Chicago Board of Schooling assembly referred to as, employment of CPS CEO Pedro Martinez on the agenda

Chicago Public Colleges referred to as a particular board assembly Friday amid brewing rigidity over the faculties chief Pedro Martinez’s employment standing.

The assembly shall be held Dec. 20, at 11:00 a.m. at a Chicago Public Colleges administrative constructing on the South Aspect. The present seven-member board will vote on just some objects earlier than the physique expands to 21 members in January.

If the board had been to vote to fireside Martinez, it could occur in closed session. There’s a movement for a closed session on the agenda to debate the employment of CPS personnel, however it’s not clear if the board’s legal professionals will transfer to oust the district’s chief. Something can technically be mentioned in a closed session.

The particular assembly is the most recent replace in what has been a tense, monthslong energy wrestle between the Chicago Academics Union, Mayor Brandon Johnson and the district.

The ability wrestle started in late September when the mayor requested Martinez resign after the CPS CEO refused to take out a $300 million high-interest mortgage to cowl a brand new academics contract and a pension fee to the town. With the district going through deficits of round $500 million in every of the subsequent 5 years, Martinez refused, saying a mortgage could be fiscally irresponsible.

Then, at a gathering in mid-November, the board hired an outside law firm which authorized consultants mentioned was step one ahead in probably firing Martinez. These legal professionals offered Martinez a buy-out earlier than a gathering on Dec. 4, in keeping with sources near the conversations. Martinez declined the supply.

The board can terminate Martinez’s employment contract — expiring in June 2026 — in two methods: for trigger or with out trigger.

By firing Martinez “for trigger,” in keeping with the contract, the board must cite misconduct or prison exercise, incompetence within the efficiency of job duties, fraud or different wrongdoing. On this state of affairs, Martinez wouldn’t be eligible for severance pay, however he can pursue a wrongful termination lawsuit.

If the board fires Martinez “with out trigger,” Martinez can stay in his place for 180 days and can obtain 20 weeks of his base wage of $340,000 in 2022, in keeping with public data.

CPS to soak up 5 Acero colleges

In keeping with the agenda, the board’s first order of enterprise is a movement to elect Sean B. Harden as president, formalizing the business consultant’s appointment to the position by Johnson Monday. The transfer to swear in Harden comes after the previous board president, the Rev. Mitchell Ikenna Johnson, resigned in late October attributable to controversy surrounding his social media posts.

Mary Russell Gardner, the board’s vp, had been main conferences following the Rev. Johnson’s resignation. Harden, in his new position, will lead future board conferences and log off contracts and different paperwork on behalf of the board.

Members may even vote on a decision directing Martinez and Chief Portfolio Officer Alfonso Carmona to create an in depth plan to start working 5 of the seven Acero constitution colleges slated for closure on the finish of this faculty 12 months, as district-run colleges for 2026-2027.

Dad and mom, academics and college students have protested the closures for weeks since Acero management first introduced the information in October. The closures would have an effect on about 2,000 largely Latino college students and over 250 workers members.

Sandra Cisneros Elementary Faculty, Bartolomé de Las Casas Elementary Faculty, Carlos Fuentes Elementary, Rufino Tamayo Elementary and Esmeralda Santiago Elementary are the faculties the place the district is to imagine operations, in keeping with the decision included in assembly agenda supplies.

Octavio Paz Elementary in Little Village and the Ok-12 Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz in West Ridge — the 2 Acero areas that the board didn’t dictate be transitioned to district-run colleges — are a number of the largest contributors to the constitution community’s debt, Carmona mentioned at a current board assembly.

To maintain all seven colleges open subsequent faculty 12 months, the decision requires district management to satisfy with Acero “in a well timed style to make sure that the wanted steps are taken” in order that the constitution community continues to function the faculties by the tip of the 2025-2026 faculty 12 months. Acero management has not proven as much as current board conferences to debate the closures with the board, regardless of board requests for them to take action.

If the decision passes Friday, district workers shall be required to develop a memorandum of understanding with Acero — and canopy funding shortfalls that the constitution operator mentioned required the college closures.

CPS has not provided monetary help to 12 different constitution colleges which have voluntarily closed doorways since 2013, district officers have mentioned. However the board continues to be asking CPS to to imagine accountability.

“The Board and District will consider operational financial savings, different potential income, and Acero’s unspent reserves,” states the decision, which additionally implies that Acero’s diploma of cooperation will inform the board’s future determinations on the operator’s remaining colleges.

Concerning the 2 Acero areas that the board didn’t dictate be transitioned to district-run colleges, Octavio Paz Elementary and the Ok-12 Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, the decision requires district workers to guage the viability of their potential absorption by CPS sooner or later.

“Acero’s closure of Paz and Cruz should embrace the supply of any and all help and knowledge essential to ease the transition,” the decision states.

CPS leaders are additionally directed to supply help among the many 5 different colleges the place it’s to imagine operations in a manner that maximizes scholar and workers retention, in keeping with the board’s proposed order.