Ellen Rosenfeld Secures Unopposed Re-Election Bid with $100,000
Backing from political groups and a notable $100,000 in campaign contributions mark the unopposed re-election bid of Ellen Rosenfeld for the District 4b school board seat.
From Classroom Teacher to Full-Time Board Member
District 4b covers North Side neighborhoods including Lincoln Park, North Center, Lakeview, and Logan Square. Rosenfeld, a former Chicago Public Schools teacher and district engagement specialist, is running unopposed to keep the seat she won in 2024 after competing against five other candidates in the city’s most crowded race.
Heated 2024 Contest Precedes Current Unopposed Run
Pro-school choice groups spent heavily during that 2024 contest to back her and oppose a candidate supported by the teachers union. Rosenfeld has made serving on the board her full-time role over the past two years, following her departure from her position with CPS Family and Community Engagement. She also previously chaired a Local School Council and is the mother of four CPS graduates.
Aligning Union Backing Against Mayoral Allies
On the board, Rosenfeld belongs to a block of seven elected members who have opposed the mayor’s appointees and elected allies, who make up a majority. For her current campaign, she has secured backing from the Service Employees International Union Illinois State Council—which represents CPS support staff—along with other groups opposing the Chicago Teachers Union, the mayor’s former employer and key ally. As of last week, she’d received a notable $100,000 in campaign contributions, mostly from individuals, even as the lone candidate on the ballot.
Focusing on Academic Resurgence Over Politics
Rosenfeld contends that the current board has been too mired in politics and susceptible to outside pressure. She believes, however, that the incoming fully elected board can oversee an academic resurgence, pointing to potential improvements in reading proficiency and decreases in chronic absenteeism as primary objectives. She emphasizes that the next board must unite behind clear goals.
“Without a shared vision, it’s almost impossible to get the good stuff done,” Rosenfeld said.
District 4b Serves Diverse Students Across Eighteen Schools
District 4b encompasses 18 schools, featuring neighborhood schools alongside magnet programs and Lane Tech College Prep, a popular selective-enrollment high school. Families in this district choose their neighborhood schools at higher rates than families in many other school board districts. According to data compiled by Chalkbeat, the district serves a student population that is approximately 46% white, 25% Hispanic, 12% Black, and 9% Asian American, and it holds the highest share of schools awarded the state’s top “exemplary” rating for academic performance last year.
