(The Center Square) – Chicago taxpayers may pay a heavy price for the school board's decision to fire Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez.
School board members recently appointed by Mayor Brandon Johnson voted, 6-0, to end Martinez's term next June, even though Martinez has a contract through June 2026.
The board consists of Sean Harden, who was just appointed school board president by Johnson last week, Mary Gardner, Olga Bautista, Michaela Blais, longtime Chicago Federation of Teachers activist Debbie Pope, and Frank Niles Thomas.
CTU Vice President Jackson Potter posted on social media Monday that board members have joined CTU in labor negotiations. Potter called for Martinez's dismissal at a board meeting last Friday.
“I want to thank this board for lighting the fire and getting both CPS and CTU to move with all deliberate speed to reach what will become a historic agreement…and this process must continue to accelerate, because we cannot afford to back down or stall before the inauguration,” Potter said. President-elect Donald Trump.” “Critics will claim, and have done so, that the Board should not have acted so early. “We say you can't move fast enough.”
Board member-elect Jennifer Custer urged current board members to wait until the publicly elected members are seated.
“As a unified board, we asked to talk about these decisions and what the future looks like before we cut it to the knees,” Custer said.
Elementary School Principal Jeff Fennelly told board members they took an oath to advocate for students and work with the CEO.
“In my opinion, firing the CEO at this time would go directly against those parts of your department,” Fennelly said.
Fennelly reminded board members that more than 700 school leaders had asked them not to fire Martinez.
Alderman Nicholas Sposato, 38th District, opposed Martinez's removal and referred to the board members as “political hacks.”
Alderman Silvana Tabares, 23rd District, also addressed the board.
“Regardless of politics, there is still a difference between right and wrong, and you know this is wrong,” Tabares said. “By doing the political bidding of a mayor who stands to personally benefit from an expensive union contract, you are not just firing a CEO. You are deliberately clearing the way To burden taxpayers with billions in costs and cause the district and yourselves personally to be involved in costly lawsuits.” “You are being taken advantage of.”
Martinez's attorneys filed a lawsuit on his behalf against the Chicago Board of Education and its individual members in Cook County Circuit Court, alleging “violation of the express terms of his contract.”
The mayor and his allies may also suffer political damage. The Illinois Latino Agenda issued a statement expressing its dismay at Martinez's treatment, citing CPS's proficiency gains in reading, graduation rates, scholarships, and college credits and certificates.
“As a CPS alumnus and father of two CPS students, Martinez brings a personal commitment to the success of Chicago's diverse student body, 47% of whom identify as Latino. Martinez has promoted stability and equality in a district that has long been challenged by leadership turnover,” the statement said. “Nearly 700 principals and assistant principals, representing 80% of the district’s campuses, expressed their confidence in Martinez, noting his capable and collaborative leadership.”
The last contract between CPS and CTU expired last summer. Martinez sent CPS families a letter with an update on the negotiations last Wednesday.
“Given that CPS faces a structural deficit for the foreseeable future, there is still work to do to ensure the final contract is affordable in the short and long term,” Martinez wrote.
CTU's latest proposal calls for hiring more than 5,000 new employees gradually over four years, at a total cost of $1.3 billion, Martinez said.
CPS has maintained its current proposal of a 4% raise for CTU members in the first year and 4-5% raises in the next three years, depending on inflation, Martinez said. CTU revised the proposed cost-of-living adjustments from 9% each year of the agreement to 6% in the first two years and 5% in the final two years.
