- Sophia King served as the Deputy Director of Sports Administration and Facilities Management at CPS from 2001-2003, where she managed a staff of 30 and a $12M budget. She strongly believes in the importance of co-curricular activities in the lives of youth and their effectiveness in keeping students in school and other positive outcomes, including prevention of negative influences like gang affiliation.
- Sophia King worked on various issues from curriculum to management, as one of the founders of Ariel Community Academy. She introduced the founding committee to Lynette Coleman, the first and current principal of the school.
- As Alderman, will work to invest in neighborhood schools and individualized services in order to provide the best education for all children in the 4th Ward and City of Chicago.
- Will work to ensure that all parents and residents have a voice in the school board that makes education decisions, as 87% of the 4th Ward voted in 2015.
Alderman King is passionate about empowering children to insure future excellence, and she believes that quality education is not only essential for success, but also that combining with co-curricular activities will be key to preventing young minds from becoming prey to negative influences within many neighborhoods. Consequently, a high quality education for all students is imperative and non-negotiable.
As a Chemistry teacher and administrator at the Latin School of Chicago, Alderman King helped to recruit one of the most diverse freshmen classes in the school’s history. Because she believed in equal access for all students to premier education, she worked tirelessly alongside other volunteers and staff to create the Ariel Community Academy, a public school in North Kenwood-Oakland. There she could see first-hand, how a strong school supports development of young minds and instills hope among those generations, in addition to serving as a hub for the community.