A former Chicago teacher and principal who is now the senior director of educational policy in the mayor’s office has been chosen as the interim leader of Chicago Public Schools.
The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Macquline King will take over for terminated CEO Pedro Martinez whose last day is next week.
The school system, the nation's fourth largest, is facing a $529 million budget deficit and has no clear path for closing the gap.
King barely received the majority needed to be appointed. Eleven of the 20 voting members approved her as interim CEO, one abstained and nine voted no. The president of the board does not have a vote.
The search for a permanent CEO is ongoing. The school board has been holding meetings across the city to solicit input, and the district has started accepting applications.
King will lead the district as it confronts a serious budget crisis. The system’s deficit could be even larger than the $529 million deficit, and that doesn’t include a $175 million municipal pension payment that the mayor wants the school district to cover.
Martinez was opposed to any borrowing as he saw it as financially irresponsible and his legal team suggested that taking a loan to cover operating expenses could be illegal. But the mayor’s office presented some scenarios that they say are financially prudent. This disagreement is one of the factors that led to his termination.
King's experience as a principal includes leading a school that was closed and then leading another school that welcomed students from a closed school. After 12 years as a teacher, she was principal of Dumas on the South Side and then Courtenay Elementary School on the North Side.
About the Author
Mike Kennedy
Senior Editor
Mike Kennedy has been writing about education for American School & University since 1999. He also has reported on schools and other topics for The Chicago Tribune, The Kansas City Star, The Kansas City Times and City News Bureau of Chicago. He is a graduate of Michigan State University.