Entire Chicago Board of Education to resign amid dispute with mayor over CPS CEO's future
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The entire Chicago Board of Education is expected to resign later this month, amid a dispute with Mayor Brandon Johnson over the fate of Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez, Johnson's office and the board confirmed Friday afternoon.
In a joint statement, the mayor's office and the school board cited the upcoming shift from a board appointed entirely by the mayor to a partially elected board. Voters in November will choose 10 board members, while Johnson will appoint 10 others, as well as the board's president.
None of the seven current board members – board president Jianan Shi; and members Elizabeth Todd-Breland, Mariela Estrada, Mary Fahey Hughes, Rudy Lozano Jr., Michelle Morales and Tanya Woods; all of them appointed by Johnson last year – planned to continue serving on the hybrid board when it is seated in January.
"With the shift to a hybrid elected and appointed Board forthcoming, current Board members and Mayor Johnson understand that laying a strong foundation for the shift is necessary to serve the best interests of students and families in Chicago Public Schools," Johnson and the board said in a joint statement issued by the mayor's office. "With the unprecedented increase in Board membership, transitioning new members now will allow them time to orient and gain critical experience prior to welcoming additional elected and appointed members in 2025."
The move would allow Johnson to replace the board with new members who would fire Martinez, who refused the mayor's request to step down from his position last month.
Why does Johnson want Martinez to resign from CPS?
Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd) and other sources last month said Johnson asked for Martinez's resignation last month, amid contentious contract talks between CPS and the Chicago Teachers Union, but Martinez refused, saying he would wait to hear from the 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.
Jonson later denied asking Martinez to step down.
"I didn't ask anybody to do anything. I didn't ask anybody to do anything," Johnson said earlier this week. "The only thing that I'm requiring in this moment is leadership that's prepared to invest in our children, and the strategy is ultimately about what's best for our children."
Ultimately, the board makes the final call on firing its CEO, but it made no move to fire Martinez at its September meeting.
According to published reports, the current board had backed Martinez in a dispute with Johnson over the CPS budget and contract negotiations with the Chicago Teachers Union.
Martinez is opposing high-interest loans the mayor wants CPS to take out to support teacher raises being negotiated with the CTU, at a time when CPS is facing a $500 million deficit for the 2025 contract year. The board did not include the loan in the approved CPS budget for the 2024-25 school year.
According to WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times, while the current board backs Martinez' opposition to the loan, they have their own concerns about his performance as CPS chief executive officer.
This is a developing story.
