(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — On Tuesday, community members gathered to show their support for Chicago Public Schools (CPS) CEO Pedro Martinez. In an op-ed article published in the Chicago Tribune, Martinez confirmed the mayor asked him to step down, and that he declined.
Supporters of Martinez from Chicago's Mexican community held a rally outside Benito Juarez High School in the Pilsen neighborhood.
"Test scores are up, graduation rates are up. And what does Brandon Johnson want him to do? To cover the cost of an expensive contract for his benefactors, the Chicago Teachers Union," said Juan Rangel, CEO of The Urban Center.
"He wants him to take out a payday loan to pay for that contract, and if Pedro doesn't do it, he's going to get fired. That is just wrong. It's irresponsible."
Two dozen former CPS officials have sent a letter to the mayor supporting Martinez who is also receiving some support from some current CPS principals and members of the Chicago City Council.
Martinez said in his opinion piece, he is still opposed to what he calls "exorbitant, short-term borrowing" that Mayor Johnson has proposed.
The Chicago Teachers Union had accused Martinez of harboring a plan to close schools to help close a half billion dollar budget gap. That's something Martinez strongly denied last week.
While the mayor has asked Pedro Martinez to quit, it is only the Chicago Board of Education that can make him go.
In the opinion article published in the Chicago Tribune, the school district's chief says he's not going because it would be especially disruptive for the district to lose its CEO in the middle of contract negotiations.
On top of that, he notes Chicago soon will have its first partially elected school board, one that will face financial challenges and it's a financial dispute that fueled the conflict with the mayor.
A leading education activist in the state said they view the ongoing struggle between the mayor and Martinez as an omen.
Cassie Creswell, president of Illinois Families for Public Schools, said Mayor Johnson's effort to force out Martinez over budget issues and differences in their visions for the schools was surprising but understandable.
"I think it is a preview of years to come, when we transfer power over to a fully elected school board in Chicago. And you know, we're going to have two separate governance bodies that we have not had before in Chicago."
But she said no matter who is the CEO, the Chicago public schools are underfunded and it's because the state is not funding them adequately.
"Chicagoans should be calling on their state legislators and calling on the governor to say, 'why aren't we funding our public schools – it's really important public good – in a more equitable way?'"
Gov. Pritzker has said he wishes he could do more.
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