Students at Chicago Public Schools walk along a hallway in this file photo. (WTTW News)
Illinois’ top education official will be leaving her post early next year after nearly four years on the job.
State Superintendent of Education Carmen Ayala, who was appointed by Gov. JB Pritzker in 2019, announced that she’ll retire at the end of her current contract when it expires at the end of January.
“For the last almost 40 years, I have been so blessed to serve the students in Illinois,” Ayala said during Thursday’s state board of education meeting, according to Chalkbeat Chicago. “If anyone knows me, they know that equity is my passion. I’ve been referred to as an equity warrior.”
Ayala was the first woman and the first person of color to serve as permanent superintendent for the Illinois State Board of Education.
Pritzker praised Ayala in a statement on Friday for guiding Illinois schools through the COVID-19 pandemic, and said that under her leadership, the state recorded its highest high school graduation rate since at least 2011.
“Ayala represents the highest level of dedication to public service, and over her long career she has positively impacted thousands of Illinois students,” Pritzker said.
Before taking on her current role, Ayala served as superintendent of Berwyn North School District, assistant superintendent in Plainfield and Aurora East Districts, and as a classroom teacher in Aurora and in Chicago Public Schools.
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