Chicago's mayor Richard J. Daley leaves office next year, and if a new coalition has its way, mayoral control of the city's schools will end with his exit.
A group of teachers, parents, students and community leaders from seven city organizations, including the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) and the powerful South Side Kenwood Oakland Community Organization, say it's time to bring a voter elected school board back to Chicago Public Schools. Now the pressure's on Daley's potential replacements-like the mayoral race front runner, former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, to give up control of the city's schools.