Deadline Approaching for Removal of Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez as Teachers’ Union Urges Contract by Christmas

CHICAGO (WLS) — The last Chicago School Board meeting scheduled for the year is Thursday night. And, despite reports he could lose his job, the embattled Chicago Public Schools CEO still has it.

The Chicago Teachers Union is pressing for a new contract before President-Elect Donald Trump takes office, but time is running out with the makeup of the school board soon changing.

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CTU members marched in the cold and turned up the heat, citing the incoming Trump administration and its threats of mass deportation as reason to come to a contract agreement.

“Our contract enshrines critical protections that make our schools safe havens,” CTU Financial Secretary Maria Moreno said.

CPS students are about halfway through the school year, and Pedro Martinez remains the district’s CEO, despite chaotic efforts by Mayor Brandon Johnson, the Chicago Teacher’s Union and their allies to get rid of him over his handling of negotiations.

“Our bargaining teams are now meeting daily, and I’m glad to report that progress is being made on several issues,” Martinez said.

But, time is running out for Mayor Johnson’s handpicked new school board to take action against Martinez. The hybrid elected school board takes over mid-January.

“I’m not a school board member. I’m not an attorney; I’m an advocate for our Chicago Public Schools, and I believe that it’s high time for Pedro Martinez to leave,” 35th Ward Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa said.

School board members have yet to find cause to fire Martinez, and he declined their buyout offer last week.

Alderman Gilbert Villegas of the 36th Ward, a Martinez ally, is now going on offense, asking the state’s board of education and attorney general in a letter to investigate CTU and the board for allegedly engaging in contract talks without Martinez, a violation of state labor laws.

“The whole chaos has been manufactured by the Chicago Teacher’s Union because they have their mayor in place,” 36th Ward Ald. Gil Villegas said. “CTU is always looking for a boogeyman. CPS Pedro Martinez was the first boogeyman. Now, President-Elect Trump is the new boogeyman.”

The mayor appointed new members in October after the old school board resigned because it refused to fire Martinez. The CEO said the mayor asked him to resign after he and the old board would not secure a high-interest, short-term $300 million loan to pay for a new teachers contract and pension payments.

Johnson and CTU ally Ramirez-Rosa are holding out hope the current board will take action soon.

“I hope they do what’s in the best interest of our schools and ultimately find new leadership,” Ramirez-Rosa said.

Meantime, CTU is pushing Martinez for a new contract deal by Christmas.

The school board sent a letter to Martinez asking for the same thing.

“The fact that they want to get this done by Christmas means the board is going to give them the North Pole, and taxpayers are going to get stocking full of coal,” Villegas said. “What’s been reported is CTU is having communications directly with CPS board members about the contract, which is in clear violation of the Illinois Education Labor Relations Act.”

Villegas is asking for an investigation into what he says are close ties between the school board and CTU.

“The school board has open meetings, like today, where you can communicate with them,” CTU VP Jackson Potter said. “I’m not aware of any improper communication by us or by anyone for that matter.”

CPS said it doubts a contract can be done by Christmas.

Meantime, under the new hybrid board, the mayor gets to appoint 11 school board members.

He has until Monday to name them.

CTU is also calling for action to prevent the closure of seven Acero charter schools. Thursday night, CPS officials and the board discussed a range of options, including covering part of Acero’s deficit to keep some the schools open.