Che 'Rhymefest' Smith is no stranger to using his voice.

Famed rapper, and award-winning songwriter, he has used his talents and commitment to community, to serve on Chicago's Elected School Board.

Elected in 2024, he represents District 10A.

For the 2026 election, he's the only candidate in his race on the ballot, though there is a write-in candidate, see Season 1 Episode 1.

In this episode, we discuss:

• his lessons learned
• his north star through all his community endeavors
• His vision for the future of Chicago Public Schools

Find out what district you're in.

On part two of the CPS Board President series, we bring in Jessica Biggs.

She's a current board member.

She's a former classroom teacher and school leader.

She lays out her plan to address the district's financial woes, support of the Black Student Success Plan, and speaks on school closures.

biggs4chicago.com

This is part 1 of the Chicago Elected School Board candidate series.

This episode features Hilario Dominguez, who is running for school board president.

In this espisode, we talk about his vision for the district which includes universal Pre-K, no school closures, ever, and community schools that offer wraparound services to the neighborhoods they are located in.

To learn more about Hilario, head to his website.

University of Chicago Consortium on School Research Attendance and School Climate resource