Alfonso Carmona, the second-in-command of Chicago Public Schools, is stepping down Friday as acting chief education officer — less than a week after the appointment of CPS CEO Macquline King and amid calls for greater Latino representation in her cabinet.
Carmona accepted a superintendent position in Lake County in November, which begins in July. Though CPS has not announced his official departure date, Carmona confirmed to the Tribune that Friday will be his last day.
A Colombian immigrant and 22-year veteran of CPS, Carmona has been one of the district’s most prominent Latino leaders. His departure leaves a top role vacant during a key transition period for the district.
A CPS spokesperson said the district intends to fill Carmona’s role “as soon as possible.”
Recent leadership shakeups at CPS have resurfaced long-standing questions about race and representation in the nation’s fourth-largest school district. Almost half of the district’s 315,000 students are Latino, and about a third are Black.
On Wednesday, a coalition of school board members, elected officials and community groups urged King in a letter to name “qualified Latino leaders” to her executive team.
“This is not a question of talent, but a reflection of a system that has consistently overlooked highly qualified Latino educators and leaders,” said the group’s letter, dated Wednesday. “The result is a clear and persistent lack of Latino leadership at every level.”
The letter was signed by eight of 10 elected board members. It was not signed by members appointed by Mayor Brandon Johnson, or elected members Jitu Brown and Ebony DeBerry, who are closely aligned with the mayor.
Several state legislators, aldermen and community group leaders were also among the 50 signatories.
“Inclusion in the cabinet is essential not only for equity but for shaping stronger, more informed policies that impact students every day,” the letter said.
A district spokesperson said in a statement that diversity among district leaders has grown over the past decade, with Latinos now making up about 19% of principals and 21% of central office directors.
“We recognize our work is not finished,” the spokesperson said. “We remain committed to ensuring our leadership ranks reflect the vibrant diversity of Chicago and our students, particularly our growing Latino community.”
Before King’s appointment on Monday, several advocacy groups had raised concerns about the lack of Latino representation among the district’s three finalists. King, who is Black, had led CPS on an interim basis since June. Former CEO Pedro Martinez was the district’s first permanent Latino leader.
King was not initially a front-runner for the permanent CEO role, but she was added back as a candidate amid growing community support for her leadership, including from the Chicago West Side Branch of the NAACP.
The letter circulated among the board beginning last week, according to appointed member Angel Velez, who represents District 9A on the South Side. He noted the importance of representation, but said he did not sign out of concern for “undermining unity” after King’s appointment.
“There’s also this piece around symbolism for the Black community,” said Velez, who is Black and Puerto Rican. “While advocating for representation across all communities is important, I think prioritizing demands at this time could unintentionally create a sense of competition between the different communities, rather than fostering unity and mutual support.”
Several of the district’s top jobs have been held on an acting basis following the contentious firing without cause of Martinez in December 2024. Carmona replaced former Chief Education Officer Bogdana Chkoumbova, a 24-year CPS veteran who stepped down last May.
After Martinez left his post, other top staffers soon followed, including the school board’s general counsel, chief budget officer, chief of information technology and chief of staff to the CEO.
Carmona was one of three finalists for interim superintendent last summer. Over his tenure, he oversaw academic strategy, played a key role in labor negotiations and helped develop the district’s five-year strategic plan. Previously, Carmona served as the district’s chief portfolio officer and as a network chief.
In the fall, he was selected to become superintendent of Grayslake Community Consolidated School District 46, a K-8 district in Lake County with 3,700 students.
In a statement to the Tribune, Carmona said he was “overwhelmed with pride” looking back at the district’s work.
“It has been a profound honor to serve our students, our staff, and the city of Chicago,” he said.
The district also announced last month that Nicole Milberg, chief of teaching and learning, is stepping down. She has worked in CPS for more than a decade, previously as a network chief and principal. Like Carmona, Milberg was a finalist for interim superintendent in June.
Turnover is very common in large, urban districts, where superintendent transitions are often fraught, according to Jason Grissom, a Vanderbilt University professor who studies school district leadership. But he noted that frequent turnover can pose a risk if it erodes institutional knowledge.
“The concern is that urban districts are complex organizations, and having that kind of institutional knowledge and institutional memory can be really valuable,” Grissom said.
King’s three-year contract runs through July 2029. She inherits a district with dwindling enrollment and plagued by billions in long-term debt. The district is facing a projected deficit of at least $520 million this budget season.
