Lightfoot ‘impressed’ with CPS’ Jackson; at CPD, Johnson ‘encouraged’ after chat
Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot being interviewed by Chicago Sun-Times reporter Fran Spielman on Friday. | Rich Hein/Sun-Times
Mayor-elect Lori Lightfoot said Friday she “came away very impressed” after her meeting with Chicago Public Schools CEO Janice Jackson and hinted strongly that Jackson would keep her $260,000-a-year job.
Lightfoot’s wide-ranging interview with the Chicago Sun-Times also touched on the Chicago Police Department and the planned Obama Presidential Center, among other issues.
Jackson’s contract with CPS has a golden parachute: she’s entitled to six months of pay or $130,000 if she’s terminated without cause, plus six months of health insurance for herself and her family.
But that’s not why Lightfoot is inclined to keep her.
In part, it’s because Lightfoot believes stability is desperately needed at Chicago Public Schools after a revolving door of leadership under Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Lightfoot has no desire to keep it spinning.
“It’s been even more dire at CPS” than at CPD, she said, noting that CPS has had “five CEOs over the last seven years. One led off to jail in handcuffs. Another who leaves under a cloud of suspicionbecause he interfered with an internal investigation.”
But Lightfoot also believes Emanuel may have gotten it right with his fifth try at appointing a schools CEO.
“I’ve met with her. I came away very impressed. And we’re gonna continue to have discussions to make sure we’re on the same page,” Lightfoot said.
“She gets tremendous praise from people all over. I was at an event and a principal came up to me … as if on cue, she started talking about Janice Jackson. How great she was. Janice was walking CONTINUE READING: Lightfoot 'impressed' with CPS' Jackson; at CPD, Johnson 'encouraged' after chat | Chicago Sun-Times
