Ellen Rosenfeld

Ellen Rosenfeld is a member of the Chicago Public Schools school board in Illinois, representing District 4b. She assumed office on January 15, 2025. Her current term ends on January 14, 2027.

Rosenfeld ran for election to the Chicago Public Schools school board to represent District 4b in Illinois. She won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Rosenfeld completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Ellen Rosenfeld was born in St. Louis, Missouri. She earned a bachelor's degree from Arizona State University and a graduate degree from the University of Illinois Chicago. Her career experience includes working as an education specialist. She taught third grade at Hartigan and Dulles Elementary Schools and held roles as a parent representative and chairwoman on the Local School Council, in addition to serving on the Local School Council Advisory Board. As of her 2024 campaign, Rosenfeld worked as a family and community engagement specialist at CPS and helped run a Parent University.^[1]

Elections

2024

General election

General election for Chicago Public Schools school board District 4b

The following candidates ran in the general election for Chicago Public Schools school board District 4b on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ellen Rosenfeld (Nonpartisan)	41.6	49,351
	Submit photo	Karen Zaccor (Nonpartisan)	30.2	35,825
		Kimberly Brown (Nonpartisan)	9.4	11,128
		Thomas Day (Nonpartisan)	7.7	9,126
		Carmen Gioiosa (Nonpartisan)	7.1	8,414
	Submit photo	Andrew Davis (Nonpartisan)	4.0	4,719

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 118,563
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

To view Rosenfeld's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here. Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Rosenfeld in this election.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

Ellen Rosenfeld completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Rosenfeld's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I have been an involved parent for all four of my children, who attended CPS K-12 schools. As an education professional, I taught 3rd grade at Hartigan and Dulles Elementary Schools, served as a Local School Council parent representative and chairwoman, and on the Local School Council Advisory Board. My dedication to education continues in my current role as a Family and Community Engagement Specialist at CPS, where I help run a Parent University. My personal connection to CPS as a parent, teacher, and community member has given me a unique understanding of the system. I’ve seen firsthand where CPS succeeds and where it faces challenges. I believe every child, regardless of income, race, religion, or circumstances, deserves a safe, rigorous, high-quality education. In my 30 years as an education professional, I’ve seen some families thrive at CPS while others struggle. My diverse experiences have deepened my understanding of the complexities and opportunities within CPS. Serving on the Board of Education would allow me to combine my knowledge with my sincere desire to improve student outcomes across Chicago. It would give me the chance to use my experiences to make a broader impact on education policy and practices for all students. My ultimate goal is to help bring forward solutions that improve educational outcomes for all CPS students, and I am committed to working tirelessly toward this goal.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Keeping Students Safe – I fully support implementing and funding CPS’s new school safety plan because safety is about more than physical security. To improve safety and create a positive learning environment, we need to prioritize mental health resources, expand restorative justice programs, and ensure staff are trained in conflict resolution. Strong, trusting relationships between students, teachers, and families are essential. I envision schools where students feel a deep sense of belonging, diversity is celebrated, and everyone can express themselves in a safe space. By fostering respect, we create safer schools and thriving communities.
Improving Student Experiences – I support innovative solutions, like forming strategic partnerships with major corporations based in Chicago. Imagine the impact of companies like Google, Microsoft, and over 30 other Fortune 500 companies joining forces with CPS. They could provide not only financial support but also valuable resources and real-world opportunities for students. I’ve seen this work when Lettuce Entertain You partnered with my 3rd-grade class at Hartigan Elementary, sponsoring holiday gifts, a downtown trip, and a special lunch. Partnerships like these could bridge funding gaps and enrich education, building a brighter future for Chicago students.
Authentic Community Engagement - When considering new policies or major decisions, I will actively seek input from a diverse group of stakeholders. This includes deliberately reaching out to Local School Council (LSC) members, who, in my experience, are often strong advocates for their communities. Authentic community engagement means building meaningful, ongoing partnerships between schools and the communities they serve, ensuring that all voices are heard and valued. I am committed to maintaining transparency and providing opportunities for community members to shape decisions that directly affect them. True engagement is not a one-time consultation but rather an ongoing process built on trust.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

In addition to advocating for kids, teachers, and families, I am deeply passionate about protecting women's rights, particularly around healthcare. I strongly believe that a woman’s body should not be governed, and I’m committed to ensuring that all women have access to comprehensive healthcare, regardless of their economic situation. We are living in a historic moment where my grandchildren may not have the same rights I had, and that’s unacceptable. I will do everything in my power to make sure women's healthcare and reproductive rights are prioritized and protected. This is a fundamental issue of equality and autonomy.

