Sources: Mayor Johnson asks Chicago schools CEO Martinez to resign, Martinez says no
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Mayor Brandon Johnson asked for Chicago Public Schools Chief Executive Officer Pedro Martinez's resignation this week, but Martinez refused, Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd) and other sources said Friday.
Johnson asked for Martinez's resignation Thursday night, and Martinez said no, the alderman told CBS News Chicago on Friday. Martinez said he will wait to hear from the Board of Education, sources said.
"He asked him to resign, and CEO Martinez declined to resigned—so if they want to replace him, they will have to terminate him," Hopkins said, "and that could potentially get messy. He does have a contract."
Martinez has two years left on his contract, which was approved by the Chicago Board of Education after he was appointed in 2021.
Ultimately, the board makes the final call on firing its CEO—but the mayor's opinion casts a very long shadow.
The timing of Mayor Johnson calling for Martinez's resignation is leaving many—including Ald. Hopkins—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.
"He said he would not interfere in the collective bargaining process on behalf of the Chicago Teachers Union. He seems to be breaking that promise right now, and that's a cause for concern," Hopkins said. "This constitutes interference during an active negotiation period.
Late Friday, Martinez addressed the issue of CPS leadership in a letter to CPS families and staff Martinez indicated that he plans to continue serving as the head of CPS.
Dear CPS Families, Staff, and Supporters:
I hope that everyone has been enjoying the first four weeks of school and is settling into the routine of the new year.
I want to reach out to you in light of recent news articles about the future of our District's leadership. You should know that me and my leadership team are 100 percent focused on building on the positive momentum of the new school year and implementing the District's new five-year strategic plan that was developed in partnership with our communities and approved unanimously Wednesday by the Board of Education.
We're honored and excited to continue working together with our school leaders, educators, and parents to put the needs of our students first and build on our nationally-recognized post-pandemic academic growth of the past two school years. Our top priority has always been investing in our schools and students while ensuring long-term stability for the system. That means being true to our new school funding model which will promote more equity, and being consistent in our pledge not to close or consolidate any schools. There are also no plans to co-locate schools except for the Velma Thomas Early Childhood Center due to a lease expiration.
Our students have clearly benefited from the increased stability in our school system. We are confident that our work to date has set the foundation for more success and will increase access to opportunities for all students. We will continue to lead with integrity and transparency in service of our students.
In a statement earlier Friday afternoon, the Mayor's office did not address the issue directly.
"We do not comment publicly on personnel matters. What we can say is that Mayor Johnson has a clear vision for public education that includes fully funded schools, access to the arts, athletics and special education resources, and a nurse and social worker in every building.
"We are committed to providing families a school district that gives every Chicagoan a world-class public school in their community."
Mayor Johnson and CEO Martinez were both asked to take the stage Friday night at the Chicago City Council Latino Caucus Foundation in Bridgeport. Neither ended up attending the event.
"Maybe he didn't want to face the media with questions you guys would pose," Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th) said at the event.
Villegas also said the optics of the mayor asking Martinez to resign now are not good.
"Especially during Hispanic Heritage Month—where you would take the president of CPS, who happens to be a Latino, and talk about replacing him, when the children, the parents, and quite frankly, the principals, the staff are all excited about the trajectory that CPS is going in right now," he said.
CBS News Chicago contacted other members of the City Council Friday with their reaction to the development. Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd) said he absolutely supports Martinez, and a spokesperson said Ald. Matt O'Shea (19th) also supports the CEO. Other alderpeople did not immediately have a comment.
Martinez was selected by former Mayor Lori Lightfoot, and ran the district through much of the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Reports have been floating around for weeks that Mayor Johnson wanted to oust Martinez. The mayor and Martinez have had a contentious relationship for months.
Independent experts have said this is all about leverage as high-stakes teacher contracts are being hammered out.
In an op-ed in the Chicago Tribune last month, CTU President Stacy Davis Gates—Mayor Johnson's old boss—wrote: "In the corporate world, a CEO is charged with the financial health of the company. CPS CEO Pedro Martinez saw the fiscal cliff that the end of federal COVID-19 relief funds signified and sat on his hands as he drove the district over the edge."
Martinez has most recently been targeted by the union over his unwillingness to support high-interest loans to support teacher raises, as the CTU works on a new contract.
The mayor could now ask the school board to take up a vote to terminate Martinez, but there is no indication if that will take place.