Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson names Chicago Teachers Union chief of staff as deputy mayor for education

A few days ahead of his inauguration Monday, Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson announced that Jennifer “Jen” Johnson, the Chicago Teachers Union’s recent chief of staff, will serve as his deputy mayor for education, youth and human services.

Jennifer Johnson was one of several senior staff members, including the mayor-elect’s chief financial officer and policy and budget directors, announced Thursday.

“These appointments reflect our policy priorities and strategic goals as we set a bold agenda for the next four years. Together we can achieve our vision for sustainable, thriving communities, responsive services for our children and most vulnerable, and a budget that illustrates our values as a city,” Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson said in a news release.

Jennifer Johnson taught history at Lincoln Park High School for a decade before managing the staff and budget of the nearly 30,000-member teachers union, according to the news release. Johnson was among the CTU’s most visible leaders during the 2019 strike and subsequent work actions regarding COVID-19 safety precautions.

Brandon Johnson himself is a former teacher and was a CTU organizer in recent years, a position he announced he would give up after winning election.

His mayoral runoff opponent, former Chicago Public Schools CEO Paul Vallas, sought to make Johnson’s ties to CTU a liability, calling Johnson a “wholly owned subsidiary” of the teachers union and blaming the union for keeping CPS schools closed during the pandemic longer than many other districts or private schools.

Jennifer Johnson also served on the Illinois Federation of Teachers executive board, the Illinois State Board of Education State Educator Licensure and Preparation Board and on the board of Grow Your Own Illinois, a nonprofit that aims to develop and support a diverse teacher pipeline.

Other appointments the mayor-elect announced Thursday include S. Mayumi “Umi” Grigsby, chair of the Cook County Human Rights Commission and former assistant state’s attorney, as director of policy.

Johnson, who served just over one term on the Cook County Board, also tapped another county official, Budget Director Annette C.M. Guzman, to serve in the same capacity for the city.

And Jill Jaworski was named as Johnson’s chief financial officer. She’s been managing director and partner at PFM Financial Advisors since 2010, with long experience in municipal and public finance, according to a Johnson news release.

The story has been updated to correct Jill Jaworski’s new title at City Hall.