Schools
44
plain
2021-01-12T12:28:59-06:00
In 1995, Daley took control of the Chicago Public Schools, the third largest school district in the United States. Prior to that year, Chicago mayors had only limited say in how the city ran its schools. In 1995, however, the Illinois General Assembly granted Daley the authority to appoint members of the Chicago Board of Education, effectively making him responsible for the schools’ performance.
Forrest Claypool, the mayor’s chief of staff (1989-1991 and 1998-1999), explains that one reason Daley took on school reform was to make the city more attractive to middle-class residents:
Two former CEO's of Chicago Public Schools, Paul Vallas (1995-2001) and Arne Duncan (2001-2008), remember their stints working for Mayor Daley:
Mellody Hobson, president of Ariel Investments in Chicago, reflects on Daley’s efforts to reform the schools:
