But their education priorities are vastly different and this race is another proxy for the head-to-head battle between the CTU and other special interest groups that support school choice or are more generally against the union. Aaron “Jitu” Brown, who is backed by the Chicago Teachers Union, is a community organizer and current board member who grew up on the South Side and helped push for an elected school board. LaPamela Williams is a Realtor and Austin native is backed by school choice groups Illinois Network of Charter Schools and Urban Center, as well as Common Ground Collective, an anti-CTU group that says it’s pushing for “effective progressive policies” and was heavily funded by billionaire Michael Sacks. Kernetha Jones, the write-in candidate, is a retired special education teacher who doesn’t have major endorsements. Her top priority is overhauling sex education, which she claimed, without credible evidence, involves child pornography in CPS. She also supports creating voucher-based school choice in Illinois and hiring more Black teachers. _Read more_ _._ **District 5B: North Lawndale, Near West Side, East Garfield Park, West Garfield Park and West Town** Michilia “Kyla” Blaise, a political aide and current appointed member of the school board, is running against Anthony Hargrove, a former CPS employee and current nonprofit program leader. Both ran for school board in 2024 but Blaise dropped out before the election, and Hargrove was kicked off the ballot after a petition challenge. This time around, Blaise and Hargrove competed with opposing endorsements and priorities for the economically diverse district, which stretches from the West Loop through North Lawndale and West Garfield Park. Blaise is endorsed by the Chicago Teachers Union, while Hargrove is backed by SEIU, the union that represents CPS support workers, and Common Ground Collective, an anti-CTU group heavily funded by billionaire Michael Sacks, which says it’s pushing for “effective progressive policies.” He’s also backed by pro-school choice groups Illinois Network of Charter Schools and Urban Center. Blaise’s top priority includes securing more funding for CPS and revitalizing Marshall Metropolitan High School, which enrolls just 200 students. Hargrove wants to improve reading and math and special education. Special interest groups that support Hargrove outspent the CTU and an aligned PAC 6 to 1 on this race, according to the most recent campaign finance records. _Read more_ _._ **District 6A: Near North Side and West Town** It’s been an expensive and bruising three-way competition to represent downtown Chicago and Wicker Park on the school board. Incumbent Anusha Thotakura, backed by the Chicago Teachers Union and SEIU, is facing challenges from two newcomers: Isaiah White, backed by the Illinois Network of Charter Schools and anti-CTU group Common Ground Collective, and Brenda Lee Anderson, who did not draw endorsements or funding from major special interest groups. The groups supportive of White spent nearly $395,000 supporting his campaign — more than ten times what CTU or aligned groups spent on Thotakura, according to mid-October campaign finance records. Thotakura’s and White’s top priorities are to improve academic achievement. Anderson’s goal is to fix CPS’ budget issues by pushing for more state and federal funding. The race was rocky from the start. Anderson, whose pronouns are they/them, faced a challenge to their paperwork to appear on the ballot and said Thotakura was behind it. Thotakura has declined to comment on that accusation. Since then, people from both camps have lobbed accusations against each other on social media. Anderson has accused Thotakura’s camp of making false claims about them on the campaign trail, while someone who claimed to be a volunteer with Thotakura’s campaign accused Anderson’s campaign of bullying and harassment. _Read more_ _._ **District 6B: Greater Grand Crossing, Grand Boulevard, Washington Park, Near South Side, the Loop, Douglas, Woodlawn, Englewood, Fuller Park, Hyde Park** Two political newcomers — South Side pastor Michael Neal and attorney Brittany Kimble — are competing without significant special interest backing to represent neighborhoods stretching from Lakeshore East and the South Loop through Greater Grand Crossing. Neal’s main priority is to improve early childhood education, while Kimble wants to improve academic achievement and fix the district’s budget. Their district is one of two where neither the Chicago Teachers Union nor Service Employees International Union, which represents support workers in CPS, endorsed a candidate. But Neal did earn the endorsement of Common Ground Collective, an anti-CTU group that says it’s advocating for “effective progressive policies” and is heavily funded by billionaire Michael Sacks, while Kimble was endorsed by Urban Center, a centrist, pro-school-choice group. _Read more_ _._ **District 7A: South Lawndale, Near West Side, Lower West Side, Garfield Ridge and Archer Heights** Emma Lozano, a pastor and immigrant advocate who was appointed to the board, is running against Jesus Ayala Jr., a former nonprofit leader who attempted to run in 2024 but was removed from the ballot after a challenge to his nominating papers. In this majority Latino subdistrict, Lozano’s main priority is to secure more progressive revenue for schools and protect immigrant families in the wake of increased federal enforcement. Ayala’s focus would be to improve student academic achievement and access to student supports, such as bilingual services, at all schools. Special interests who backed Ayala — the anti-Chicago Teachers Union group, Common Ground Collective, and pro-school-choice groups like Illinois Network of Charter Schools and Urban Center — spent $374,000 supporting his campaign. That’s compared with just $17,000 that the CTU and an aligned PAC, Our Schools Action, spent to support Lozano. _Read more_ _._ **District 7B: Brighton Park, Lower West Side, Archer Heights, Bridgeport, Gage Park, West Elsdon, Armour Square, McKinley Park** In this Southwest Side district, an incumbent who has been critical of charter schools faces a political newcomer who is backed by school choice advocates. Yesenia Lopez, a former congressional campaign staffer who was elected to the board in 2024, is running against Erika E. Diaz-Chavez, a project manager for the Chicago Park District. Their district serves the highest percentage of Hispanic students of all board districts. Lopez’s priorities, if reelected, include advocating for immigrant families and improving mental health support for students. Diaz-Chavez would focus on boosting student academic outcomes. Lopez is endorsed by Service Employees International Union, or SEIU, which represents support workers at CPS, and Our Schools, a PAC that is heavily funded by the Chicago Teachers Union, though