CHICAGO (CBS) — The head of the Chicago Public Schools is on his way out, after the Chicago Board of Education voted on Friday to fire the school district’s CEO, Pedro Martinez.
Several members of the Chicago City Council have criticized Mayor Brandon Johnson’s move to force Martinez out, arguing it creates further instability at CPS both financially and politically.
The unanimous vote was the culmination of a months-long conflict, with Martinez on one side, and the mayor, the Chicago Teachers Union, and the mayor’s hand-picked school board on the other.
The decision to terminate Martinez without cause came after a 90-minute closed door session at a special school board meeting Friday night. The decision was unanimous from the board, but not from city leaders.
“Obviously, I’m disappointed by the board’s decision tonight. Leading the system that shaped me has been the opportunity of a lifetime,” Martinez said after being fired on the Friday after Christmas.