Governor JB Pritzker stays out of fray over Pedro Martinez as tensions between CPS, CTU keep rising
CHICAGO (WLS) -- As the tension between the Chicago Teachers Union and Chicago Public Schools over the future of CPS CEO Pedro Martinez reaches new heights, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker staying out of the fray.
"That is a personnel matter for the Board of Education and a decision I guess the mayor is making, not something I intend for the state to interfere with," he said.
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However, Pritzker did say it seems challenging to change out leaders in the middle of contract negotiations. Talks between CTU and CPS were moving along until Martinez and the school board rejected Mayor Brandon Johnson and the union's idea to secure a short-term high-interest loan to pay for a new teachers' contract and pension payments.
"Borrowing to pay for operating expenses in a business, in government is not a great idea unless you know how you are going to pay for it, it's going to come due," Pritzker said.
The loan, shifting CPS pension payments to the city, and false reports about school closings contributed to the mayor asking Martinez to resign, but former CPS CEO Arne Duncan said student achievement should be the priority and the measure of a leader's success.
Duncan is one of several people, including former CPS CEOs and elected officials, who signed a letter of support for Martinez. CPS said the district is one of the leading school systems in the nation that achieved learning gains post-COVID.
"If they weren't succeeding academically, I would say great, get rid of him," Duncan said. "When your things are going well, you want to keep that going, accelerate that progress and have stability."
Duncan called on cooler heads to prevail before student gains are reversed, but Johnson, the union and their supporters on the City Council are turning up the heat.
"Any alderman that's saying 'I want Pedro Martinez to stick around.' the question they need to be asked is 'how are you going to pay for the mess that he's created at CPS'" said 35th Ward Ald. Carlos Ramirez Rosa.