What legacy would you like to leave?

As a member of the first elected school board in CPS, I would like my legacy to be one of ensuring that every child, regardless of background, religion, zip code, or gender identity, has access to a high-quality, rigorous, and joyful education in a safe environment. I want to be remembered for balancing the district’s budget in a way that prioritized equity and ensured that all schools were fully resourced, thriving, and filled with engaged students. My legacy will be that of building a school system where classrooms are full, students are successful, and every child feels supported to reach their full potential.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

I like Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins because she is a powerful female fictional leader who forces big changes in an oppressive community. Katniss rises from an oppressed district to become the face of a revolution against a tyrannical government. She is brave, resilient, and unwilling to conform. I was inspired to see her become a symbol of hope and defiance for her people.

How will you build relationships with members of the broader community? Which groups, organizations, stakeholders will you specifically target?

I will engage with the CPS community first and foremost by listening to students, parents, teachers, principals, community-based organizations, and every other stakeholder. Every school and community is different, and the only way for the Board to help solve the challenges CPS faces is by hearing about them from the grassroots. This means that when considering a new policy, the Board should actively seek input from a representative cross-section of principals, parents, and faculty from schools and communities that would be affected by that policy. The Board should make this kind of input standard practice. In addition, LSC members should be an active part of board meetings and listening sessions. I will ensure LSC leaders across the district are invited to Board of Education meetings.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Chicago Federation of Labor

Chicago Journeymen Plumbers Local 130
Int. Union of Operating Engineers Local 399
Mid-American Carpenters Regional Council
Teamsters Joint Local 25
UFCW Local 881
US Rep. Mike Quigley
US Rep. Jan Schakowsky
State Treasurer Michael Frerichs
State Sen. Sara Feigenholtz
State Sen. Robert Martwick
State Rep. Ann Williams
State Rep. Margaret Croke
State Rep. Jaime Andrade
Cook County Comm. Bridget Gainer
Cook County Comm. Bridget Degnen
Cook County Comm. Josina Morita
Cook County Board of Review Comm. Samantha Steele
Comm. Precious Brady-Davis
Ald. Brian Hopkins
Ald. Timmy Knudsen
Ald. Bennett Lawson
Ald. Matt Martin
2nd, 43rd, 44th and 47th Ward Committeeperson
2nd, 43rd, 44th and 47th Dem. Org.

Personal PAC

Describe your ideal learning environment for students.

In my ideal learning environment, every single student would feel seen, valued, and motivated to reach their full potential. This would be achieved by creating spaces where students are free to be curious and creative. Teachers would help students discover their own strengths and passions because the curriculum would be hands-on and student-centered. In order to foster a student's ability to become a critical thinker, the classroom would be a welcoming, organized, energetic space with flexible seating, access to an array of learning materials, and state of the art technology.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

One of the most pressing issues facing Chicago Public Schools is connected to the budget. Because of mismanagement and an overreliance on property taxes, CPS currently has a deficit of more than $500 million. How the district’s $10 billion budget is allocated must be more transparent. One of the first things I will do as a Board member is to conduct a full, forensic accounting of the budget to identify and cut areas of bloat and misspending. I will also organize a push to find alternative sources of revenue that will eventually reduce the overreliance on property taxes. I will advocate to use the extra revenue to close the deficit and redistribute funding across schools in ways that create more equitable outcomes.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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Candidate

Chicago Public Schools school board District 4b

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Footnotes

↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 3, 2024

[1] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 3, 2024

[1]

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Ellen Rosenfeld

Contents

Biography

Elections

2024

General election

General election for Chicago Public Schools school board District 4b

Endorsements

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

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