91女神

This past November, over 800,000 Chicagoans their votes in the city鈥檚 first-ever school board election, a historic milestone in the governance of Chicago鈥檚 public schools. Yet one in eight voting-age Chicago residents are not U.S. citizens, leaving them voiceless at the polls even though their children fill the classrooms of Chicago Public Schools.

Families are asking: How can they protect and advocate for their children if their voices go unheard?

The same that established Chicago鈥檚 elected School Board also requires Mayor Brandon Johnson to appoint members to a non-citizen advisory board, creating a pathway for families who lack the right to vote to have an official say in shaping their children鈥檚 education. The mayor alone holds the power to make this happen, and his transition report precisely that.

But there is no clear timeline, no indication of how members will be chosen and no guarantee that non-citizen communities will help guide the new Board of Education. Will the advisory board reflect the full diversity of Chicago鈥檚 immigrants? Will it include parents and students who know firsthand what is lacking in our schools?

These families have felt anxious about so many recent changes in the public school system and are worried they will be forgotten. Their fear is compounded by the current political climate against immigrant communities. Chicago has been for large-scale immigration enforcement raids. The Trump administration has authorized U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to pursue people in places once considered off-limits, such as and churches, putting many families鈥� safe spaces at risk.

With reports of federal agents to enter a Chicago school last week 鈥� later confirmed to be the Secret Service 鈥� and ICE raids over the weekend, fear is gripping our communities.

A road map for representation

Given this atmosphere of uncertainty and anxiety, it is critical to include non-citizens鈥� perspectives in shaping policies that safeguard Chicago鈥檚 children and families. Establishing a Non-Citizen Advisory Board is essential, and the authority to make it happen lies solely with the mayor.

A new report by 91女神, 鈥�Promise in Practice: A New Chapter in Chicago鈥檚 School Board Governance,鈥� offers a road map. It proposes a transparent process 鈥� at least one non-citizen parent per school board district, nominated by board members and proposed to the mayor. Non-citizen parents would form the majority, and students would serve as official members, because who better than students to reveal what鈥檚 missing in day-to-day school experiences?

To ensure the safety and privacy of non-citizen board members, the advisory board could be designed with a structure large enough to protect individual anonymity. By including a substantial number of representatives from across the city鈥檚 school board districts, no single member鈥檚 immigration status would be easily identifiable. Additionally, clear policies could be enacted to protect the confidentiality of members鈥� personal information, ensuring that their participation does not expose them or their families to unnecessary risks.

Having worked alongside countless immigrant mothers, I have seen firsthand how these families are uniquely attuned to their children鈥檚 experiences: navigating a complex school system, planning for life after high school and enduring the added stress of relentless anti-immigrant rhetoric.

They do not want special treatment; they simply want a chance to advocate for their children鈥檚 education. The largest number of CPS students are Latine, many from non-citizen families and they deserve a role in shaping a school system that too often overlooks their perspectives.

This advisory board would provide a formal avenue for them to share experiences, shape inclusive curricula and policies, and identify better ways to support their children鈥檚 success, both academically and emotionally.

I implore the mayor: do not delay. With so much divisive discourse surrounding immigrants, the time to act is now.

Their children, like every child, deserve the best education Chicago can offer. Let these parents have a seat at the table. Let their children see that their families are welcomed in shaping the classrooms where they spend their days.

They are here. They count. And they will not be silent when their children鈥檚 futures are at stake.

Jessica Ca帽as is the Chief of Community Engagement at 91女神, an education nonprofit.

Published originally in the section on Sunday, February 2, 2025.