the union itself did not endorse either candidate in this district. Diaz-Chavez is backed by Urban Center, a centrist, pro-school-choice organization. _Read more._ **District 8A: Ashburn, Garfield Ridge, Clearing, West Lawn, Chicago Lawn, West Elsdon** Angel Gutierrez, a current elected school board member and nonprofit leader, is all but guaranteed to serve another four years term representing the far southwest side district after no one filed paperwork to challenge him, and no write-in candidates declared themselves. Elected in 2024 with the backing of school choice advocates, Gutierrez is part of a group of current board members who frequently vote against the CTU-aligned majority. His majority Latino district leans more conservative, and a higher proportion of children in 8a do not attend CPS schools. Those who do tend to choose their zoned neighborhood elementary schools. Gutierrez is the current deputy director of institutional advancement for Enlace Chicago and formerly chief advancement officer at Chicago Hope Academy, a private school on the West Side. _Read more_ _._ **District 8B: New City, Chicago Lawn, Gage Park, McKinley Park, Bridgeport, the Loop, Brighton Park, West Lawn, Near South Side, Armour Square** Juan Ignacio González, a veteran Chicago Police Department detective and local coffee shop owner, appears set to serve a two-year term as the new representative for a sprawling district stretching from the Loop southwest to Chicago Lawn. He was the sole candidate on the ballot but faced a write-in effort from a recent high school graduate, Alexander Angeles. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran and the son of immigrant parents from Mexico, Gonzalez attended the University of Illinois Chicago. He said his top priority is high academic standards and improving math and reading instruction. Angeles joined the race in late August, saying he decided to run after the Chicago election authority kicked incumbent and Mayor Brandon Johnson appointee Cydney Wallace off the ballot due to challenges to her petition signatures. _Read more_ _._ **District 9A: Auburn Gresham, West Englewood, Englewood, New City, Ashburn, Washington Heights** Brittany Bailey Preston is slated to be the school board representative for the Englewood and Auburn Gresham communities for the next two years after the current appointed school board representative, Angel Velez, did not have enough valid signatures to make it on the ballot. The wife of a state senator and mom of six was the only name on the ballot. In a social media post, Preston said she wants to make CPS “the most family-friendly school district in America.” She and her husband, state Sen. Willie Preston (D-Chicago), previously ran a construction company and were student activists at Chicago State University. _Read more_ _._ **District 9B: Roseland, West Pullman, Morgan Park, Beverly, Mount Greenwood, Washington Heights** Two women with similar professional backgrounds are facing off to represent the far south side Beverly and Morgan Park communities. Incumbent school board member Therese Boyle was one of three independents to win in 2024 with no special interest endorsements or money. Boyle is now drawing support from SEIU, the union representing school support staff, and the Illinois Network of Charter Schools as she faces a CTU-backed challenger Katherine Dunneback. Boyle is a former CPS school psychologist, and Dunneback is a speech-language pathologist and former CPS mom. The two differ on school closings and supporting charter schools, with Boyle open to both in certain circumstances, while Dunneback said no to both. _Read more_ _._ **District 10A: South Shore, Woodlawn, Greater Grand Crossing, Hyde Park, Kenwood, South Chicago, Douglas, Oakland** Che “Rhymefest” Smith, the Grammy-award winning hip-hop artist, is headed to a victory after fending off a write-in challenge from CTU-backed CPS mom in the south lakefront district. He will represent the south lakefront for another four years. Smith self-funded his successful win in 2024 and has put at least $80,000 toward his re-election campaign in 2026. Tameka Walton filed the required signatures to get on the ballot, but a validity challenge resulted in her name being removed. Still, she is running with the backing of the Chicago Teachers Union, which has included her in their endorsements, donated more than $38,000 to her campaign, and dubbed her one of their “public school champions.” _Read more_ _._ **District 10B: South Deering, Hegewisch, Riverdale, East Side, Chatham, South Chicago, Pullman, Calumet Heights, Avalon Park, Burnside, South Shore** The election to represent Chicago’s far southeast side neighborhoods of Hegewisch, Pullman, Chatham, and South Deering mirrors a fault line Chicago’s provincial politics pitting a candidate backed by the progressive left against an aide to a pothole politics-focused Democratic alderman. Connie Anderson, a former CPS parent and record store owner backed by the CTU and recently appointed to the school board by Mayor Brandon Johnson, is facing Patrick Watson, a legislative aide to Ald. Anthony Beale, a frequent critic of the mayor. Watson is backed by SEIU, the union representing school support staff, and anti-CTU interest groups. Also in the mix is a write-in candidate, former teacher Rosita Chatonda, who is not funded or endorsed by any special interest groups and has not filed any campaign finance paperwork. _Read more._ _Becky Vevea is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Chicago. Contact Becky at_ _bvevea@chalkbeat.org_ _._ _Reema Amin is a reporter covering Chicago Public Schools. Contact Reema at_ _ramin@chalkbeat.org_ _._ _Makiya Seminera is a reporter covering how the state and federal government affect education in Chicago and across Illinois. Contact Makiya at_ _mseminera@chalkbeat.org_ _._ _Mila Koumpilova is Chalkbeat Chicago’s senior reporter covering Chicago Public Schools. Contact Mila at_ _mkoumpilova@chalkbeat.org_ _._ _Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools._ * * * **Support Local News!** When you support Block Club, you’re helping us share the work of all of Chicago’s nonprofit newsrooms. **Subscribe to Block Club Chicago, **an independent, 501(c)(3), journalist-run newsroom. Already subscribe? **Support Block Club with atax-deductible donation.** **Listen to the Block Club Chicago podcast:** ## Should Chicago Have Public Festival Grounds? It's On The Ballot. – The Block Club Chicago Podcast 1. Should Chicago Have Public Festival Grounds? It's On The Ballot. 17:58 2. Need A Halloween Costume? A Chicago Thrifting Expert Shares Her Secrets 18:06 3. The Cubs Win The Latest Round In Their 20-Year Battle With The Rooftops 32:06 4. A Billionaire's Squirrel-Feeding Operation Is Driving Neighbors Nuts 23:31 5. Are You Good At Obscure Chicago Trivia? Let's Find Out. 23:44

