Forrest Claypool & Dr. Janice Jackson

Forrest Claypool

Forrest Claypool was appointed CEO of Chicago Public Schools in July 2015.

Before joining CPS, Claypool served briefly as Mayor Rahm Emanuel's chief of staff and previously served two stints as Chief of Staff to Mayor Richard M. Daley.

Prior to joining Mayor Emanuel’s leadership team at City Hall, Claypool served as President of the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) from 2011-2015, where he closed a $308 million budget gap, negotiated a historic new labor agreement, and launched the most ambitious infrastructure modernization campaign in CTA history, all while improving bus and rail service throughout Chicago.

Claypool served as Superintendent of the Chicago Park District in the 1990s, eliminating serious budget deficits while rehabbing long neglected facilities and making unprecedented investments in neighborhood parks. He was twice elected to the Cook County Board of Commissioners, where he helped expand public-private partnerships for health care for low-income citizens and passed anti-corruption legislation.

Claypool is a graduate of Southern Illinois University and the University of Illinois College of Law, where he was editor-in-chief of the law review.

Dr. Janice Jackson

Dr. Janice K. Jackson, a recognized leader in the field of urban education, was named Chief Education Office (CEdO) for Chicago Public Schools in July 2015. A self-described progressive educator, she believes that high expectations and equally high levels of support must be provided to all children. In her role as Chief Education Office, Dr. Jackson leads the entire academic arm of CPS, which includes 660 schools in 13 networks, and is the third largest school district in the country. 

Prior to her current role as Chief Education Officer, Dr. Jackson led Network 9 - one of the CPS’ 13 school zones - which includes 26 schools and serves 14,000 students. In this capacity, she provided principals with supervision and guidance on strengthening students’ academic foundations. Dr. Jackson began her CPS career as a Social Studies teacher at South Shore High School. After 5 years in the classroom, Dr. Jackson led the Al Raby School for Community and Environment, which became one of the District’s most successful neighborhood high schools, with a graduation rate of over 80 percent and higher than expected college enrollment. After five years as Principal of Raby HS, Dr. Jackson was chosen to lead the new George Westinghouse College Prep High School. She opened this diverse west side high school with amazing speed, and its success has been recognized nationally, due in part to a thriving world language program and partnerships, like the Northwestern Medicine Scholars Program, which give promising students interested in the medical profession a chance to study with the outstanding physicians and researchers of Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

Dr. Jackson holds a BA in secondary education and a MA from Chicago State University and a MA in leadership and administration and a PhD in education policy studies and urban school leadership from the University of Illinois at Chicago.