'Deeply alarming': Critics blast Mayor Johnson for CPS mass resignations
CHICAGO - What started as tension between the mayor and Chicago Public Schools has developed into a full-blown crisis. All seven of his handpicked members of the board of education announced their resignation on Friday after declining to fire CPS CEO Pedro Martinez and amid contract negotiations with the powerful Chicago Teachers Union.
Sources tell Fox 32 Chicago the resignations are because several board members were agitated by a pressure campaign from the mayor's office to fire Martinez and to approve a high-interest short-term loan to help plug a budget gap and pay for a large new teachers union contract.
"I've never ever seen the type of dysfunction, disorganization as you are seeing right now today," 9th Ward Alderman Anthony Beale told Fox 32 Chicago.
One-time progressive ally, 40th Ward Alderman Andre Vasquez, posted that he is deeply concerned by the mayor's pressure campaign to fire Martinez.
"The fact that this pressure would lead to an entire board––all of which were appointed by the mayor––to resign is unprecedented and deeply alarming," Vasquez said in a statement on X.
The resignations were rumored all week. Today, a joint statement from the mayor and the board framed it as a "transition" to a new 21-member hybrid elected and appointed school board that comes into office in January.
"With the unprecedented increase in board membership, transitioning new members now will allow them time to orient and gain critical experience prior to welcoming additional elected and appointed members in 2025," the statement reads.
Social media posts from the CTU echo the mayor's messaging and blame the dysfunction squarely on Martinez.
"Today, the board of education and the mayor announced a transition in which the current board will step down. We thank this board for centering equity, initiating the Black Student Success plan, and moving away from a punitive school rating system," the statement read.
"Unfortunately, this news reflects the ongoing instability created by the district's CEO. While we finally have a mayor working to transform our schools, this CEO continues to say ‘no’ to progress."
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Mayoral critics like Beale fear the mayor will in the interim appoint seven members who will do his and the CTU's bidding—namely firing Martinez, approving a high-interest loan, and giving in to CTU's contract demands.
"I really believe that they're going to try and appoint a rubber-stamp board of his CTU colleagues and friends in order to give CTU everything they want before this board takes effect," Beale said.
Mayoral and CTU ally, 26th Ward Alderman Byron Sigcho Lopez, blames today's chaos on state lawmakers and Governor Pritzker for failing to provide $1 billion more in state money.
"I think it's concerning that the governor of the state of Illinois refuses to listen to many elected officials who have said they support a fully funded public school system in Chicago," Sigcho Lopez said.
In a statement to CPS parents and staff members, Martinez affirms he will plow forward amid the turmoil:
"We understand news that the seven-member Chicago board of education plans to resign later this month may concern our families and staff. CEO Martinez and his leadership team, principals, and staff remain focused on teaching and learning, continuing the great momentum we’ve seen in students’ academic gains and performance over the past two years," Martinez said.
Earlier this week, the mayor told reporters that leaders who were against his progressive agenda for Chicago Public Schools should get out of the way. Today, seven of his allies did just that.
CPS released the following statement in response to the board members' resignation:
"CPS CEO Pedro Martinez, on behalf of his leadership team, staff and students, extends his sincere gratitude to the members of the Chicago Board of Education for their service. School Board members are dedicated, civic-minded public servants who are not paid for their work. They each have spent countless hours volunteering their time, lending their considerable expertise and experience to support our system and our more than 325,000 students. School Board members review thousands of documents each year and spend additional time researching, asking questions, and offering input before voting on major decisions, including the District’s annual budget, and just last month, the District’s five-year strategic plan, ‘Success 2029: Together We Rise.’ These Board members in particular advocated for equity, emphasizing our collective responsibility to better serve all students but especially students with disabilities and those in neighborhoods that have been historically under-resourced and who remain furthest from opportunity. We extend special thanks to Board President Jianan Shi and Vice President Elizabeth Todd-Breland for their leadership. Vice President Todd-Breland is the only remaining Board member who has served through the COVID-19 pandemic and in the aftermath as the District worked to restore services and successfully lead academic recovery efforts.
We understand news that the seven-member Chicago Board of Education plans to resign later this month may concern our families and staff. CEO Martinez and his leadership team, principals and staff, remain focused on teaching and learning, continuing the great momentum we’ve seen in students’ academic gains and performance over the past two years."
More than half of the Chicago City Council released a statement Saturday afternoon in response to the mass resignation.
"This is unprecedented and brings further instability to our school district," the statement read.
"Taking out a $300 million, high-interest payday loan is not a smart decision when CPS is already facing a massive deficit and the city an almost $1 billion deficit," the statement continued.
Out of the 50-member council, 36 members signed the letter calling for a meeting before the end of the month and before any new appointments are made.