Chicago – September 27, 2024
Mayor Brandon Johnson asserted a mandate to “transform” Chicago Public Schools and expand school investments Wednesday when asked to explain his ongoing effort to push CPS CEO Pedro Martinez out of office.
The mayor carefully avoided criticizing Martinez directly when asked in an interview with the Tribune why he called on the school district leader to resign last week. But he professed a need for new direction in the Chicago public schools and said he was “elected to transform this school district.”
“That is exactly what I intend to do,” Johnson said. “We are moving in a different direction based upon what the people of Chicago want. They want me to invest in their children, invest in their communities, and that is exactly what we are doing.”
Johnson and Martinez had largely remained measured in public statements as tensions grew over Martinez’s refusal to close CPS’ budget gap by taking on loans. But both leaders are now more forcefully arguing for their schooling visions ahead of a Board of Education meeting Thursday where Martinez’s future could be determined.
Johnson’s interview with the Tribune was his first to focus on Martinez’s leadership since he privately called on Martinez to step down. But as he was asked questions about the tense situation, the mayor repeatedly shifted focus from Martinez to his own aspirations for broad investment in schools and school children.
Asked what about Martinez’s performance he takes issue with, Johnson called for more school libraries and librarians, “basic amenities” that too many children go without. The district needs manageable class sizes and “sustainable community schools” controlled by residents, he added.
“Those are my values, and I’ll stand by those values,” Johnson said. “Individuals and people who are aligned with the values of the people of Chicago, those are the people that we’re going to continue to work with to build a system that works for all of our children.”