2026年芝加哥教育委员会选举：北区4b选区选情

Chicago Education Commission election in 2026: Analysis of the 4b district voting situation

Ellen Rosenfeld, a former CPS teacher and CPS Family and Community Engagement Specialist, successfully won the North District seat in the 2024 election for the Chicago Education Commission. This time, she ran unopposed. Pro-choice school selection groups funded her campaign and opposed another candidate backed by the teachers' union. After leaving her position in CPS Family and Community Engagement, she has been working full-time on her education commission role.

Rosenfeld is one of seven elected members in a coalition that opposes appointed members and their pro-administration supporters on the commission. She received support from Service Employees International Union Illinois State Council, a union representing CPS support staff, and also from groups opposing the Chicago Teachers Union.

The current commission is seen by Rosenfeld as being overly focused on political disputes and susceptible to external pressures. However, she believes the upcoming elected commission could show improvement in academic performance, including higher reading proficiency and reduced chronic absenteeism.

One of Rosenfeld's priorities is addressing chronic absenteeism, which she considers a critical issue. She believes that the new commission must unite around a shared vision for improving each district, stating, "Without a shared vision, it's almost impossible to do anything truly beneficial." The district has 18 schools, including high-performing community schools, popular magnet schools, and a highly sought-after selective enrollment high school, Lane Tech College Prep.

Home choice for community schools is more prevalent in this district, particularly at the elementary level, compared to other districts. Some schools attract students from across the city, resulting in more diverse student populations.

Rosenfeld has worked to build relationships with schools, district staff, families, and students through regular meetings and visits to about 60 schools, including those outside her district. She has voted on budget-related issues, including approving the 2025-26 spending plan (which did not rely on high-cost borrowing) and opposing the current budget (which relied on funds not yet allocated to CPS by the state). She opposes the current budget due to its reliance on state funds not yet provided to CPS to avoid layoffs.

One point of potential conflict with the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) is Rosenfeld's stance on closing schools. The CTU strongly opposes school closures. Rosenfeld argues that the commission must address the declining student enrollment in recent years, which is expected to accelerate due to falling birth rates. She believes that schools with declining enrollment are not providing an adequate educational experience for their students.

Rosenfeld advocates for learning from the 2013 mass school closures and implementing genuine community engagement. She suggests forming a working group to involve residents from diverse backgrounds in the process. "Our current approach doesn't work," she states. "It's unreasonable and a waste of resources."