Candidate Q&A
Why are you running?
I am running to nurture and advance the progress we’ve already made. I’m committed to our neighborhood schools and the idea of a community-led education movement. I am running to elevate parent and educator voices and help all in my district to feel like they have a seat at the table. I am running for fully staffed and fully funded neighborhood schools. I am running for my mom who had to work twice as hard to get me to a public school outside of our community in a broken system. I am running for my son and his friends who attend our neighborhood school and ultimately have the most to win or lose as a result of what this elected board is able to accomplish. I am running for elected school board because I am in education for the long haul. I am running against deceitful policies that some claim to be ‘fair and pragmatic solutions’ while hurting communities of color. I am running against further privatization of our public schools. And I am running against the fear mongering that pits working class families against each other.
I am a former teacher and current parent who is on the ballot thanks to other parents and teachers who believe in me. I am from the community I wish to serve and have a personal interest in strengthening our schools. With a 14-year career in education both locally and nationally, I understand public education in very intimate and macro ways. From leading through teacher strikes and coaching educators during COVID to drafting state-wide policy and leading a Local School Council, I have joined every collaborative that would put me in the best position to serve the most marginalized families. My obsession with the strength of our schools and my vision for a quality school within walking distance of every home keep me in this fight. I now get the privilege of serving nationally and have access to school systems and policymakers across the country at a time when the soul of our public school system is at risk. I lead confidently, transparently, and collectively and now that the board will be designed to stay accountable to the public, I know I can step up and do the job.
Why are you the most qualified candidate?
I bring a unique blend of lived experience, 14+ years of professional experience in Education, and a specialization in equitable education policy and pedagogy, making me the best-fit candidate for District 3 on the school board. I am a proud Puerto Rican and Humboldt Park native, raised by a single mother who earned minimum wage. As a CPS graduate (K-12), former teacher, and current father of a CPS student, I understand the challenges and inequities in our education system and I’ve observed them firsthand. My son attends Moos Elementary, where I serve my third term as an elected LSC member and current Chair, demonstrating my commitment to advocating for our local school community.
Professionally, I’ve spent the past 14 years working in education, focused on improving conditions for Black and Brown communities. I am a former CPS classroom teacher having served in predominantly black and brown communities. I am a current ed-nonprofit leader tasked with managing the strategy, finance, culture, and development of an entire organization. I am also a founding member of various equity collaboratives and co-authored Illinois' first culturally responsive teaching standards.
My deep roots in the district I aim to represent, along with my extensive experience in education policy, teaching, and organizational leadership, have prepared me to make an immediate impact on the school board and serve as the advocate my district needs.
What is the biggest issue facing your specific school board district?
We have a lot going for us in District 3. From our committed teachers and collaborative parents to a wealth of community organizations, we have a lot of talent in the area. We also face many of the systemic challenges seen across the city including under-resourced SPED teams, access to quality afterschool programming, and the wraparound needs of our working-class families which impact student achievement.
Funding, and all the ways it manifests, is our biggest issue and the disparities are clearly visible across school communities. None of our schools are as well-resourced as their suburban counterparts; however, in this district we have some of the best schools in the state blocks away from schools harmed by continued disinvestment. Our magnet and selective enrollment schools are amazing and deserve to stay strong and stay resourced. Our neighborhood schools are beautiful and in need of reinforcement. Just this past year, our local school council had to help weigh the decision on whether to invest in restorative justice programming or a more effective math curriculum because we could not have both. That is not a choice a school should face annually.
Should I earn this position, part of my responsibility will be to advocate for the funding that is needed while also partnering with parents and community members on what an equitable resource distribution can look like. No one wants to lose out and no student should but our neighborhood schools will die without intervention. Our district overwhelmingly wants to be able to trust in–and invest in–the schools that are close to home.
How has your district been impacted by the shuttering of CPS schools?
The closure of CPS schools under the Rahm Emanuel administration disproportionately impacted Black and Brown students, and the consequences are still being felt across my district. These closures were concentrated in under-resourced, predominantly Black and Brown neighborhoods on the South and West Sides of Chicago, exacerbating long-standing inequities. In my district, the impact of these school closures was devastating. Schools serve as not just educational institutions, but community anchors—spaces where families gather, children are nurtured, and communities grow. When these schools were closed, it fractured those communities, leaving children to travel longer distances to unfamiliar schools and displacing them from the support networks they had built. Research shows that these closures did not lead to the academic improvements or cost savings that were promised. Instead, they inflicted trauma on students and families, destabilized neighborhoods, and created a loss of trust in CPS decision-making.
