Mayoral Candidate Gery Chico is getting the endorsement of a Chicago education heavyweight Paul Vallas. Vallas was the former CEO of Chicago Public Schools before leaving to head public schools in Philadelphia and later New Orleans. Vallas said in the ten years they worked together he witnessed Chico’s ability to reform schools and balance budgets. “Those things were not done with smoke and mirrors, or borrowing, or with financial creativity they were done by making tough decisions and trying to make government run more efficiently,” Vallas said.

Chico would not say whether he would ask Vallas to join his administration if elected mayor. Chico is one of 20 candidates in the Chicago mayoral race. Other candidates include Roland Burris, Rev. James Meeks, Rahm Emmanuel and Senator Danny Davis.