Thread by @il_fps

We're at the fourth of five hearings of a new IL State Senate Committee on the Chicago Elected Representative School Board and will try to live tweet as the spirit moves us & the wifi & battery life allow...ilga.gov/senate/committ… #ERSB

You can watch or listen in via this page ilga.gov/senateaudvid.a…

This series of hearings is about creating a map of districts for the board seats, eventually 21 will be elected, but in Nov 2024, 10 members will be elected, remaining 11 to be appointed by the mayor. More background here: ilfps.org/ersb_hearings_…

If you're tuning in from home, the hearing hasn't started yet. About 25 people here incl Senator Hunter (on the committee) and Senator Cervantes (not on the committee)

Ok, Senators @robertmartwick, @ElgieSims, @LLCoolK_4, @senvillivalam here now too, so things are likely to get started soonish?

@robertmartwick @ElgieSims @LLCoolK_4 @senvillivalam Sen Lightford calls the committee to order... (here's the members ilga.gov/senate/committ…) (@SenPacioneZayas also here...)

@robertmartwick @ElgieSims @LLCoolK_4 @senvillivalam @SenPacioneZayas Some background from Sen Lightford: HB290 passed bill to create ERSB in spring 2021. First election of 10 members will be in Nov 2024 to four year terms; 11 members appointed to two-year term. Then in Nov 2026, remaining 11 members elected to four year term.

@robertmartwick @ElgieSims @LLCoolK_4 @senvillivalam @SenPacioneZayas School code requires districts to be created such that they comply with IL voting rights act as well as be compact, continguous and substantially equal in size

@robertmartwick @ElgieSims @LLCoolK_4 @senvillivalam @SenPacioneZayas Sen Lightford: I'm so proud and excited to lead this process, part of work to improve education for children. Exciting new era for community-empowered education.

@robertmartwick @ElgieSims @LLCoolK_4 @senvillivalam @SenPacioneZayas Sen Martwick: Our neighborhood schools are facing challenges and that's why this process is so important. And impt step forward for accountability for our schools

@robertmartwick @ElgieSims @LLCoolK_4 @senvillivalam @SenPacioneZayas First person to give testimony: Balthazar Enrique [ed note: accuracy might not be great on names!], Little Village Community Council and KidsFirst

@robertmartwick @ElgieSims @LLCoolK_4 @senvillivalam @SenPacioneZayas Baltazar Enriquez: the LAUSD school board doesn't have a proportionate number of Latino members for high number of Latino students in LAUSD (74%)

@robertmartwick @ElgieSims @LLCoolK_4 @senvillivalam @SenPacioneZayas Enriquez: Non-citizens can vote in LSC elections, so they should be allowed to vote in school board elections as well.

@robertmartwick @ElgieSims @LLCoolK_4 @senvillivalam @SenPacioneZayas Enriquez: 9-10 of 21 school board members in CPS should be Latino

@robertmartwick @ElgieSims @LLCoolK_4 @senvillivalam @SenPacioneZayas Enriquez: We opposed HB2908 because it disenfranchised our community. We don't think Sen Villanueva's bill to allow non-citizens will pass. We should have had same voting methods as LSCs and not "put politics in it"

Enriquez: Give our community equal racial representation or kill this process and replace it with LSC-style voting system

Martin Klein, MALDEF is up next linkedin.com/in/mart%C3%ADn…

Klein, staff attorney for MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund) which has been involved in voting district maps since the 1980s

Klein: Latinos are 29.8% of Chi pop, 27.2% of Chi voting pop, 46% of CPS student population. It's a civil right to have Latino community to have sufficient representation

Klein: Schedule of this hearing isn't sufficient--only one virtual hearing and 4 in-person were on weekdays

Klein: Please provide interpretation for some of the future meetings (i.e. for non-English speakers). Please make data public that is being used for the hearings.

Klein: Hold more hearings with sufficient advance notice. Please release draft map and then have another hearing for more input.

Next speaker is from Educators for Excellence (ed reform group that submitted statement with KidsFirst, etc: ilga.gov/senate/committ…)

She wants a smaller board -- CPS board with 21 members would be much larger than most boards in US [Ed note: read our explanation of why the board is this size here: ilfps.org/ersb_hearings_…]

Also says board members should be compensated and should be campaign finance rules to make it possible for working class candidates to run

Also says: non-citizen Chicagoans should also be allowed to vote

Next up Kurt Hilgendorf, @CTULocal1: Map should meet all state and federal voting rights requirements, should be equitable and representative of city

Next up speaker from Stand for Children (also supports reducing size of board to 9 members along with KidsFirst, etc)

Stand for Children rep: Size of board is problematic because it will make it "messier" and filled with "political factions"

This will distract from focus of superintendent for running school district. School board members should be paid, but we need fewer if we are going to pay them.

Next up: CPS alum from Benito Juarez HS and (maybe?) was a student rep on the LSC. Principal would refuse to show the LSC the budget. Couldn't count on LSC to get hold of the budget. Northside schools & students given a fairer chance because they have more resources

That was the final speaker. Chair Lightford closes things out.

Or not! One last speaker from the audience: Chris Bridges from CLCCR asks if there's any comments or reflections on what the committee has heard

Lightford: we are just doing listening for these sessions and will discuss things after all the hearings.