Martinez

Entire School Board Quits in DISGUST!

Pedro Martinez appears to be the last hope for financial sanity in Chicago Public Schools. The entire school board quit in disgust. Nobody was there to grill about the fiasco Wednesday evening at a special hearing. Not a single board member showed. Nobody from the outgoing set and nobody from the replacements. That made the CEO of CPS star of the show. He testified at great length “about the district’s budget challenges.” He still refuses to let the rabidly Democrat mayor strong arm him into fiscal suicide.

Martinez goes it alone

CEO Pedro Martinez heard a lot of praise for his stance at the special Chicago Public Schools hearing on Wednesday, October 16. He took a whole bunch of questions, too. He was grilled like a steak.

The meeting of the city’s education committee “took place amid an ongoing political standoff.” Mayor Brandon Johnson is behaving like the progressive Democrat he is.

Martinez went public with his concerns in an editorial published by the Tribune last month. In it, he detailed how “Johnson asked him to resign due to numerous disagreements between the mayor’s administration and CPS leadership.” There was one point in particular. “A focal point of that tension has been Martinez’s refusal to take out a $300 million high-interest loan.

That “would put the district in such financial distress that actually it would put even more pressure on the city. And frankly, and I will say this, in my opinion, give an excuse to the state to continue to not fulfill their responsibility” to put up more funding for Chicago schools.

Hizzoner insists that it’s needed “to cover pension payments for non-teaching staff and upcoming contract costs.” He only says that because he doesn’t want it coming out of his own city budget. The “back-and-forth came to a head” on October 4. That’s when “the entire seven-member school board” quit and walked out the door.

Six of them had been hand picked and appointed by the mayor. They did it so Martinez wouldn’t get fired. “The school board has the final authority to fire the school district’s chief executive.” Rumors say the mayor was “pressuring” them to do exactly that.

Pedro Martinez is the last hope for financial sanity in Chicago Public Schools.

Next steps for CPS

The lawmakers in Chicago are called Aldermen. 41 of the 50 they have signed “a letter calling for a hearing to question incoming and outgoing board members about the resignations and next steps for CPS.” While the purpose was to grill board members, it didn’t happen. It actually didn’t happen twice, which is even more embarrassing to the mayor.

That meeting was originally scheduled for last week, but was canceled when it became clear no board members would come.” As a fallback, aldermen “then invited board members to attend the education committee hearing on Wednesday — but only Martinez was present.

Alderman Jeanette Taylor began the meeting by pointing out that “CPS board members past and present were invited. They declined to come to the meeting. Some in fear of being able to continue to do the work in their different perspectives.

The incoming members have a much better excuse. “The new board said to me that they were just not prepared and I understand that.” Martinez was prepared. He had no trouble helping fill the time once the meeting got into full swing.

Before they abandoned ship, the outgoing board fully approved a 2025 school system budget. They also “closed a $505 million deficit” and turned in a budget that was balanced. It, however, “did not include a $175 million pension payment for non-teaching staff.” If the Mayor wants frivolous spending, let him fund it. That leaves Johnson’s city budget in a hole. “That $175 million makes up the majority of the city’s remaining 2024 budget gap of $223 million, officials have said.

Martinez “requested $462 million in tax increment finance funding from the Johnson administration in late April to cover the pension payment and contract costs. That initial $462 million ask has now increased to $484 million due to expected costs tied to the upcoming teachers contract.” Johnson said no. The mayor “told him to instead look at taking out a loan beyond $160 million the city could offer — something Martinez has since refused to do.

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