In a surprise, Mayor Brandon Johnson's top ally the Chicago Teachers Union was also critical of the district's lack of transparency and failure to prioritize classroom aides in the budget, even though the union has long supported a shift toward needs-based funding.
A team of app developers looking to ease college and career searches and a 9th-grade debater hoping to bridge policy and people were among the students honored. “You will help us all build a better, stronger and much-safer Chicago,” Mayor Brandon Johnson said.