CHICAGO (WLS) — The new interim CEO of Chicago Public Schools took over on Friday.
Macquline King comes from a position in Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office.
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King is taking over for former CPS CEO Pedro Martinez. He was fired after public disagreements with the mayor and the Chicago Teachers Union.
The Chicago Public Schools Board appointed King last week. The vote was 11 to 8 to approve her, with one abstention.
King holds a doctorate in education and possesses a superintendent’s license. She served as a long-standing CPS principal and was recently appointed as the mayor’s senior director of educational policy.
Pedro Martinez officially departed the CPS CEO position this week.
READ MORE | Former CPS CEO Martinez reflects on tumultuous term, saying he’s proud of work he did, stood up to bullies
The district is seeking at least $300 million more from city and state funding to balance its budget. Martinez and Mayor Johnson had disputes over short-term borrowing to cover the district’s budget shortfall. Some board members are now concerned that King might approve that loan without much scrutiny.
Additionally, some board members voiced concern over complaints found in King’s CPS personnel file, which ABC7 accessed via a Freedom of Information Act request.
In 2015, she was accused of waiting weeks to report student abuse allegations to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. And in 2019, King allegedly allowed a school volunteer, later found to have a criminal record, to work without a background check. In both cases, King did not face discipline.
Messages left for King by ABC7 last week were not returned.
The permanent CEO job has been posted, and the board hopes to fill it by October.
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