Penny Pritzker resigned from the Chicago Board of Education Thursday, fueling speculation that the billionaire businesswoman will soon be appointed U.S. Commerce Secretary by President Barack Obama.
A former finance chair for Obama's 2008 campaign, Pritzker has been widely rumored to be in line for the Commerce post, a plum frequently used to reward campaign fund-raisers. William Daley, the former mayor's brother, served in that same job during President Bill Clinton's second term.
Pritzker submitted her resignation in a letter Thursday to Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
"I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve the city of Chicago, its children and families during these last two years," Pritzker wrote.
"Education is critical to ensuring that every child has an opportunity to succeed. And I wholeheartedly support the work that you are doing to improve Chicago schools."
Pritzker is a member of the billionaire Pritzker family of Hyatt Hotel fame.
She is a huge charter supporter and a long-time education advocate. She was a contributor to Stand for Children, which led the writing of an Emanuel-backed school reform bill that trimmed teacher union power and raised the strike threshold while giving CPS enhanced muscle to extend the school day and year.
Her Pritzker Traubert Family Foundation contributes to the Academy for Urban School Leadership, the Young Women's Leadership Charter School and the Noble Street Charter School network — all of which Emanuel is determined to expand.
Noble Street's Pritzker College Prep is named after the Pritzker family.
Shortly after Emanuel took office, current Chicago Public Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett was selected by the Chicago Public Education Fund to oversee the training of middle-level Chicago Public School managers, called network chiefs.
Pritzker is the former chairman of the board of the Fund that picked Byrd-Bennett for that job.
In December, the Chicago Teachers Union geared up for a contentious round of school closings by mocking Pritzker and others with satire and a coloring book.
The union released a five-minute video of a scary bedtime story, "Stand Up to the Fat Cats," accusing "The Rahminator" and cronies like "Rowdy Rauner" and "Penny Pincher" of privatizing public education.
The union video also mocked Bruce Rauner, a venture capitalist and charter school advocate; Robin Steans, director of Advance Illinois and school reform organizations Stand for Children, Democrats for Education Reform and the Broad Foundation.
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