The Chicago Board of Education is led by a president.

Since the 1995 Chicago School Reform Amendatory Act went into effect, the president has been directly appointed by the mayor of Chicago, rather than being elected among the members of the board.

Beginning with the 2026 Chicago Board of Education election, after which the Board of Education is slated to become an entirely-elected board, the president will be directly elected at-large by the city's voters. It will be one of four at-large citywide elected offices in Chicago (alongside the mayor of Chicago, city clerk of Chicago, and city treasurer of Chicago).

Officeholders Chairmen of the Chicago Board of School Inspectors (1840–1857) Until 1857, the head of the school board was known as the "chairman of the Chicago Board of School Inspectors" Written records of the board prior to 1840 are incomplete.

Name Tenure Notes Citation William Jones 1840–1843 J. Young Scammon 1843–1845 William Jones 1845–1848 E. S. Kimberly 1848 unknown 1849 Henry Smith 1850–1851 William Jones 1851–1852 Flavel Moseley 1852–1853 William H. Brown 1853–1854 Flavel Moseley 1854–1857

Presidents of the Chicago Board of Education (1857–1995) Name Tenure Notes Citation Flavel Moseley 1857–1858 Luther Haven 1858–1860 John Clark Dore 1860–1861 John H. Foster 1861–1862 Walter Loomis Newberry 1863 Charles N. Holden January 1, 1864–September 1, 1866 George C. Clarke 1867 Lorenzo Brentano 1868 John Wentworth or S. A. Briggs 1869 Sources differ as to whether Wentworth or Briggs was board president in 1869 William H. King 1869–1870 Eben F. Runyan 1870–1872 William H. King 1872–1874 John H. Richberg 1874–1876 W. K. Sullivan 1876–1878 William H. Wells 1878–1880 Martin Delany 1880–1882 Norman Bridge 1882–1883 Adolf Kraus 1883–1884 James R. Doolittle Jr. 1884–1885 Adolf Kraus 1885–1886 Allan C. Story 1886–1888 Graeme Stewart 1888–1889 William G. Beale 1889–1890 Louis Nettlehorst 1890–1891 John McLaren 1891–1893 A. S. Trude 1893–1895 Daniel R. Cameron 1895–1896 Edward G. Halle 1896–1898 Graham H. Harris 1898–1902 Clayton Mark 1902–1905 Edward Tilden 1905–1906 Emil W. Ritter 1906–1907 Otto C. Schneider 1907–1909 Alfred R. Urion 1909–1910 James Burton "J. B." McFatrich 1910–1912 Peter Reinberg 1912−1914 Michael J. Collins 1914–1915 Jacob Loeb 1915–1917 Edwin S. Davis 1917–1922 John Dill Robertson 1922–1923 Charles Moderwell 1923–1925 Edward B. Ellicott 1925–1926 Died in office Julius F. Smietanka acting 1926–1927 Served on acting basis Walter J. Raymer 1927 J. Lewis Coath 1927–1928 H. Wallace Caldwell 1928–1930 Lewis E. Myers 1930–1933 James B. McCahey 1933–1948 Charles J. Whipple 1947–1948 William B. Traynor 1948–1955 Sargent Shriver 1955–1960 Thomas L. Marshall 1960–1961 William G. Caples 1961–1962 Clair Roddewig 1962–1964 Frank M. Whiston 1964–1970 John D. Carey 1970–1979 Catherine Rohter 1979–1980 Kenneth B. Smith 1980–1981 Raul Villalobos 1981–1983 Sol Brandzel 1983–1984 George Muñoz 1984–1987 Frank Gardner 1987–1989 James Compton interim 1989–1990 Served on an interim basis Clinton Bristow Jr. 1990–1992 Florence Cox 1992–1993 D. Sharon Gant 1993–1995

Chairmen of the School Reform Board of Trustees (1995–1999) Name Tenure Notes Citation Gery Chico 1995–1999 Appointed by Mayor Richard M. Daley

Presidents of the Chicago Board of Education (1999–present) Name Tenure Notes Citation Gery Chico 1999–2001 Appointed by Mayor Richard M. Daley Michael Scott Sr. 2001–2006 Appointed by Mayor Richard M. Daley Rufus Williams 2006–2009 Appointed by Mayor Richard M. Daley Michael Scott Sr. 2009 Appointed by Mayor Richard M. Daley; died in office Mary Richardson-Lowry 2010–2011 Appointed by Mayor Richard M. Daley David J. Vitale 2011–2015 Appointed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel Frank M. Clark 2016–2019 Appointed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel Miguel del Valle 2019–2023 Appointed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot Jianan Shi2023–2024Appointed by Mayor Brandon Johnson Mitchell Johnson 2024 Appointed by Mayor Johnson, served one week before resigning over controversies Sean Harden 2024–present Appointed by Mayor Johnson

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