This story was reported and published in collaboration with WBEZ, the Chicago Sun-Times, and Block Club Chicago, a nonprofit newsroom covering Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods. Stay informed with Chalkbeat Chicago’s newsletter, WBEZ and the Sun-Times’ education newsletter, and Block Club Chicago’s newsletters.
A newcomer building a coalition of support from private donors and charter school advocates is challenging a longtime community activist with ties to the Chicago Teachers Union and Northwest Side elected officials in the race to represent District 3a.
Incumbent Norma Rios Sierra, a Logan Square organizer appointed to the school board in 2024 by Mayor Brandon Johnson, is hoping to hold onto her seat against Peter Gonzales, a lawyer and tutor.
Schools in District 3a are struggling with teacher shortages, art program cuts, charter school closings, and mental health access. The Northwest Side district has a mix of 24 dual-language, charter, and alternative schools serving mostly Latino students.
While both candidates have similar positions on increasing funds for CPS and supporting immigrant families, their support differs. Rios Sierra is backed by the CTU and the Service Employees International Union Illinois State Council, which represents thousands of CPS support staff and has split politically with the teachers union in recent years. She’s one of only four candidates to be endorsed by both unions.
Gonzales has support from the Illinois Network of Charter Schools, The Urban Center, a centrist, pro-school choice political group, and the Common Ground Collective, an anti-CTU political action committee that is heavily funded by billionaire Michael Sacks and says it aims to engage voters around “effective progressive policies.”
Gonzales advocates for equitable teacher wages that can strengthen student test scores and expand opportunities for students, such as having a stronger trades pipelines and more school choice, while Rios Sierra wants to see more mental health resources for students and more art and extracurricular programs for neighborhood schools.
Rios Sierra survived two challenges to be on the ballot this fall. Rios Sierra was part of a working group to pick Macquline King, Chicago Public Schools’ new CEO, and she voted for the most recent CPS budget that hinged on receiving $150 million more in state funding.
She has voted to protect immigrant students from federal officials and to support the creation of a sustainable transition plan for families impacted by charter closings such as Aspira and Acero schools.
Born in Mexico City and raised in Logan Square, Rios Sierra spent years organizing with the nonprofit Palenque LSNA, working with students, families, and teachers on arts programming and events; fighting for affordable housing and local immigration reform; and organizing wellness workshops for over 200 parent mentors. She is a member of the Northwest Side Rapid Response Network, a CPS graduate, and a former Local School Council member at Logan Square Elementary.
As a single mother whose teen attends CPS, she said her commitment to her community and her background are proof that she shows up on behalf of students and families in the neighborhood who want fully funded schools and more mental health support for youth.
“I definitely want to continue to champion the needs of our immigrant families, and I’m really genuinely concerned with the mental health and well-being of our students,” she said.
Rios Sierra said she is committed to building relationships to secure additional revenue for schools, improving mental health access, and supporting more arts and extracurricular programming.
Read Rios Sierra’s full questionnaire responses.
With a background in budgeting, economics, and law, Gonzales said his skills differ from his opponent and show he is “willing to go to the mat” to stand up for immigrant, working-class families.
“I know what it means to really tackle hard budgetary issues,” he said. “I know what it means to deal with complex legal problems … when it comes to standing up against ICE and (President) Donald Trump. I actually do know what it means to defend people in open court.”
Originally from Aurora, Gonzales lives with his wife and 2-year-old son, whom he plans to send to a CPS school. He has lived in Avondale since 2019.
A senior legal advisor for the Illinois Secretary of State, Gonzales was the first in his family to attend college. He has volunteered as a tutor with Reach Out Community Center in Little Village and Midtown-Metro Achievement Centers in Little Italy. He’s also on the board of the Institute of Latino Studies at the University of Notre Dame, which gives Latino college students volunteer opportunities with Chicago law firms with a focus on immigrant rights.
Gonzales wants to represent the area to better even out the district’s budget among schools and advocate for equitable wages for staff, funding for after-school programs, and resources to improve academic outcomes for students. He also wants to bring greater transparency and fiscal responsibility to CPS, advocate for more CPS pipelines into the trades, and protect immigrant students from federal immigration agents in the classroom and in the courtroom.
“At the end of the day, it’s just about trying to make sure every single kid gets the best possible education and that we’re protecting our community,” Gonzales said.
Read Gonzales’ full questionnaire responses.
Ariel Parrella-Aureli is a reporter covering Logan Square, Humboldt Park and Avondale for Block Club Chicago. Contact Ariel at ariel@blockclubchi.org.