Chicago mayor under fire for new move toward equity in public schools: 'A facade of morality'

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is taking criticism for moving to end the selective enrollment process at certain schools in the Windy City in the name of "equity."

The Chicago School Board passed a resolution Thursday that seeks to move away from school choice and bolster the city’s neighborhood schools to address "long-standing structural racism and socio-economic inequality." But the move comes after Johnson reportedly told the Chicago Tribune, "A Johnson administration would not end selective enrollment at CPS schools."

American Federation for Children senior fellow Denisha Allen addressed Johnson's pivot during "Fox & Friends," calling the switch a "facade of morality" while arguing in favor of school choice for Chicago students. 

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"It's a facade of morality offering students freedom within … an already prison-type system," Allen told Carley Shimkus on Tuesday. 

"Students do not have the freedom to move about in government schools, and they never will, and so this move by the Chicago mayor to increase, quote-unquote, options in a school, that school district that's already failing students, it's really a facade."

"We need to blow up the entire system, give that money directly to parents, and allow them to choose the best school for their kid to get them out of these schools, like the head of the teachers' union did in Chicago," she added.

According to the resolution that was passed, the board is looking to "transition away from privatization and admissions/enrollment policies and approaches that further stratification and inequity in CPS and drive student enrollment away from neighborhood schools."

Brandon Johnson, mayor of Chicago, during an inauguration ceremony at the Credit Union 1 Arena in Chicago on May 15, 2023. (Jamie Kelter Davis/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Furthermore, the board wants to create a model where neighborhood schools are central to the education system – one that recognizes these schools as "institutional anchors" in the community to rectify "past ongoing racial and economic inequity and structural disinvestment."

There are 11 selective enrollment schools in the city, which rank among the highest in the city, and in some cases, the country, but students across Chicago's public schools still struggle academically. 

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"Over 85% of the students in Chicago public schools are minority," Allen said. "Only 11% of those Black kids can read on grade level and 7% can do math on grade level. The head of the Chicago Teachers Union saw the dismal outcomes that's happening in Chicago's public schools and said, 'No way, I'm going to pick a great school for my son,' and that was a private school."

Allen's remarks referenced Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates, who previously confirmed that she sent her eldest son to a private school despite calling school choice "racist."

"The hypocrisy is despicable," Allen said. "And unfortunately, she's denying those same options to other families who are in the same predicament, the families who would like to get into these selective enrollment schools, but… probably won't still test well enough to get in. They can't read, and they probably won't graduate from high school knowing how to read either. They deserve school choice."

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, 76% of high school students and 45% of elementary school students do not choose to attend their assigned neighborhood schools.

Fox News' Joshua Q. Nelson contributed to this report. 

Bailee Hill is an associate editor with Fox News Digital. Story ideas can be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.