Out Chicago (Featured Interviews)
Bridget Lee of Academy for Local Leadership: WCPT 820 Interview
Scott Duff and guest co-host Ken Mejia-Beal are joined by Bridget Lee , founder of the Academy for Local Leadership (ALL Chicago). Here is a brief summary of the conversation: - Lee explained that Chicago is transitioning from a mayor-appointed board to a representative, community-led school board. Following a 2024 hybrid trial run involving 10 elected seats and 11 appointed seats, the upcoming election will feature all 21 seats up for election across 20 districts. - The election is scheduled for November 3. - Voters will select candidates for their specific district and also vote for the board president. - Residents can identify their district by using the Board of Elections website or local news sites. - Lee introduced the Governance Compass , a framework created by ALL Chicago to help voters evaluate candidates based on five core principles: * Setting vision and direction: Working with the superintendent to establish clear educational goals. * Protecting community values: Ensuring schools are a safe, well-resourced, and equitable environment. * Transparency: Conducting business in public meetings that are available via YouTube. * Accountability: Using levers like hiring/evaluating the superintendent, passing the budget, and passing policy to ensure the system meets its goals. * Collective governance: Governing as a team to implement decisions effectively rather than acting as individual political actors. - Lee suggested several ways for citizens to be involved: * During the election cycle: Attend candidate forums and ask tough questions regarding a candidate's understanding of their ability to function within a board structure. * After the election: Watch public board meetings, contact elected officials via their email addresses, or engage with them during community office hours and neighborhood events. * Resources: Voters can utilize localleadership.org to access resources or consult the Chicago Sun-Times voter guide. Catch “Out Chicago” Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Central on WCPT (heartlandsignal.com/programs/out-chicago). Follow us: Website: https://heartlandsignal.com WCPT Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WCPT820 Heartland Signal Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeartlandSignal Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@heartlandsignal Heartland Signal X: https://x.com/HeartlandSignal WCPT 820 X: https://x.com/WCPT820 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heartlandsignal Threads: threads.com/@heartlandsignal YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@heartlandsignal Support the show: https://heartlandsignal.com/wcpt820/schedule/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
