CPS, Chicago Teachers Union return to bargaining table
CHICAGO (CBS) — The Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Teachers Union were set to return to the bargaining table Tuesday evening.
At the same time, there are growing calls for CPS Chief Executive Officer Pedro Martinez to step down.
The bargaining session began at 5 p.m. at Daniel R. Cameron Magnet School of the Arts, 1234 N. Monticello Ave. The session was open to the public, but only with registration.
So far, Martinez has not commented on the odd circumstances of going into the negotiation after the CTU House of Delegate's vote of no confidence, and Mayor Brandon Johnson asking him to step down.
Earlier Tuesday, Mexican American leaders and CPS parents rallied outside of Pilsen's Benito Juarez High School, Martinez's alma mater, in the pouring rain.
They said Martinez has been unfairly targeted by Mayor Johnson and the CTU for opposing high-interest loans to support teacher raises.
"I can see the really good job he did," said CPS mom Nuri Ortega.
"He should not give in to the mayor," said CPS grandparent Lisa Hamidani.
Juan Rangel, chief executive officer of The Urban Center, also took issue with the Mayor's office.
"The rumors and innuendo coming out of the fifth floor to damage the reputation of Pedro is just wrong—plain wrong," he said.
The group says Martinez' Mexican heritage is important. According to CPS data from last September, Hispanic students make up about 47% of CPS enrollments.
Rangel said this year, it is more than 50%.
"It's not just because he's Mexican," Rangel said. "He has done a very good job in spite of the challenges of COVID and other things. He's done a very good job of moving the school district forward."
The CTU House of Delegates vote of no confidence in Martinez came "in light of his failures to urgently address the needs confronting the district and embark on the transformation of our schools."
Chalkbeat Chicago Senior Reporter Mila Koumpilova, who has been covering the bargaining sessions closely, explained that the session Tuesday night will likely be more "tense" given the backdrop with the CEO.
"The union has a slew of other proposals that the district has been unwilling to commit to citing the difficult financial position that it finds itself in so negotiations very much, and the lack of progress has led to this moment of tension and conflict," Koumpilova said, "and so it'll be interesting to see how they play out tonight at this latest public session."
Koumpilova said Martinez has not attended recent bargaining sessions like the one Tuesday.
Martinez' office has declined CBS News Chicago's multiple requests for comment, but sent a letter to parents Tuesday reiterating that there are currently no plans to close or consolidate schools—despite what he called "misinformation" to the contrary.
Martinez on Tuesday also penned an opinion piece in the Chicago Tribune stating, "I have chosen not to resign because doing so would risk creating a leadership vacuum and instability that could disrupt the strategic progress we've made to date."
Mayor Johnson asked Martinez to resign last week
Mayor Johnson asked Martinez to resign this past Friday. When the mayor asked him to resign, Martinez said no — and said he wanted to hear from the Chicago Board of Education.
Martinez has two years left on his contract, which was approved by the Chicago Board of Education after he was appointed in 2021.
The timing of Mayor Johnson calling for Martinez's resignation left many to question if the mayor is crossing the line. The Chicago Teachers Union is in the middle of contract negotiations, and the CTU is a huge supporter of Mayor Johnson, a former employee of the union.
Late Tuesday, the Chicago Public Schools said when the Board of Education said when it meets on Thursday, it has no plans at this time to take action on Martinez's contract, nor to secure any loan to support the Fiscal Year 2025 budget—which would require an amendment to the budget approved in July.
CPS said Martinez remains "focused on teaching and learning as we near the end of the first month of the school year for our more than 323,000 students."
"In the past week, there have been an unfortunate series of rumors aimed at discrediting CEO Martinez and his leadership team," CPS said. "References to school closures and co-locations is a tactic to provide more chaos and uncertainty, to steal precious time away from delivering a world-class education to our children."