How the church can effectively engage with the Chicago school board election

Your church can make a difference for our children this November.

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In a previous update, Pastor

Chris Butler

gave the Chicago church a call to action regarding the Chicago Board of Education election (the first in decades).

Photo by Santi Vedrí on Unsplash

I want to give you some specific ways your church can help. Many of our churches, thanks to Covid and rapidly changing technology, have become more equipped than ever to take a lead role, such as hosting a candidate forum.

But before I do, I’d like to put to rest some concerns people might have about involvement:

1. Churches are indeed allowed to host political forums. However, they need to be neutral and accessible for ALL candidates , and pastors and their people should be fair in how they talk about the candidates, and not talk about their endorsements at the forum.

2. You can host a video from that event on your web page or YouTube channel

3. You CAN receive money for renting the facility from a civic organization (if you feel outside funds are necessary)

With that said, I truly hope your church would consider being a host for a candidate forum, as it is one of the most powerful ways the Chicago church can take lead in this opportunity. Here’s what kind of church building/facility we would need:

1. A church facility that can hold 100-200 people (or more – depending on the district and availability of audience)

2. The ability to record. Covid might have helped you to set up a system to record church services, which will be perfect for a forum, and allows those who could not attend the opportunity to still benefit. 

3. Parking. While hopefully many who live within walking distance would participate, the current district is large enough that many will have to drive in order to arrive

4. Volunteers who can help make the public feel welcome, and direct them to doors and bathroom.  

5. Child care facilities – to accommodate parents who won’t have babysitting. Either a staffed nursery and/or a “crying room” to allow parents to be there would help bring in more people. 

While we don’t want to inundate the public with “too many” forums, there is an opportunity for more than one church to host in a particular district, especially for this very first election.

Our districts are actually two districts in one: an “A” and a “B”. One person will be elected , and the other will be appointed by the mayor in this first term. So, if someone from “A” is elected, the mayor will appoint someone from “B” (or vice versa).

So this creates a need for more than one church to host – one from A and one from B. Each district has a distinct culture, possibly strongly different between A and B. This can also set you up (in a good way) for the next election.

Another consideration is timing: you might want to host during the week, such as a 6 p.m. or 7 p.m. event, which can work for many working folk.

But if you do not have a Sunday evening service, you might want to consider a late afternoon or very early evening forum at your church. That COULD be convenient for you, and certainly opens up attendance for MANY MORE people (such as families). A 3 p.m. forum, for example, could be done with plenty of time after church service, but also before dinner time , so many in your community could attend.

Pastor

Chris Butler

has prepared a questionnaire which we encourage churches to use in their engagement with candidates:

1. What is your educational and professional background, and how do you believe it prepares you for a role on the school board?

2. How do you plan to address educational inequities and ensure that all students, regardless of their background, have access to quality education?

3. What initiatives will you advocate for to support the needs of vulnerable students, including those with disabilities, those from low-income families, and English language learners?

4. How will you engage with parents and the community to ensure their voices are heard and considered in the decision-making process?

5. What is your stance on including comprehensive civic and moral education in the school curriculum, and how will you ensure it aligns with promoting social responsibility and character development?

6. How will you ensure that the school district’s budget is managed effectively and that resources are allocated equitably to address the needs of all schools and students?

7. What are your views on school safety and discipline policies, and how do you propose to balance maintaining order with the need for restorative justice practices?

8. How do you plan to support and develop teachers to ensure they are equipped to provide high-quality education and are able to address the diverse needs of their students?

9. What is your position on school choice, including charter schools, vouchers, and tax credit scholarship programs? How do you believe it impacts public education and educational equity?

10. How will you promote innovation in education, particularly in integrating technology and new teaching methods to enhance student learning?

11. Is there anything else you would like to share about your candidacy and your vision for the future of education in Chicago?

We intend to interview as many candidates as possible. We encourage you to put us in touch with any candidates you know by emailing us at admin@thecivicupdate.org.

Even if your church might not be able to accommodate hosting a forum, there are several ways you can get your church involved.

1. Your church leadership should hopefully have a relationship with a church that CAN accommodate a forum in the way we have described. You can help facilitate setting that up.

2. You have church members who are active on social media. Whether it is Facebook or NextDoor, you have members who have influence and can spread the word about the forum.

3. Have church members join with others in posting flyers for the forum and/or walking the streets with personal invitations

4. Send emails/texts to encourage members to attend a forum. Your current church software might be able to help you map out where your church members reside, helping you to decide on which forums to promote. For example, a far south side church might not need to communicate about the district 2 candidates, who are on the far north side of the city.

I would also highly recommend that you begin the scheduling process NOW. During the month of July, candidates are scheduled to have petition hearings, which will remove candidates from the ballot. By August, we should have a final election ballot.

According to the Chicago Board of elections website:

“Applications to Vote By Mail for the November 5, 2024 Presidential General Election will be available starting August 7, 2024.

“Early Voting in Chicago is tentatively scheduled to start on Thursday, September 26 at the Voting Supersite (191 N. Clark) and Board Offices (69 W. Washington St. - 6th Floor).

“Early Voting in all 50 Wards of Chicago begins Monday, October 21 at 9 a.m.”

So, it would help the most voters if a candidate forum is scheduled in August, before many ballots are cast, and voters have time to consider their choices and reach out to campaigns if they need clarification.

We hope these ideas have helped inspire you to action. Please contact us if you need help, have questions, or to simply send us your information so we can share with the press. You can reach us at admin@thecivicupdate.org.

Thanks so much for your help, and we look forward to publishing YOUR stories of engagement!

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Do you have a story idea, photo or video about Christian civic engagement in Illinois? Share it below! We want to hear from you!

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