Aldermen, including mayoral allies, blast Johnson over Chicago Board of Education resignations

At least 40 aldermen, including numerous allies of Mayor Brandon Johnson, posted an open letter Saturday blasting the mayor’s handing of Chicago Public Schools that led to the entire Chicago Board of Education announcing they will soon resign.

The group of aldermen — including 12 members of Johnson’s leadership team on the council — chastised the mayor’s high-stakes efforts to take greater control of CPS, which include trying to get CPS to take out a high-interest $300 million loan and assume a $175 million pension payment for nonteacher CPS employees. In the letter, aldermen said the idea of the district taking out the $300 million in loans was “not a smart decision” and also praised CPS CEO Pedro Martinez who has pushed back against Johnson’s efforts.

The mayor has been moving to get the seven-member board to fire Martinez and when Johnson announced Friday the full board intended to resign it was viewed as a clear attempt by the mayor to clear the way for a newly appointed board to fire Martinez. Johnson said he intends to name board replacements at a South Side church on Monday.

“There is extreme cause for concern now that those voices have been diminished,” the aldermanic letter stated.