Dec. 02--Chicago Public Schools' chief financial officer is leaving her post, as the district's new leader has installed his own team to supervise the books.
Ginger Ostro will take over for Robin Steans as head of the Advance Illinois education policy group after the new year, the think tank announced Tuesday.
Both CPS and Advance Illinois indicated Ostro will remain at the forefront of the push for an overhauled state education funding formula, which CEO Forrest Claypool has demanded as part of a state-sponsored rescue for CPS' beleaguered finances.
"While we will deeply miss her incisive judgment and dedication at CPS, we're encouraged to know that she will continue to be a leader in the fight for equitable funding for children not just in Chicago, but all over the state," Claypool said in a statement.
Ostro, in a statement issued by Advance Illinois, said the organization "will play a key role in forging solutions and shaping policy to help all our students succeed."
CPS didn't elaborate on a potential successor for Ostro. In August, Claypool hired longtime colleague Ronald DeNard as the system's vice president of finance and also replaced Tim Cawley, whose duties as district chief administrative officer included an array of financial responsibilities.
jjperez@tribpub.com
