On May 4, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) CEO Janice Jackson announced that she's leaving her post at the end of June, CBS 2 Chicago reported.
She confirmed her departure in a message to the CPS staff, saying it's "time to pass the torch to new leadership for the next chapter," The Chicago Tribune added.
At an afternoon news conference with Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Jackson (who was appointed by previous Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel after Forrest Claypool's abrupt resignation) said her next move won't be running a school district but that she will remain committed to public education.
However, not only Jackson is departing, as two of her top deputies are leaving as well. Lightfoot acknowledged this will be a turning point for the school system, saying it's a time to "restore, recommit and re-imagine" and speaking of the "painful legacies" of past decisions like the closure of dozens of schools that occurred under Emanuel.