This broken, inhumane strategy of closing under-enrolled schools in the name of efficiency has proven ineffective and damaging and is a major reason why we are here now fighting for community representation on the board. We’ve already seen what is possible when we provide our schools with the proper resources. When we rally around our schools and invest in them, students succeed.
How have your district’s schools been impacted by students who are new arrivals to the U.S. and how should CPS best accommodate those students and families?
The schools in my district have seen a significant increase in students who are new arrivals to the U.S., and while these students bring incredible diversity, culture, and resilience, they also face unique challenges that our schools must be prepared to address. Many of these students come from difficult circumstances and require more than just academic support — they need language assistance, mental health services, and help navigating a new education system.
CPS must take strategic action to accommodate these students by expanding bilingual programming, hiring more multilingual staff, and providing wraparound services that address both academic and non-academic needs through their welcoming centers' program. In addition to these centers, CPS should increase partnerships with local community organizations that are already doing incredible work to serve new arrival families. These organizations have deep roots in the community and can provide additional support, from housing assistance to legal services. Strengthening these partnerships will help us connect families to comprehensive resources both inside and outside the classroom, creating a more robust support network for students.
As a co-author of Illinois' first culturally responsive teaching standards, I am deeply committed to equity and believe CPS must invest in teacher training around culturally responsive practices and trauma-informed care to create an affirming, inclusive environment for all students.
How do you believe the school board should handle the looming fiscal crisis at Chicago Public Schools?
First and foremost, CPS needs more funding. We’ve seen what’s possible through the creative use of funds during pandemic recovery, so how can we justify nickel-and-diming our students? There is a clear link between funding and performance, yet we’re not even fully compliant with our state’s own funding formula. As an elected official and representative for thousands of students and parents, I will also fight for our funding in Springfield. We need access to the funding we are owed by the state in compliance with our own evidence-based funding formula. As a member of the school board, I will advocate fiercely for the resources we are owed, working to secure adequate and equitable funding at both the state and local levels.
At the same time, we need to maximize the dollars we have. Any system this big should take a look at inefficiencies. I manage a 5 million dollar non-profit budget right now and you’d be surprised how much you can overspend without a critical eye on every line. I’m able to hire and motivate a well-compensated team and continue to grow while helping our budget get more efficient. We need to renegotiate unfavorable contracts, push our vendors to do better, and eliminate inefficiencies that hurt our schools. Stretching our budget doesn’t mean cutting essential staff—it means smarter spending. By shifting the conversation from scarcity to abundance, we can empower our educators and students without resorting to austerity measures.
Beyond budget management, I believe in a school system that doesn’t rely on who can play the funding game the best. It’s unacceptable that some schools can fund entire teaching positions through fundraising while others struggle to cover basic needs. As a Local School Council member, I’ve seen firsthand how the current system rewards those who know how to advocate loudly and leaves others behind. We must eliminate this inequity by moving to a model where every school gets what it needs, regardless of ability to game the system.
Lastly, I will ensure that our Local School Councils are better equipped to make informed budget decisions. This year, budget proposals came too late, limiting our ability to act. I will fix that, giving LSCs and the community enough time and input to guide decisions. My district will not accept a funding gap, and as a representative of thousands of families. The goal is to better resource all schools and only through an equity lens can we see and address the need. The path forward is clear: with a combination of rigorous financial oversight, community dialogue, and equitable funding, we can fully resource every school in Chicago.
A moratorium on closing CPS schools is set to expire in January. Should CPS consolidate more schools?
This is not an option. We already tried that and the traumatic impact on those communities is well documented. An under-enrolled school is still an enrolled school and closing it in the name of efficiency is a broken, inhumane strategy. Instead of closing that school, we should be asking ourselves how to rally around those schools and provide for the children of our great city. Much of the success we saw during pandemic recovery was due to creative, strategic uses of additional funding. This shows us what is possible when schools are properly resourced. It’s unjust to nickel-and-dime our students when we’ve already witnessed the positive impact adequate funding can have. We’re still not fully compliant with the state’s allocation formula, which means CPS isn’t receiving the full funding it deserves. As a board member, I would advocate for the district to push harder for full compliance with the state’s Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) formula to secure those crucial resources and I am committed to working to ensure the district maximizes spending efficiently. That includes evaluating vendor contracts and identifying smarter, more effective ways to allocate funds.
