President, Chicago Board of Education

Experience

• Says:Attorney and former CPA who founded the law firm Henderson Parks Chicago Sun-Times voter guide (candidate's answers) ↗
• Board member of the Urban Prep charter network Chalkbeat Chicago ↗
• Says:CPS parent of four graduates Chicago Sun-Times voter guide (candidate's answers) ↗

Record and stated positions

• Says:Supports closing schools only as an extraordinary last resort Chicago Sun-Times voter guide (candidate's answers) ↗
• Says:Says he doesn't trust CPS budget figures and wants outside experts to review spending Chalkbeat Chicago ↗
• Says:Says the board should not raise the property tax levy to the maximum automatically Chicago Sun-Times voter guide (candidate's answers) ↗

Legal and controversies (last 5 years)

• No election complaints, federal cases or lawyer discipline found in the sources checked, Oct. 2021 to Oct. 2026 Illinois State Board of Elections ↗

Checked: Illinois State Board of Elections complaint search by respondent and committee name, all years reviewed for 2021-2026 (elections.il.gov), Illinois ARDC lawyer search: licensed 1990; no public discipline or pending proceedings, Federal dockets via CourtListener: Illinois district and bankruptcy courts and the 7th Circuit, filed since 2021-10-29 (PACER itself not searched; suits naming the person only in an official capacity excluded), News archive search: Chicago Sun-Times, WBEZ, Capitol News Illinois, WTTW, Chalkbeat, Inspector general findings: web search of Cook County OIIG, MWRD OIG and Illinois OEIG reports

Money

• Raised $671,575 in cash and in-kind donations as of Sept. 16 Chicago Sun-Times voter guide ↗

Sources

1. Chicago Sun-Times voter guide, retrieved Oct 29, 2026
2. Chalkbeat Chicago, retrieved Oct 29, 2026
3. Illinois State Board of Elections, retrieved Oct 29, 2026

Experience

• Says:Elected Chicago Board of Education member since 2025 Chicago Sun-Times voter guide (candidate's answers) ↗
• Says:Former principal of Burke Elementary (2012-2018) Chicago Sun-Times voter guide (candidate's answers) ↗
• Says:Directs the Southwest System of Care at the Southwest Organizing Project Chicago Sun-Times voter guide (candidate's answers) ↗

Record and stated positions

• Voted against the 2026 CPS budget that counts on $150 million in uncommitted state money Chalkbeat Chicago ↗
• Says:Did not rule out school closures but opposes top-down mass closures Chalkbeat Chicago ↗
• Endorsed by SEIU Chicago Sun-Times voter guide ↗

Legal and controversies (last 5 years)

• No election complaints, federal cases or lawyer discipline found in the sources checked, Oct. 2021 to Oct. 2026 Illinois State Board of Elections ↗

Checked: Illinois State Board of Elections complaint search by respondent and committee name, all years reviewed for 2021-2026 (elections.il.gov), Illinois ARDC lawyer search: no Illinois lawyer record found, Federal dockets via CourtListener: Illinois district and bankruptcy courts and the 7th Circuit, filed since 2021-10-29 (PACER itself not searched; suits naming the person only in an official capacity excluded), News archive search: Chicago Sun-Times, WBEZ, Capitol News Illinois, WTTW, Chalkbeat, Inspector general findings: web search of Cook County OIIG, MWRD OIG and Illinois OEIG reports

Money

• Raised $385,558 in cash and in-kind donations as of Sept. 16 Chicago Sun-Times voter guide ↗

Sources

1. Chicago Sun-Times voter guide, retrieved Oct 29, 2026
2. Chalkbeat Chicago, retrieved Oct 29, 2026
3. Illinois State Board of Elections, retrieved Oct 29, 2026

Experience

• Says:Chicago Board of Education vice president from 2019 to 2022 Chicago Sun-Times voter guide (candidate's answers) ↗
• Says:Leadership consultant at Solidarity Futures Chicago Sun-Times voter guide (candidate's answers) ↗

Record and stated positions

• Dropped out of the race; his name remains on the ballot WTTW voter guide ↗
• Endorsed by Chicago Democrats for Education Chicago Sun-Times voter guide ↗
• Says:Said CPS has too many schools that are too empty Chalkbeat Chicago ↗
• Says:Said the CPS budget was crafted poorly to appease special interests Chalkbeat Chicago ↗

Legal and controversies (last 5 years)

• No election complaints, federal cases or lawyer discipline found in the sources checked, Oct. 2021 to Oct. 2026 Illinois State Board of Elections ↗

Checked: Illinois State Board of Elections complaint search by respondent and committee name, all years reviewed for 2021-2026 (elections.il.gov), Illinois ARDC lawyer search: no Illinois lawyer record found, Federal dockets via CourtListener: Illinois district and bankruptcy courts and the 7th Circuit, filed since 2021-10-29 (PACER itself not searched; suits naming the person only in an official capacity excluded), News archive search: Chicago Sun-Times, WBEZ, Capitol News Illinois, WTTW, Chalkbeat, Inspector general findings: web search of Cook County OIIG, MWRD OIG and Illinois OEIG reports

Money

• Raised $722,372 in cash and in-kind donations as of Sept. 16 Chicago Sun-Times voter guide ↗

Sources

1. Chicago Sun-Times voter guide, retrieved Oct 29, 2026
2. WTTW voter guide, retrieved Oct 29, 2026
3. Chalkbeat Chicago, retrieved Oct 29, 2026
4. Illinois State Board of Elections, retrieved Oct 29, 2026

Experience

• Says:Former Chicago Teachers Union political staffer and CPS special education teacher, on leave Chicago Sun-Times voter guide (candidate's answers) ↗
• Says:Ran for 25th Ward alderman in 2019 Chicago Sun-Times voter guide (candidate's answers) ↗

Record and stated positions

• Endorsed by the Chicago Teachers Union and Our Schools Chicago Chicago Sun-Times voter guide ↗
• The only candidate at the WTTW forum to rule out school closures Chalkbeat Chicago ↗
• Supported the board's decision to budget on extra state money Chalkbeat Chicago ↗

Legal and controversies (last 5 years)

• WithdrawnA July complaint from a rival campaign alleged his committee misreported donations and spending; it was withdrawn Chalkbeat Chicago ↗

Checked: Illinois State Board of Elections complaint search by respondent and committee name, all years reviewed for 2021-2026 (elections.il.gov), Illinois ARDC lawyer search: no Illinois lawyer record found, Federal dockets via CourtListener: Illinois district and bankruptcy courts and the 7th Circuit, filed since 2021-10-29 (PACER itself not searched; suits naming the person only in an official capacity excluded), News archive search: Chicago Sun-Times, WBEZ, Capitol News Illinois, WTTW, Chalkbeat, Inspector general findings: web search of Cook County OIIG, MWRD OIG and Illinois OEIG reports

Money

• Raised $241,604 in cash and in-kind donations as of Sept. 16 Chicago Sun-Times voter guide ↗

Sources

1. Chicago Sun-Times voter guide, retrieved Oct 29, 2026
2. Chalkbeat Chicago, retrieved Oct 29, 2026