By: Ashmar Mandou

On Wednesday, the Chicago school board voted 9-7 for Angel Vélez to replace former board vice president Olga Bautista, an appointee who stepped down last month. The Chicago school board chose Vélez, a diversity, equity, and inclusion consultant appointed by Mayor Brandon Johnson last year. The vice president performs the duties of the board president, such as presiding over meetings, if the president is absent. Johnson appointed Vélez — who has also studied education policy — last August to fill a vacancy ahead of a budget vote. Vélez represents sub-district 9a, which covers South Side neighborhoods that span from Canaryville to Auburn Gresham.

Vélez’s appointment comes off the heels of over 50 Chicago leaders and organizations, including many Latino elected officials, urging the Chicago Board of Education in a letter to hire more Latinos in leadership roles. Chicago leaders released a public statement earlier this month, “This is not a question of talent but a reflection of a system that has consistently overlooked highly qualified Latino educators and leaders,” the statement said. “The result is a clear and persistent lack of Latino leadership at every level.” The signees included eight of 10 elected Chicago Board of Education members. The signees included Rudy Lozano, a former board member who’d been appointed by Johnson in 2023, as well as nine alderpeople, and six state lawmakers. Other signees include people who represent community organizations that work with Latino communities, including Brighton Park Neighborhood Council

The statement was made prior to interim CPS CEO Macquline King the permanent leader beginning July. The makeup of teachers and principals doesn’t match the makeup of the district’s students. Hispanic students make up 46% of students at Chicago Public Schools — the biggest share of any major racial group. But 19% of CPS principals are Latino, the statement noted. In a recent interview, Vélez vocalized his passion for more unity on the board. Vélez, who is Black and Latino, stated he never signed on to the letter asking King to hire more Latinos in her cabinet because he felt it was more divisive. “If we unite, we can ask for more funding,” Vélez said. “If we stay divided, not a lot is going to get done.” The mayor currently appoints 11 of the board’s 21 members, including the president. All 21 seats on the board will be up for election this November, and the board will be a fully elected governing body starting next January.