What is your position on closing selective enrollment schools?
Our magnet and selective enrollment schools deserve to stay strong and continue to be a well-resourced source for a quality education; and, I believe a system that relies on a dozen high-quality schools is fundamentally broken. I believe a system in which students compete for a handful of spots to gain access to a trajectory-defining education is broken. I believe all neighborhoods deserve and need a school as strong as our selective enrollment schools and that is why I fight for all schools while prioritizing neighborhood schools which cannot turn you away and must provide for all families of a given community.
I went to a neighborhood school, a magnet school, and a selective enrollment high school, and I understand a low-income parent’s struggle to find the highest quality education for their child in this town. The reality is that we don’t truly have a system of “school choice” today. Many higher-performing schools have limited spots and barriers to entry, offering only the illusion of choice and a two-tiered system where students in well-funded selective schools thrive, while too many neighborhood schools struggle. This imbalance has created inequities that we must address head-on. That’s why I support a focus on strengthening neighborhood schools.
As a parent to a current CPS student who attends our neighborhood school, my priority has always been to strengthen and support our neighborhood schools. These schools are essential for working-class families, providing a critical link to quality education within their communities. By focusing on neighborhood schools, we address local needs directly and ensure that families have access to a high-quality education close to home. We must reverse decades of disinvestment if we truly aim to provide quality schools for all.
What is your position on charter schools?
Our charter schools serve thousands of students, and I want those students to succeed. However, I cannot support charter expansion while our neighborhood schools remain underfunded, and I reject the further privatization of our public schools. I am an advocate for transparency, oversight, and collective bargaining. Any publicly funded school should be accountable to the public, including its students and workforce. I reject the so-called ‘school choice’ platform which ignores root issues and a history of disinvestment. When we rely on limited spots, barriers to entry, and privatization, there’s no real choice — only a two-tiered system.
Is your campaign being supported by the Chicago Teachers Union?
Yes
The Chicago Teachers Union wants the district to focus on retrofitting schools with equipment that will battle the effects of climate change. Is spending money that way right now a good idea with the massive deficit the district faces?
Yes, investing in retrofitting schools to combat climate change is not only a good idea, it’s a necessary one. The climate crisis is an urgent issue. If we want to create a sustainable future for our students, we must prioritize green, healthy school buildings that are both environmentally responsible AND cost-effective in the long run.
By retrofitting schools with energy-efficient infrastructure, we reduce operating costs over time. Green energy solutions and modern, energy-efficient systems lower utility bills, which helps mitigate the impact of the district’s deficit while also reducing our carbon footprint. Additionally, removing hazardous materials and upgrading our facilities creates healthier learning environments for our students and staff. This means fewer absences, improved well-being, and better student outcomes overall.
Retrofitting schools isn’t just about environmental sustainability—it’s also about long-term economic sustainability. We’re making an investment in the future of our city, our planet, and most importantly, our children. Prioritizing these upgrades now ensures that we won’t be forced to spend more later as climate-related challenges become more severe. Ultimately, building green, resilient schools is about creating a brighter, healthier future for all Chicagoans.
What is your biggest priority and what do you hope to accomplish on the Chicago Board of Education?
My biggest priority as a member of the Chicago Board of Education is to ensure that every student, regardless of their zip code, has access to a world-class education. This starts with equitable funding for all neighborhood schools. Working-class families depend on their neighborhood schools, and these schools deserve the resources and support needed to thrive. We cannot achieve true educational equity without fair funding that guarantees every student the tools, staffing, and opportunities they need to succeed. That means fully staffed special education teams, expanded bilingual programs, and environments where every student feels supported and valued. That also means rejecting the further privatization of public education because it exacerbates inequity and divestment in the very schools that most need our attention. Relying on limited spots and barriers to entry creates a two-tiered system that offers no real “choice” for many families. I am a strong advocate for transparency, oversight, and collective bargaining, ensuring that any publicly funded school remains accountable to its students, workforce, and the community it serves.
Our schools must be safe, affirming, and fully equipped to meet the diverse needs of our students. Ultimately, my goal is to improve achievement outcomes citywide by focusing on the needs of working-class students and families. By prioritizing equitable funding and strong neighborhood schools, we can ensure that every child in Chicago receives the education they deserve.