Chicago Public Schools head discusses concerns with test scores, student meals
CHICAGO (CBS) – He's been the CEO of Chicago Public Schools for just over a year.
Pedro Martinez sat down with CBS 2's Chris Tye to talk pandemic lessons, very low test scores and cafeteria food, an unexpected hot button topic.
When the reading and math test scores came in last year, it was a gut punch to teachers Martinez said.
Only 21% of CPS kids met or exceeded English standards. In math, the number was 16%.
In Black and brown communities, it's way worse.
Martinez said there is evidence this is a building year, and it starts with getting teachers to stay on the job and buy into improvement plans.
"They feel much better this year," Martinez said of teachers. "I think what still gives them some anxiety is the fact that we did see our results from last year and so they want to make sure that this year, we have better results.
Other cities around the country saw better results in the second half of last year, results, but Chicago didn't.
"My former state of Texas, as well as my former district in San Antonio [had a] strong recovery," he said. "They were set up that way. The politics were different if you remember. The schools had to be open and there were some benefits that happened last year."
Over the last several years, CPS has seen its student population plummet.
Tye: "There are now 80,000 fewer students in the district than there were a decade ago. Where are these kids going?"
Martinez: "We're seeing more students moving to the suburbs. We're also seeing lower birth rates. So we are seeing less children coming into the elementary schools and we are seeing more children moving out of the city."
Most that do still attend CPS use breakfast and lunch service. Food quality was the No. 1 topic CBS 2 viewers had for Martinez on our Facebook page, and that's been consistent with the feedback he's gotten in his first year.
Martinez: "One of the biggest, consistent complaints I've had is about our food and nutrition program."
Tye: "What are you doing about it?"
Martinez: "I want to make this commitment to families: We're going to get this right. We started adding some more suppliers this last year. We also did tasting events, So we did 40 different events over the summer. They're telling us what their opinions are and what I'm asking the department is, if students don't like those items, switch them out. Switch them out. Add more in."
And what was life like behind the scenes in those days of closing schools and remote learning?
Martinez: "My first six months on the job were probably some of the most challenging months I've had in a 20-year career in education. Struggling with COVID procedures, dealing with labor issues, the surges we saw, the challenges of staffing. By the time we got to the spring though, I felt like we finally settled."
