Drawing: Fred Klonsky
DNAinfo is reporting:
Troy LaRaviere was elected Thursday to lead the Chicago Principals and Administrators Association, leaving an opening at the embattled Blaine Elementary School where he was ousted last month.
LaRaviere handily defeated opponent Kenneth Hunter who had the backing of top officials at Chicago Public Schools despite a troubled past involving a recent arrest for phone harassment and a formal warning from the district in 2013.
With 69 percent of the vote, LaRaviere will assume the presidency of the Chicago Principals and Administrators Association in July. He replaces Clarice Berry, who did not run for re-election.
LaRaviere’s election leaves an opening at Blaine Elementary, where he took the reins as principal five years ago.
Unless retired, the president of the CPAA can return to CPS after the association term has completed, though not necessarily to the same school.
But if CPS proceeds with LaRaviere’s dismissal hearing, he might not have the same option.
The Blaine principal was suspended without pay last week after CPS removed him from the K-8 school April 20. The district was in the midst of a months-long process to fire him when he was elected Thursday.
The district did not respond to questions on whether LaRaviere’s being elected would suspend the district’s efforts to fire him.
The sudden removal incensed LaRaviere’s supporters, among them presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vermont), who blasted Mayor Rahm Emanuel for his revenge “obsession.”
The district charged LaRaviere with 12 accusations of misconduct, ranging from misusing school equipment to engaging in political activity during work hours. CPS said LaRaviere continued to flout his employer’s authority despite receiving a formal warning in August and a follow-up reprimand in December.
LaRaviere claimed his penchant for the truth led to his suspension without pay and denied taking political action during school hours during a radio interview Tuesday. He harkened back to his early criticisms of former CPS CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett’scorrupt deal with SUPES Academy, which led to Byrd-Bennett’s resignation, a lawsuit and criminal charges against her.
“You want to reward the person who identifies waste and fraud, not punish them,” LaRaviere told WVON’s Cliff Kelley. “But punish me they did.”
Fred Klonsky 
Several of us at a west side school were wearing our standwithtroy t-shirts today. The principal noticed and, at the end of the day, let us know that he had won the election. Other teachers are getting together to order their own shirts. I wanted to confirm his election and came to your blog, Fred. I was once again not disappointed. Thanks for the great news. And kudos to the principals who have decided they are tired of being told to destroy their schools and to keep quiet about it.
I hope Troy uses this election as a platform for his own run for mayor in less than 3 years. We are all getting tired of rahm and his minions trying their best to destroy public education in Chicago. The children in this city deserve so much better and they will not get it as long as rahm and forrest and janice, etc. are running the show. Congratulations Troy!
While I have no issue with your support of Troy LaRaviere, I do have a concern about your choice to not capitalize the three proper names in last full sentence. After all this is what teachers teach their students; proper nouns are to be capitalized.