To help inform voters on who’s running for Chicago’s elected school board, the baiduhai education team posed a series of questions to the candidates in each district. These questions ranged from basic information on their background and campaign platform to their stance on several issues facing Chicago Public Schools.
See the answers from Miquel Lewis, candidate for elected school board in the 9th District, below.
About the Candidate
Name: Miquel Lewis
Age: 53
Neighborhood: Beverly
School District: 9
Education: Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences; Southern Illinois University
Current Job: Acting director of Cook County Juvenile Probation
Previous Political Experience: Appointed member of the Chicago Board of Education.
Questions and Answers
In the interest of transparency, the candidate’s responses shown here are published as written and have not been edited by the Tribune.
Did you attend Chicago Public Schools or is anyone in your immediate family a CPS student? Yes.
Have you worked at Chicago Public Schools or another school? What is your background in education?
I am a lifelong learner, I am a champion for education, and I am an advocate for students and families. Throughout my 26-year career in public service, I have provided mentoring support for hundreds of high-school-age students. I have served as adjunct faculty to undergraduate students at Chicago State University and graduate school students at the Chicago School for Professional Psychology. I have been a site supervisor for graduate school students pursuing advanced degrees in clinical and counseling Psychology.
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My support of my children throughout their matriculation through high school served as my formal education to CPS. I was an advocate and champion for education throughout their experience. I gained valuable insights into families’ and students’ experiences with CPS, which revealed to me the need for amplified voices and strong leadership on their behalf.
I have served on the board of directors at the NOBLE Network of Charter Schools since 2017 and as board chairman since 2022, except for during my term as an appointed board member on the district’s Board of Education.
Why are you running for a seat on the Chicago Board of Education?
I am running for a seat on the Chicago public school board to support the education needs of District 9 students. First, learning through my own children’s matriculation, I recognize how challenging it is for parents and students to find the right academic environment for their students. I intend to ensure that students have access to high-quality education regardless of zip code or academic need and interest.
How would you describe your district?
District 9 is a diverse district by many metrics, including socioeconomic, racial, and gender identity. Still, there is one common factor: all families and students want access to quality education.
How would you describe your campaign platform?
My campaign is about ensuring students and families have the right to choose the academic environment that is right for them. It’s about bringing all vested stakeholders to the table to have inclusive policies. It’s about ensuring all students are safe and supported in their academic environment.
What is the single most important issue facing CPS students?
Access to high-quality education in every academic environment is a critically important issue facing CPS students. Some students suffer because their school is not a high-performing school—because they don’t have access to a high-quality education that’s available at selective enrollment, magnet, and some charter schools. They should have this access at their neighborhood school.
Provide three to four key points you want voters to know about your campaign.
My campaign is about students’ access to a high-quality education and amplifying parents’ rights to choose their students’ academic environment. It’s about inclusive policies and safe and supportive school environments.
Given this year’s budgetary problems and disagreements on how to solve them, what do you propose for the district’s funding in future years? Would you support the district in taking on any loans in future years to fund the annual budget?
I propose the district undergoes a forensic audit to determine where unnecessary or redundant expenditures may be eliminated. I do not support taking on high-interest-rate loans absent a plan for reducing unnecessary or redundant expenditures and increasing revenue. I believe any solution that might involve tax increment financing must include the perspective of the voters, who are the taxpayers who would be on the hook for this high-interest rate loan.
The Chicago Board of Education recently adopted a new 5-year Strategic Plan. Which aspects do you support and which would you change, if any?
I support the five targeted priorities for students. I would include targeted priorities for families and community stakeholders.
As thousands of migrant families settle in Chicago, how should the District handle the influx of English learners? What more should be done to ensure consistent bilingual education is provided and funded?
Given the district’s fiscal constraints, we must leverage the relationship with our community-based providers that are also supporting these migrant families. These community-based organizations have the best sense for what these families need and must be recognized as an asset to the students in the academic environment.
Do you believe the district has historically underinvested in South and West side schools? Yes.
If yes, what solutions would you propose to address inequities and opportunity gaps in the school system?
The issue that affects schools, students, and families on the South and West sides is not one of underinvestment — it is one of infrastructure, planning, and sustainability for the success of these communities. Success in these communities cannot be realized without a fully informed plan, leadership to execute that plan, and a model of the plan’s sustainability informed by families and students.
Since his election, Mayor Johnson has indicated a desire to move away from school choice and bolster neighborhood schools. This was recently reinforced by the District’s 5-year Strategic Plan. Do you share this position? Why or why not?
I believe that we can bolster neighborhood schools and retain the right for students and parents to choose the school that best fits the students’ needs and interests. Families do not deserve to be directed to a school based on zip code.
What solutions do you propose to provide busing for students at selective enrollment and magnet schools?
Busing should be available to all students at all schools. Transportation is a barrier for students across the district and we must be responsive to the needs of all students no matter which school they choose to attend.
Please share your thoughts on how the District and the Chicago Teachers Union can settle on a new 4-year contract.
Both sides must compromise.
In 2024, Chicago Public Schools’ average literacy proficiency rate was 31%, an increase from pre-pandemic years. However, these rates were lower for students from low-income families, English learners, and students with Individual Education Plans (IEPs). How should the district seek to improve literacy rates going forward?
The district must first determine what all students need to succeed. They can learn what students need by engaging them in the conversation. From this needs assessment, the district will be best positioned to support the learning needs of all students. The issue affecting our English learning students is a national problem because migrant families have landed in new environments across the country. Chicago Public Schools has the opportunity to become a model for the country through its support to English learners by offering common sense support like tutoring, after-school programs, and mentoring.
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What is your position on expanded funding and renewal terms for charter schools?
Given the district’s current fiscal constraints, no funding will be offered to charters or contact schools. Renewal terms are earned, not given. The district, through the Office of Innovation and Incubation, has established high standards for renewal terms that I support.
Please provide your thoughts on how to keep Chicago Public Schools as safe havens for students to learn and flourish free of fear of violence. How do you propose the district approach this?
We must consider our schools learning hubs, as described in the five-year plan, where resources, including mentors and counselors, are welcomed in our academic spaces and accessible to our students, teachers, and faculty.