Who Sent You?

Nicole Jeanine Johnson

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Politics

Your audio voter guide to navigate Chicago politics for Election Day and beyond

2 days ago

CPS Board President Candidate Pt. 3 Victor P. Henderson

I spoke with Victor P. Henderson, the self-proclaimed independent candidate in the race for CPS Board President. Lawyer, CPA, and former CPS parent, he is running to speak up for children, families, and taxpayers. Learn more about him at victorforthefuture.org Check out the UChicago and Johns Hopkins report on impact of mass CPS school closures here. Election Day is November 3, 2026 and Early voting at two downtown locations started October 1 Early voting in all 50 wards opens on Oct. 19. Learn more here.
6 Oct

CPS Board member Che 'Rhymefest' Smith on the future of CPS Governance

Che 'Rhymefest' Smith is no stranger to using his voice. Famed rapper, and award-winning songwriter, he has used his talents and commitment to community, to serve on Chicago's Elected School Board. Elected in 2024, he represents District 10A. For the 2026 election, he's the only candidate in his race on the ballot, though there is a write-in candidate, see Season 1 Episode 1. In this episode, we discuss: his lessons learnedhis north star through all his community endeavors His vision for the future of Chicago Public Schools Find out what district you're in.
29 Sept

CPS School Board President Candidate Jessica Biggs

On part two of the CPS Board President series, we bring in Jessica Biggs. She's a current board member. She's a former classroom teacher and school leader. She lays out her plan to address the district's financial woes, support of the Black Student Success Plan, and speaks on school closures. biggs4chicago.com
23 Sept

CPS School Board President Candidate Pt. 1: Hilario Dominguez

This is part 1 of the Chicago Elected School Board candidate series. This episode features Hilario Dominguez, who is running for school board president. In this espisode, we talk about his vision for the district which includes universal Pre-K, no school closures, ever, and community schools that offer wraparound services to the neighborhoods they are located in. To learn more about Hilario, head to his website. University of Chicago Consortium on School Research Attendance and School Climate resource
16 Sept

Is my ballot safe? w/ Ami Gandhi and Jane Ruby

While the Trump administration seeks to control federal elections, it makes you wonder if your ballot is safe. To answer this question, I spoke with Ami Gandhi, director of strategic initiatives & Midwest Voting Rights Program at Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights. And Jane Ruby, president of the League of Women Voters Chicago. Together, we got up to speed on Executive Order 14399, Illinois's expansive voting rights protections, and trusting our electoral systems. Resources: Election Protection Hotline: 866-OUR-VOTEballotready.org
9 Sept

Why do Black students in Chicago need a success plan?

In November 2023, organizers convened and advocated for a Black Student Success Committee. This would ensure that the forthcoming elected school board would be on the hook for improving Black student academic outcomes. In this episode, we hear from: Valerie Leonard, founder of Nonprofit Utopia, and the Black Student Success Committee memberDominique (Dom) McKoy, executive director of the To&Through Project at the University of ChicagoGrace Asiegbu, freelance journalist who recently published a Block Club Chicago investigation on the Black Student Success progress three years after its passage. After listening, you'll learn the needs this plan intends to address, how it came to pass, and the plan's goals. Additional Resources: Access the Black Student Success plan hereAccess Grace's article here or here
1 Sept

Getting up to speed ahead of the CPS board election w/ Sarah Karp

On episode 3, we're joined by Sarah Karp, senior education reporter at WBEZ. To get you up to speed ahead of the November 3rd elected school board race, we discussed all things Chicago Public Schools: Chronic absenteeism CPS Budget woesThe real work of a CPS Board memberCheck out some of Sarah's reporting below Funding re-instated for CPS from federal government 10 years after CPS school closuresChronic absenteeismFind your CPS district and representatives Follow Sarah on X
25 Aug

What makes a good school board member? w/ Bridget Lee of ALL Chicago

On this week's episode of the Who Sent You? Podcast, we discuss what it takes to be a qualified Chicago Public School board member. This conversations includes Bridget Lee, founding executive director of the Academy for Local Leadership. In this interview, she include's the ALL Governance Compass, access here If you're looking for your board member and your district, find it here
19 Aug

Petition Challenges with Tameka Walton, Chicago School Board District 10A Candidate

Even with the best intentions, people who want to run for office may not make it. Illinois has a petition scheme that allows anyone to object to your nominating petition papers. In this episode, we hear from Andrew Finko, attorney, who discusses the origins of the petition challenges. Then we pivot to Tameka Walton, nonprofit executive director, and candidate for the Chicago School Board 10A district. After two challenges, she was knocked off the ballot and will be a write-in candidate.

9 Episodes

Your audio voter guide to navigate Chicago politics for Election Day and beyond

Creator

Nicole Jeanine Johnson
Years Active

2026
Episodes

9
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© 2026 Who Sent You?
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Who Sent You?