On Wednesday, former Governor Pat Quinn and activists announced they were filing lawsuits in state and federal courts asking judges to grant Chicago an elected school board. 

Quinn and the activists claim that the rights of Chicago citizens are being violated under the current selection process. For more than 20 years, appointing the school board in Chicago has been the exclusive right of the mayor. 

In recent years, activists have increasingly argued that the mayor-appointed school board is unresponsive to their demands.