José Torres, former Elgin School District U-46 superintendent and interim Chicago Public Schools CEO, dies at 65
According to a published obituary, Torres died Friday, May 2, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, after a brief illness. He was 65. A published obituary was not found Monday night.
Jose Torres
Illinois Math and Science Academy
District U-46 issued a statement honoring Torres upon learning of his unexpected passing. He served as superintendent of the district from 2008 to 2014.
"As a leader, mentor, and education advocate, Dr. Torres embodied the values of equity, service, and humanity," U-46 Supt. Dr. Suzanne Johnson, whom Torres hired as the Principal of Bartlett High School and later as assistant superintendent of teaching and learning, said in the district news release. "His belief in people — and his insistence that we lead with purpose — shaped the trajectory of my career and life and the lives of countless others, including thousands of students. Our students in U-46 who will never know this amazing man benefit every day from these principles."
The district noted that its award-winning dual language program was launched under Torres' leadership. The program now serves more than 12,000 students in preschool through high school.
Torres also established the superintendent's scholarship program for first-generation scholarship students and supported the creation of leadership institutes for Black and Latino parents in the Elgin district.
After moving on from District U-46, Torres spent seven years, from 2014 to 2021, as head of Illinois Math and Science Academy in Aurora.
"During his tenure, Dr. Torres successfully navigated IMSA through unprecedented times, including three years with no state-appropriated budget, as well as the global COVID-19 pandemic. His accomplishments at IMSA include the development of a board-approved diversity, equity and inclusion policy, the execution of a global vision surrounding the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, as well as completed renovations of the Steve and Jamie Chen Center for Innovation, science labs, and the auditorium," Illinois Math and Science Academy said in a statement. "He was also the driving force in securing IMSA as the host of the 14th annual International Student Science Fair, making IMSA the first school to host the event in the United States.
In June 2021, then-Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot appointed Torres as interim CEO of the Chicago Public Schools — with CEO Janice Jackson set to step down. Torres served in the role for about three months, until CEO Pedro Martinez took over on a permanent basis.
Torres was also a regional superintendent for CPS from 2006 to 2008.
He also served as an assistant superintendent for Anne Arundel County Public Schools in Annapolis, Maryland; as well as in top administrative roles at the Baltimore City Public Schools, National Association of State Boards of Education, the San Ysidro School District in southern California, and the San Jose Unified School District.
Torres also worked as a teacher and human relations specialist at Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland.
Torres was born March 29, 1960, in La Playita, Santurce, Puerto Rico, and Illinois Math and Science Academy noted that he was "deeply influenced by his early experiences with poverty."
"This background fueled his lifelong mission to end poverty through education," IMAS said in a statement.
In his obituary, Torres was remembered for "a life of service guided by purpose, principle, and quiet strength."
"He loved learning—so much so that he often bought more books than he read, not out of neglect, but out of hope. His shelves were filled with possibility," Torres' obituary read. "He cried freely at sad movies, TV shows, and even commercials, finding in them a thread of humanity that touched him deeply. He viewed emotion not as weakness, but as witness to what matters."
Torres was honored with a moment of silence at the U-46 Board of Education meeting on Monday night.
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