Chicago Public Schools Candidate Survey on School Library Issues Results Released
The Association of Illinois School Library Educators (AISLE), with assistance from EveryLibrary, recently conducted a survey of all candidates for Chicago Public Schools running for school board in the November 2024 Election to gauge their support for school libraries and school librarians.
The Association of Illinois School Library Educators (AISLE), with assistance from EveryLibrary, recently conducted a survey of all candidates for Chicago Public Schools running for school board in the November 2024 Election to gauge their support for school libraries and school librarians.
Chicago is the only school district in Illinois that currently does not have an elected school board. Earlier this year, the Governor of Illinois established a process for an elected school board. On November 5, 2024, voters will elect 10 of 21 school board members. The rest of the board, including the president, will continue to be appointed by Mayor Brandon Johnson. In November 2026, the entire board will be elected.
School librarians play a critical role in supporting public education throughout the state and are vital for teaching media literacy and providing access to a diverse range of library materials.
The Candidate Questionnaire was created to inform the public about where their candidates stand on these school library issues. The survey had a response rate of 52%, and the respondents expressed overwhelming support for school libraries in the district.
Selected and summarized responses include:
- 100% of respondents feel that certified school librarians are an essential part of the education system.
- 100% of the respondents strongly agree with the following statement, “I trust librarians are looking out for the best interest of students, and I generally trust them to oversee and curate school library collections.”
- 100% of the respondents Agree or Strongly Agree that school librarians are valuable and vital and add to the education and well-being of students in my district.
EveryLibrary provided survey hosting capabilities, support for communications and outreach to candidates, and technical assistance in developing and reporting on questions. For additional details, view AISLE’s Press Release and candidate scorecards on these survey results here.