Mayors

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson delivers his inaugural address after taking the oath of office as Chicago's 57th mayor on May 15, 2023, in Chicago.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson delivers his inaugural address after taking the oath of office on May 15, 2023. Johnson will have to oversee the city school district's transition from mayoral control to a fully elected school board.
Charles Rex Arbogast/AP
School & District Management A Fading School Reform? Mayoral Control Is Ending in Another City
Chicago will phase out mayoral control of its schools by 2027, becoming the latest city to drop the model.
Libby Stanford, June 27, 2023
7 min read
Chicago Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson celebrates with supporters after defeating Paul Vallas in the mayoral runoff election on April 4, 2023, in Chicago.
Chicago Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson celebrates with supporters after defeating Paul Vallas in the mayoral runoff election on April 4, 2023, in Chicago.
Paul Beaty/AP
School & District Management What the Election of Chicago's New Mayor Says About the Political Power of Teachers' Unions
Brandon Johnson, a former middle school teacher and teachers' union organizer, won the race for mayor of Chicago on Tuesday.
Libby Stanford, April 5, 2023
6 min read
Chicago mayoral candidate Paul Vallas speaks at his election night event in Chicago, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023. Mayor Lori Lightfoot conceded defeat Tuesday night, ending her efforts for a second term and setting the stage for Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson to run against former Chicago Public Schools CEO Vallas for Chicago mayor.
Chicago mayoral candidate Paul Vallas speaks at his election night event in Chicago, on Feb. 28, 2023. Mayor Lori Lightfoot conceded defeat, ending her efforts for a second term. Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson, a former teacher, will compete against Vallas, a former schools chief in the city.
Nam Y. Huh/AP
Policy & Politics Chicago's Next Mayor Will Be a Former Educator
Former Chicago schools CEO Paul Vallas and former teacher Brandon Johnson will face off in an April runoff.
Libby Stanford, March 1, 2023
6 min read
Education New York City Schools Will Stay Closed for Academic Year, Mayor Says
Gov. Andrew Cuomo pushed back on the Mayor Bill de Blasio's announcement, however, saying "no decision" had been made about reopening schools in New York City or elsewhere in the state.
Lesli A. Maxwell, April 11, 2020
2 min read
Federal Michael Bloomberg Brings Controversial N.Y.C. Schools Record to 2020 Race
As New York City mayor, Bloomberg exercised sweeping control over Gotham's school system. The city adopted new curricula, a new admissions process, and a new system for grading schools, among other changes.
Andrew Ujifusa, November 24, 2019
3 min read
Equity & Diversity What's Next for New York's Elite High Schools Now That De Blasio's Diversity Plan Is Dead
A contentious debate over New York's elite high schools flared this year as Mayor Bill de Blasio sought to scrap the exam that determines admissions as a way to increase enrollment of black and Hispanic students. But amid strong opposition from the city's Asian community and well-heeled alumni, state lawmakers never took action on the proposed diversity plan.
Christina A. Samuels, June 27, 2019
5 min read
School & District Management News in Brief Chicago School Board Members Resign After Mayor Reveals Plan to Oust Them
Newly inaugurated Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who endorsed an elected school board on the campaign trail, has announced that she will overhaul the seven-member board of education.
Tribune News Service, June 4, 2019
1 min read
Federal Bill de Blasio, Who's Expanded Pre-K, Sparred on Education, Seeks Presidency
The New York City mayor has pushed universal pre-K, championed a controversial school turnaound program, and picked a schools chief backing a divisive effort to diversify selective high schools.
Evie Blad, May 16, 2019
2 min read
Education Chicago Teachers Union Endorses County Board President For Mayor
The teachers' union is throwing its support behind Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle in the race to replace Rahm Emanuel as Chicago's mayor, the Chicago Tribune reports.
Denisa R. Superville, December 6, 2018
1 min read
School & District Management News in Brief Local School Board Group Wants Power of N.Y.C. Mayor Over District Reined In
A group representing New York City's influential local school boards has come out against Mayor Bill de Blasio's control of the public schools, which expires in June, unless significant limits are placed on his power.
Tribune News Service, October 2, 2018
1 min read
Education Boston Mayor Picks Nonprofit Leader as Temporary Schools Chief
Laura Perille, the CEO of the Boston-based non-profit EdVestors, is expected to be named interim superintendent while the district looks for a permanent leader.
Denisa R. Superville, June 28, 2018
2 min read
Equity & Diversity News in Brief N.Y.C. Mayor Offers Plan to Diversify City's Elite Specialized High Schools
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio says he will push to diversify the city's elite specialized high schools by setting aside seats for low-income students who just missed the test-score cutoff.
The Associated Press, June 12, 2018
1 min read
School & District Management A New Education Era in Philadelphia: Mayor Names Members of School Board
About 500 people submitted their names or were nominated for one of the nine spots on the new Philadelphia school board, the first to oversee the district since the state seized control in 2001.
Denisa R. Superville, April 4, 2018
1 min read
Budget & Finance Newark Mayor Wants a Pause on Charter School Expansion in the City
Ras Baraka, a former principal who is running for re-election this year, said aggressive charter school growth could "suck the life" out of traditional public schools, according to Chalkbeat.
Denisa R. Superville, March 30, 2018
1 min read