Dear Neighbor

My name is Michilla Blaise, and I am running to retain my seat on the Chicago Board of Education in District 5B. I am excited to have the opportunity to be part of this inaugural year of the first fully elected school board.

So many Chicagoans fought hard to have a say in their children's educational options, and this campaign is the culmination of those efforts.

am a lifelong Chicagoan, and 4 generations of my family live on the west side.

I was raised in a union household, and my dad was a shop steward at Newark Electronics on Lake and Pulaski - Teamsters Local 743. My brother was in the Carpenters (Local 1) Union until he started with the City of Chicago as a Laborer (Local 1001). Labor made sure the men in my family earned a wage that allowed them to provide for their families. My mother was a district sales manager for Avon products for over 20 years. She literally helped thousands of women, who were unemployed or underemployed, start and grow their own businesses. Equity and access to opportunities are core values that I was raised with.

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Personal Experience with CPS

As one of the longest-standing members of the school board, I witnessed the transition from a fully appointed school board to this historic election that will take us to a fully elected representative school board, ERSB. So many Chicagoans fought hard to have a say in their children’s educational options, and this November’s election is the culmination of those efforts.

As the mom of two teenage daughters in Chicago Public Schools, I have experienced the excellence and challenges of CPS, and I am dedicated to ensuring a quality and enriching education for all students. In 2024, I returned to school to pursue my Master's in Public Policy at the University of Chicago to understand the data that helps to inform policy and to better assess CPS’s budget.

Commitment to Public Service

I began public service in 2007 as a staff member for Alderperson Helen Shiller. I ran my own political consulting firm (Blaise and Associates) for 10 years, helping many progressive candidates and issue-based campaigns. I currently serve as the Chief of Staff to a Cook County Commissioner, ensuring constituent services and helping connect suburban municipalities with Cook County resources. Before joining the school board, I volunteered as a board member for West Side Justice Center and as Board Commissioner of the Northwest Home Equity Assurance Program. Additionally, the two years I spent as a Board Member for Grassroots Curriculum Task Force solidified my understanding that our educational system is just as relevant to our children’s learning as the materials taught in schools

A Call to Action

Your support Matters

Chicago has a historic opportunity: for the first time, Chicagoans will elect the full Board of Education. This is our chance to put the future of our schools directly in the hands of families, educators, and communities, not big-money interests.

Our opponents have powerful financial backing. We have something more powerful: people.

If you believe Chicago’s students deserve a Board that listens, leads, and puts public education first, join us.

Donate. Volunteer. Share our campaign. Make your voice heard.

Let’s make history—and make sure the first fully elected Board of Education represents the people of Chicago.