In Chicago, Principal Jason Major is dedicated to shielding Dever Elementary from the turmoil happening within the school district. Despite the ongoing challenges, Mayor Brandon Johnson remains steadfast in supporting the decision made by his selected school board to dismiss Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez on December 20. Martinez has the option to continue his role for an additional six months.
“I am committed to a vision that is in harmony with the Board of Education and my administration, as we work towards revolutionizing the public school system in Chicago,” stated Johnson.
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Although Mayor Johnson’s vision aligns closely with CPS’s Five Year Plan, he has been reluctant to disclose the specific reasons behind his push for Martinez’s departure. The rift between them emerged when Martinez declined to secure a $300 million short-term high-interest loan to fund a new contract with the Chicago Teachers Union.
“Every single parent wants their child to go into a fully functional, high quality public education system,” is also Johnson would say.
The mayor repeated that statement several times when asked about the loan and how to pay for a new CTU contract during a one-on-one interview with ABC7 political reporter Craig Wall.
One costly item and a sticking point between CTU and CPS is the demand for an extra 30 minutes of teacher prep time. Currently, teachers get 60 minutes.
“That would be really challenging to figure out in a school I did the math, we would need four more teachers just to be able to cover that at this school, and that’s just my school,” Major said.
READ MORE: Salary, prep time sticking points in CPS, CTU contract talks
In addition, principals say more prep times means less time with students. Major hopes a compromise can be worked out. In the meantime, he was one of nearly 700 CPS principals and assistant principals who signed a letter urging the school board not to fire Martinez.
“We’ve had stability in the district, and a clear message that’s been consistent for years, and we just want to see that continue,” he said.
Tuesday afternoon, CTU gave an update on contract negotiations, claiming progress has come to a halt. The union blames Martinez for the delays.
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