Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot announced the appointment of seven new members of the Chicago Board of Education, who will work to establish policies, standards and initiatives that will ensure all students of Chicago Public Schools have access to high-quality education regardless of their income, address, or background. Comprised of education experts, former teachers, LSC members, current or former CPS parents and three CPS graduates, the newly appointed member will serve on the Board of Education as Chicago continues to work towards a fully independent, elected school board. Among the new appointments are:

Miguel del Valle, Board President
As the first Latinx elected to the Illinois State Senate and City Clerk of Chicago, Miguel del Valle has been committed to public service and education since he graduated from Chicago Public Schools in 1969. Additionally, del Valle has served as Vice Chairman to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC), working to make college accessible and affordable for students across the state. Miguel del Valle holds an M.A. in Guidance and Counseling from Northeastern Illinois University.

Luisiana Meléndez
Dr. Luisiana Meléndez is an Associate Clinical Professor at Erikson Institute and director of the Institute’s Bilingual/ESL Certificate Program. She received her BA in Psychology in her native Dominican Republic and a master’s in early childhood education and a doctorate in child development from Loyola University Chicago/Erikson Institute. Before working in higher education, Dr. Meléndez worked for close to two decades as an early childhood and elementary teacher in the Dominican Republic and in the U.S.

The new Board members will be installed prior to the June Board of Education meeting.