January: Kimbrough appointment
The Interim Board taps Ted D. Kimbrough, superintendent in Compton, Calif., for superintendent.

March: Board nominations
The School Board Nominating Commission sends Mayor Daley three names for each of 15 seats on a new, permanent Board of Education. Under the Reform Act, the commission is composed mainly of local school council members. Eventually, it locks horns with Daley, fueling revisions to the Reform Act.

April: Principal hirings I
Local school councils at half the system's some 550 schools sign principals to their first four-year contracts.

May: School Improvement Plans
Schools complete the first school improvement plans required by the Reform Act.

June: Pension raid
To help the Interim Board grant raises, the Illinois Legislature OKs diverting, for three years, some property taxes earmarked for teacher pensions. Eventually, the diversion becomes permanent, but the pension fund remains healthy.

July: Raises
Employee unions win 21 percent raises over three years, contingent upon the board receiving enough money to pay for them. The teacher contract provides $6,000 bonuses for teachers who take extra coursework.

November: Reform Act ruling
Acting on a suit filed by the Chicago Principals Assn., the Illinois Supreme Court declares that the Reform Act is unconstitutional because LSC election procedures do not provide for "one person, one vote." The Legislature subsequently enacts short-term and long-term fixes that keep reform on track.