CEO Pedro Martinez declines Chicago Public Schools Board of Education contract buyout offer, sources say

CHICAGO (WLS) — The Chicago Public Schools Board of Education offered CEO Pedro Martinez a contract buyout.

However, sources tell ABC7 Chicago that Martinez declined the offer.

READ ALSO | Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez speaks out after school board shakeup

“Pedro Martinez plans to fulfill his agreement with the Chicago Public Schools and ensure that the 325,305 students and families receive the advantages they negotiated with him,” stated Martinez’s legal representative, Bill Quinlan.

As they gathered for a monthly agenda review board meeting, Martinez took his seat next to school board members who are trying to push him out Wednesday.

According to Martinez’s contract, the school board must find cause to fire Martinez.

If not, it could lead to an expensive lawsuit.

Six months ago, Mayor Brandon Johnson asked Martinez to resign, after the CEO refused to take out a $300 million short-term high-interest loan to pay for a new teachers contract and pension payments.

“We asked you, the board, to play a more active role in our negotiations because the CEO is supposed to be bargaining on the behalf of the board, and he is doing the opposite,” Chicago Teachers Union financial secretary Maria Moreno said.

Speaking during the meeting’s public comment period Wednesday, Moreno blamed Martinez for dragging his feet to get a deal done. CTU is anxious to resolve the labor dispute before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. The union originally sent CPS over 700 contract demands, including a 9% raise.

“CPS still doesn’t know how to negotiate with its workers. We want to settle via negotiation, and we have provided a pathway to settlement,” Moreno said.

Part of the pathway is backing off on the 9%. CTU is now offering 6% for years one and two and 5% for the last two years. CPS has proposed 4% for year one and 5% for the remainder of the contract.

The board is not expecting to take any action Wednesday regarding Martinez’s contract.

This week, nearly 700 CPS principals sent a letter to school board members, urging them not to replace the district’s current senior staff.

In October, Martinez spoke to ABC7, responding to criticism that he has no CPS funding plan, and is relying on proposed cuts.

He was also asked if he thought the mayor’s picks for a new school board could end up firing him.

“I don’t know. I really don’t. I’m being sincere,” Martinez said. “I will say what’s great right now is that, you know, it’s very transparent what my contract says.”

The previous school board was not willing to fire Martinez or secure the short-term, high-interest loan to help pay for a new teachers contract, which led to a mass resignation in October.

“I did not expect for this to escalate to the way it did,” Martinez said.

Copyright © 2024 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You May Also Like
Doctors told me my unborn baby wouldn't survive unless I terminated his twin... but I refused

Doctors said my baby wouldn’t survive unless I ended his twin – I didn’t listen

Abigail Whitlock experienced a heartbreaking turn of events during her much-anticipated pregnancy…
Trump claims Zelensky agreed to 'ceasefire' in Ukraine during meeting at Notre-Dame where he called one world leader a 'real live wire'

Trump asserts that during a meeting at Notre-Dame, Zelensky agreed to a ‘ceasefire’ in Ukraine, while describing another world leader as a ‘live wire’.

According to President-elect Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky desires to establish…
Can Trump end birthright citizenship? The 14th amendment upheld in the US constitution since 1868

Will Trump be able to abolish birthright citizenship? The 14th amendment has been safeguarded in the US constitution since 1868.

Donald Trump wants to get rid of 14th Amendment birthright protections as…
Missing mom who worked at Walmart discovered dead inside hammock in Alabama forest... two months after she disappeared

Mother who was employed at Walmart found deceased in a hammock in a forest in Alabama after vanishing for two months

An Ohio mother was found dead inside a hammock after vanishing two months…
America's best-run companies revealed as tech giant toppled from first place… is your employer on the list

Top-performing companies in America ranked, with a tech giant losing the top spot – Is your employer included?

In the US this year, technology companies stood out as some of…
Trump Names Fierce Attorney Who Defended Him in Multiple Cases As 'Counselor to the President'

Attorney Who Defended Trump in Multiple Cases Appointed as ‘Counselor to the President’

She fully understands the “Weaponization of the ‘Injustice’ System,” the Trump-Vance transition…
Former Chicago White Sox star Dick Allen elected to Baseball Hall of Fame

Dick Allen, a former star player for the Chicago White Sox, has been chosen to join the Baseball Hall of Fame.

DALLAS — After patiently awaiting recognition from Cooperstown for almost 30 years,…
Tom Selleck Says He Wants To Work With ‘Yellowstone’ Creator On Next Project After ‘Blue Bloods’

Tom Selleck expresses interest in collaborating with ‘Yellowstone’ creator on upcoming project following ‘Blue Bloods’.

Tom Selleck has no intention of slowing down anytime soon. At 79…
UnitedHealthcare CEO killed: A timeline of events that led up to the fatal shooting of Brian Thompson outside Midtown Hilton hotel

Timeline of events leading to the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO, Brian Thompson, outside Midtown Hilton hotel

The CEO of UnitedHealthcare was killed by a gunman in a targeted…
Where is Austin Tice? Missing Houston native may still be alive 12 years after being captured by Syrian forces, family says

The whereabouts of Austin Tice remain unknown. Family believes Houston native, who was taken by Syrian forces 12 years ago, could still be alive.

HOUSTON, Texas — The family of Austin Tice, a Marine veteran and…
To Protect His Wife, Canada Man Takes on Apex Predator and Lives to Tell the Tale

Canadian Man Defeats Apex Predator to Save his Wife and Survives to Share the Story

What wouldn’t a real man do to protect his family? In a…
'Polarization' is Merriam-Webster's 2024 word of the year; editor at large Peter Sokolowski talks US election, Rachael Gunn

Merriam-Webster’s 2024 word of the year is ‘Polarization’; Peter Sokolowski, the senior editor, discusses its impact on the US election and Rachael Gunn.

The aftermath of the 2024 U.S. presidential election shook the nation and…