This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters By Aleksandra Appleton Chalkbeat October 27, 2026 Did you know search engines like Google are…

Getting pizza is one thing journalists across the country can count on for Election Night. Chalkbeat Chicago asked for suggestions from the school board candidates themselves.

This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters By Lily Altavena Chalkbeat October 26, 2026 Did you know search engines like Google are changing…

Getting pizza is one thing journalists across the country can count on for Election Night. Chalkbeat Chicago asked for suggestions from the school board candidates themselves.

Getting pizza is one thing journalists across the country can count on for Election Night. Chalkbeat Chicago asked for suggestions from the school board candidates themselves.

"If a school is not comfortable with that and simply wants AI off, then they have the choice to not have Search on at all," Chris Phillips, Google 's vice president and general manager of education, said, according to Chalkbeat. Phillips described AI as so thoroughly woven into Search that it can't be switched off. Phillips also told The New York Times that students at schools that ban AI "will not have access to search, and they'll see a message from their school that indicates it's not available." Guided Learning will take the place of AI Overviews for students who search while signed in to school accounts, according to Chalkbeat. Chalkbeat also reported that Google intends to pilot the changes in a handful of U.S. schools this month, with a wider rollout set for early next year. Eisha Bush, head of teaching and learning at the advocacy group Common Sense Media, said it is “slim to none” that schools and students will steer clear of Google Search, according to Chalkbeat. Google has also never let schools disable AI Overviews, and getting rid of AI Mode has meant working around it with tricky technical fixes. Common Sense Media’s Youth AI Safety...