CTU president denies involvement in effort to oust CPS CEO

CHICAGO - The head of the powerful Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), Stacy Davis Gates, spoke out Monday night as tensions between Mayor Brandon Johnson and Chicago Public Schools (CPS) CEO Pedro Martinez continues to grow.

Martinez has allegedly refused the mayor's request to resign amid intense contract negotiations with the union.

CTU President Davis Gates denied any involvement in the mayor's apparent decision to let Martinez go, something Martinez is resisting as his contract requires a six-month notice for termination.

The CTU is widely regarded as one of the city's most powerful political organizations. Members have recently been active on social media, calling for Martinez to step down, aligning with Johnson's wishes. However, Davis Gates clarified that these opinions do not necessarily reflect her official stance.

When asked if she wanted the Board of Education to terminate Martinez, she responded:

"No, I want the Chicago Public Schools, I want the Chicago Board of Education, I want the CEO of Chicago Public Schools, I want the Mayor of Chicago to fully fund public schools."

Davis Gates accused Martinez of refusing to fill 1,200 employee vacancies in CPS and failing to find equitable funding solutions for the severely cash-strapped district.

CPS sources say a contract offer with raises between four and five percent is on the table, but Davis Gates has called for raises as high as nine percent, along with increased staffing.

Martinez has argued that such demands could bankrupt the system.

"Everything that our CEO is doing with respect to his negotiation and how closely connected it is to a budget is ridiculous," said Davis Gates. "As CEO, he can't just say, ‘I can’t afford your contract.' He has to say this is how we're going to afford school in the city of Chicago."

Davis Gates also claimed that Martinez wants to close or consolidate schools, though CPS sources countered that he has no such plans, saying the school board requested a contingency list of potential closures.

Last spring, Martinez joined CTU members in Springfield to advocate for an additional $1 billion in state funding. However, Gov. J.B. Pritzker and state lawmakers said those funds were not available.

Davis Gates pointed to Minnesota Governor-turned-Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz as a model for Gov. Pritzker to follow.

"He figured a lot of stuff out with this. He made sure that there was a social worker that was funded from the state. He figured out how to meet the needs of special education students, so these things can be done," said Davis Gates.