Why CPS Needs CEO Pedro Martinez
A Crisis of Leadership
Chicago, and especially the families whose children attend public schools, deserve far better than the destructive soap opera now playing out among adults in charge of this city’s school system. We predicted last month that Mayor Brandon Johnson’s push to oust Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez could get messier, and it has. It’s a terrible look, at a crucial time for CPS, which is just months away from a sweeping transition to an elected school board.
The Dangers of Instability
But if there’s one thing that can be counted on with Johnson, it’s this: If there’s a rake for him and his administration to step on, they’ll find it, whether it’s regarding schools, police and ShotSpotter, public transit leadership, City Hall staff shakeups or something else. The self-inflicted missteps keep coming, and that’s a bad sign for a city that sorely needs sensible leadership.
Ousting Martinez: A Recipe for Disaster
Now the drama over Martinez threatens to throw CPS further into unnecessary turmoil, unless the School Board stands firm against Johnson and the Chicago Teachers Union’s desire to oust him. Public upheaval won’t help the Johnson administration one iota with its risky, ill-conceived plan to pressure Gov. JB Pritzker and state lawmakers to hand CPS a bailout to offset its massive deficit ($505 million this year, $700 million next year).
A Leadership Vacuum
Ousting Martinez, as he rightly points out in a Chicago Tribune op-ed explaining why he refused the mayor’s request to step down, “would risk creating a leadership vacuum and instability that could disrupt the strategic progress we’ve made to date.” Any change at the top would have “a domino effect of change among key positions.” Top deputies often leave when their boss departs, which means more jobs to fill besides CEO.
A Strong Leader for a Critical Time
Martinez has a host of civic leaders backing him. On Tuesday, the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club and the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce issued a joint statement supporting Martinez and urging the board not to fire him. A similar letter was signed by other elected and civic leaders, as Politico Illinois Playbook reports, including alderpersons; business leaders; two former CPS CEOs, Janice Jackson and Arne Duncan; and several Latino leaders, including Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza and Chicago City Clerk Anna Valencia.
A Product of CPS
The letter praised Martinez as a product of CPS who “has driven gains in both student achievement and staff morale,” and pulled no punches, urging the board to “stand its ground against the unprecedented demands of the Chicago Teachers Union to fire him.”
A Cautionary Tale
CPS and other school districts have yet to receive the full amount of funding called for in the evidence-based funding formula lawmakers approved in 2017. It’s slow going, given the state’s own fiscal issues. But forcing a fiscal crisis in CPS could easily “backfire spectacularly,” as Spielman writes in her analysis. Ultimately, who will pay the price if the worst happens? Families and students, in a district that could go bankrupt.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Pedro Martinez is the right leader for CPS at this critical time. His departure would create a leadership vacuum and instability, which could have disastrous consequences for the district. The School Board should stand firm against Johnson and the CTU’s demands to oust him and allow Martinez to continue leading the district towards a brighter future.
FAQs
Q: Why is Mayor Brandon Johnson pushing to oust CEO Pedro Martinez?
A: Mayor Johnson claims that Martinez is not doing a good job and that a change is needed.
Q: What are the consequences of ousting Martinez?
A: Ousting Martinez would create a leadership vacuum and instability, which could have disastrous consequences for the district, including a domino effect of change among key positions and potentially leading to a fiscal crisis.
Q: Who is backing Pedro Martinez?
A: Martinez has a host of civic leaders backing him, including the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club and the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, as well as business leaders, former CPS CEOs, and several Latino leaders.
Q: What is the evidence-based funding formula, and why is it important?
A: The evidence-based funding formula is a formula approved by lawmakers in 2017 to allocate funding to school districts. It is important because it ensures that school districts receive a fair and equitable amount of funding based on their needs.
