Forrest Claypool facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Forrest Claypool
Claypool in 2009
6th CEO of Chicago Public Schools
In office July 27, 2015 – December 8, 2017
Appointed by	Rahm Emanuel
Preceded by	Barbara Byrd-Bennett Jesse Ruiz (interim)
Succeeded by	Janice K. Jackson
President of the Chicago Transit Authority
In office 2011–2015
Preceded by	Richard L. Rodriguez
Succeeded by	Dorval Carter
Member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners from the 12th district
In office December 2002 (2002-12) – December 2010 (2010-12)
Preceded by	Ted Lechowicz
Succeeded by	John Fritchey
Personal details
Born	Forrest Edward Claypool 1958 (age 66–67) Vandalia, Illinois
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Has a wife
Children	Three
Residence	Lakeview, Chicago, Illinois
Alma mater	Southern Illinois University (B.A.) University of Illinois (J.D.)
Profession	Attorney
Signature

Forrest Edward Claypool is an American politician. He has worked in important roles for the governments of Chicago, Cook County, and the State of Illinois. From 2015 to 2017, he was the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Chicago Public Schools.

Before that, Claypool held several other key positions. He was the Superintendent of the Chicago Park District from 1993 to 1998. He also served as Chief of Staff for Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Later, he became the President of the Chicago Transit Authority. Claypool is a trained attorney and lives in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago. He is married and has three children.

Early Life and Education

Forrest Claypool was born in Vandalia, Illinois in 1958. He grew up in a nearby town called St. Elmo, Illinois. He went to Southern Illinois University in Carbondale and earned his bachelor's degree.

In 1981, he graduated from the University of Illinois College of Law with a law degree (J.D.). While there, he was an editor for the school's law review. After finishing school, Claypool worked as an attorney. He also held several non-elected jobs in state and county government.

Starting a Political Consulting Firm

In 1984, Claypool helped his friend David Axelrod start a political consulting company. The company was called Axelrod and Associates. It is now known as AKPD Message & Media. Claypool was a managing partner at the firm until 1989. He then left to work for Mayor Richard M. Daley.

Working for the City of Chicago

Forrest Claypool began working for Mayor Daley in 1989. For two years, he served as Daley's first Chief of Staff. This role meant he was a top advisor and manager for the mayor.

Leading the Chicago Park District

In 1993, Mayor Daley asked Claypool to take on a big challenge. He wanted Claypool to fix the Chicago Park District. There had been problems with how the district was run.

When Claypool became the CEO and Superintendent of the Chicago Park District, it had a large budget and many employees. However, many basic services were not being done well. Claypool worked to make changes. He removed many politically appointed jobs. Some employees had to reapply for their positions. By 1996, the number of full-time employees had decreased. At the same time, services in the parks improved.

The Park District also had financial problems when Claypool took over. It had spent more money than it had. Claypool saved money by reducing staff and canceling projects he thought were wasteful. He also started to privatize some services. This meant letting private companies manage some park operations.

For example, in 1993, a company took over managing the district's golf courses. This change helped the golf courses make a profit. Before, they had lost money. The district also tried privatizing parts of Soldier Field, a large stadium. In 1994, Soldier Field made a profit for the first time.

Claypool left the Park District in 1996. He returned to serve a second time as Chief of Staff for Mayor Daley. In 1998, he helped manage Daley's successful re-election campaign.

Serving Cook County

In 2002, Claypool decided to run for a seat on the Cook County Board. He ran as a "reformer," meaning he wanted to change how the county government worked. He criticized what he saw as too many political appointments and a large bureaucracy.

Claypool won his election against the person who held the seat before him. He then joined other commissioners who also wanted reforms. These commissioners worked together to challenge the county's budget. In 2003, they managed to defeat the county president's budget plan. This was the first time that had happened in 30 years.

Running for County Board President

In 2006, Claypool decided to run for the top job: Cook County Board President. He raised a lot of money for his campaign. Many newspapers supported him, including the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times. Important politicians like Rahm Emanuel also endorsed him.

However, Claypool lost the election. The Cook County Democratic Party then chose the son of the previous president to run.

Running for County Assessor

In 2010, Claypool ran for Cook County Assessor as an independent candidate. This meant he did not belong to a major political party. He was the first independent candidate to run for this office in Cook County history. He collected many voter signatures to get on the ballot. However, he did not win this election either.

Later Government Roles

After his elections, Forrest Claypool continued to serve in government. In 2011, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel appointed him President of the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA). The CTA runs Chicago's buses and trains.

In April 2015, Mayor Emanuel named Claypool his Chief of Staff again. This was a very important role, helping the mayor manage the city.

Leading Chicago Public Schools

On July 16, 2015, Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced that Claypool would become the CEO of Chicago Public Schools. This appointment was approved by the Chicago Board of Education. Claypool started his new role on July 27, 2015.

He resigned as CEO on December 8, 2017. This happened after an ethics investigation within the school system.

Images for kids

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  Forrest Claypool's signature