Outgoing Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez expressed optimism for the district’s future Monday, taking a metaphorical victory lap to recognize his administration’s achievements despite a tenure marked by political tumult.
“If we continue to work together and continue to go in the same direction, there is no limit to what our children can do,” Martinez told attendees at the City Club of Chicago.
Martinez’s remarks come just two days before his last day as schools chief after his firing in December. Proud of his heritage and ties to the city, Martinez has been open about the joys and struggles of leading the nation’s fourth-largest school district.
“This is my hometown, and for me, everybody, it has truly been a privilege to be your CEO,” Martinez said Monday. “There is nothing, nothing more important to me than the success of our children, and I feel blessed. Blessed to have had this opportunity.”
At a school board meeting last month, Martinez delivered a teary address to district officials. But Monday’s event took on a more hopeful tone, as he emphasized rising student success and a vision of leadership rooted in empathy and transparency. More than once, Martinez was met with applause.
City Club luncheon attendees were met with a flyer on their seats boasting improvements in the district under Martinez’s leadership. Among them: a 298% increase in students earning an associate’s degree since 2023, a 15% increase in the number of CPS teachers since 2019, and $1.4 billion invested in schools since 2022.
“I am very proud that our students today are in a much better place in multiple areas, by the way, multiple points of evidence, than they were when I was coming into the district,” Martinez said.
The top district official made waves over his protracted clash with Mayor Brandon Johnson, a former educator and organizer backed by the Chicago Teachers Union. Johnson criticized Martinez for refusing to take out a $300 million loan to cover CTU’s new, four-year contract and a pension payment to the district’s non-union employees.
Despite pressure from Johnson, the mayoral-appointed Chicago Board of Education declined to fire Martinez, leading all seven members to resign in October. Johnson then reappointed each position, paving the way for the new board to finally oust Martinez in late December.
After his termination, Martinez sued the board, claiming that members “manufactured” a cause to justify his removal. The bitter legal battle escalated last week when Martinez filed a defamation claim against CTU, union President Stacy Davis Gates and board President Sean Harden.
Martinez didn’t shy away from addressing the district’s mounting pressures. CPS is facing a staggering $529 million budget deficit heading into the new fiscal year, which begins July 1, and has floated delaying some measures in CTU’s new contract to balance the budget. In response, the union threatened to sue.
The outgoing schools leader said he understands that the system isn’t perfect — but he maintains that it’s on an upward trajectory.
“I’m a product of the system,” Martinez said, repeating a sentiment he expressed in an interview with the Tribune last week. “For somebody to insinuate that I don’t get it, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
The answer to the district’s budgetary challenges, though, is not “irresponsible borrowing” or short-term fixes, Martinez said. He’s been a strong advocate for using tax increment financing as a means to shore up CPS’ budget.
Martinez added that he looks forward to when the 21-member board is fully elected in 2027, which he hopes will drive greater collaboration and transcend political alliances.
“Get through the drama … our financial model, the budget model, it is there for a reason,” he said.
After months of making drama-laden headlines, Martinez stressed the importance of transparency. The inner workings of the district are “messy,” he said — with competing stakeholders and complex bureaucratic issues — and he wants families to understand those challenges.
Despite their adversarial relationship, he credited union head Davis Gates for pushing to livestream CTU’s contract negotiations. “(Davis Gates) said, ‘Hey, I want to do things a little different. Let’s put it all in public.’ And I said, ‘Hallelujah, let’s do it,” Martinez said. “Because the only way that people can understand the complexities is you have to see it.”
In July, Martinez is set to take on a new post as the commissioner of elementary and secondary education in Massachusetts. Last week, the school board picked city employee Macquline King to serve as interim schools chief while the search for a permanent leader continues.
As Martinez reflected on his legacy, his tone was tinged with hope for his hometown and the district where he dedicated four years of his career.
“I have nothing but optimism and hope for our city,” he said.
