The Chicago Board of Education announced on March 30 that Macquline King, Ed.D., has been selected as the permanent Chief Executive Officer of Chicago Public Schools. King, who has served as interim superintendent and CEO since June 2025, will continue in the interim role until her three-year contract begins on July 1, 2026.
King’s appointment comes after a period where she led the district through significant challenges and transitions. She oversaw the approval of a $10 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2025 and worked to maintain stability during increased external immigration enforcement activity. Throughout her tenure, she focused on students’ academic opportunities, safety, and well-being.
Mayor Brandon Johnson said, “Public education is the foundation of opportunity in our city, and strong, dedicated leadership is essential to Chicago’s future. I am grateful to the members of the Board who carried out this process and congratulate Dr. Macquline King on her appointment as permanent CEO. In her time as interim CEO, Dr. King has demonstrated commitment to the success of CPS students, teachers, and families. I look forward to continued partnership with Dr. King, educators, and community stakeholders as we work to deliver the high-quality education every student in Chicago deserves.”
Board President Sean B. Harden said that King’s selection followed an extensive search process: “Today’s Board action naming Dr. King as the District’s permanent leader is the result of an extensive and thoughtful search process that delivers on our commitment to put in place a leader who understands the complexity of CPS, is ready to embrace the challenges , and will create opportunities that move the District forward,” he said.
Accepting her appointment Monday with gratitude, King said she was “humbled and honored” by her new role serving more than 315,000 students across Chicago Public Schools: “As a proud CPS graduate, teacher, mother, and principal, I am honored to lead the District that shaped me,” she said. “My priority as permanent CEO is clear: to keep students at the center of decisions and build on the academic gains of the past few years; advocate fiercely for funding our students deserve; and move the District forward so that more students graduate ready to succeed in college careers or civic life.”
King began her career at CPS as a teacher before earning National Board Certification—the highest professional certification for educators—and later became principal at Alexandre Dumas Elementary School prior its closure in 2013 before moving into leadership at Courtenay Language Arts Center in Uptown following its merger with another neighborhood school.
From 2022 through 2025 she served as Senior Director of Education Policy (P-16) within City Hall where she coordinated policies across schools colleges early childhood programs while providing strategic guidance on budget proposals supporting early childhood access career pathways sustainable community schools.
