With Chicago’s Board of Education meeting for the final time this week before a partially elected board takes over in January, some officials are warning the current board against making any big decisions before then — including ousting Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez.
An alderperson, a newly elected board member and some education advocates held a news conference Monday urging the board not to fire Martinez. They’re among many who have supported the schools chief and opposed efforts by Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Chicago Teachers Union to push him out. Almost 700 principals and assistant principals also signed a letter asking the board to hold off on changes.
Later, 21 alderpersons signed on to a letter to the school board offering their “full support” for Martinez’s retention. “We ardently believe that CEO Martinez is the logical choice to guide CPS through these troubled times,” they wrote.
“I think it’s only right that the temporary board should adhere to the folks that are involved in education to wait until any type of major decisions are done,” said Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th), who signed the letter.
WBEZ and Chicago Sun-Times reported last week that the school board offered Martinez a buyout in the latest effort to get him to leave. Negotiations are ongoing, but Martinez has so far not taken the offer.
Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th), said at a news conference Monday about CPS CEO Pedro Martinez’s future, “I think it’s only right that the temporary board should adhere to the folks that are involved in education to wait until any type of major decisions are done.”
Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times file
The tension could come to a head this week, either through a settlement or Martinez’s dismissal. The school board is set to release its agenda on Tuesday for this Thursday’s scheduled meeting. A vote to fire Martinez would have to be explicitly listed on that agenda for action to be taken, legal experts have said.
The mayor and his handpicked board, which was appointed after the entire previous board resigned in October, could be feeling a sense of urgency to act. They’re close allies of the Chicago Teachers Union, whose leaders are insisting they land a contract agreement before mid-January when the new board takes over and President-elect Donald Trump takes office.
While both CTU and CPS say some progress has been made in contract talks, they remain far apart on some major issues. That includes financial terms and others that are more policy-related.
Carlos Rivas Jr., elected to the school board in the 3rd District, said he’d like to have time to evaluate Martinez’s performance once he takes office in January even if it takes a bit for the new board to get caught up to speed. But he said he hoped the board would keep Martinez.
“I wouldn’t want us to be put in the place of less autonomy and capability to decide things for the district,” Rivas said.