The race to represent the Northwest Side’s 3rd District on Chicago’s new school board turned into a polarizing showdown between progressive groups and more conservative business and charter school interests that wanted to blunt the power of the Chicago Teachers Union.
That saw big money pour into one of the most hotly contested battles in the city’s inaugural school board elections that’ll be decided Tuesday.
The majority-Hispanic district is home to 55 schools in Avondale, Logan Square, Belmont Gardens, Belmont Cragin, Hanson Park and Hermosa on the Near Northwest Side, along with Humboldt Park on the West Side.
The two candidates, Jason Dónes, 36, and Carlos Rivas Jr., 34, both grew up and still live in Humboldt Park. Both have worked for Chicago Public Schools. Dónes is chief of people and operations at Beyond100K, a nonprofit dedicated to ending the STEM teacher shortage in America, and Rivas directs public affairs for the Civilian Office of Police Accountability.
Both candidates say they don’t want to keep raising property taxes and instead want to advocate for more state funding for schools. Neither wants to close schools with low enrollment.
But that’s about where the similarities end between the two hopefuls backed by staunchly opposite groups.
Dónes is endorsed and financially backed by the CTU and allied community groups.
Rivas is endorsed and financially supported by the political arm of the Illinois Network of Charter Schools, Urban Center Action and Illinois Policy PAC — groups that support school choice, oppose the CTU and are largely backed by wealthy business leaders and some billionaires.
Dónes wants to limit the use of standardized tests, while Rivas wants to test more than once a year. Dónes thinks schools should select from a certain curriculum authorized by the school board, but Rivas wants lots of options.
And Dónes said he favors strengthening neighborhood schools over the expansion of charters, while Rivas said he thinks families should have a choice of where to send their kids.