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In Chicago, the whole school board just resigned. Nobody is saying why but apparently, they’re in a snit about the progressive ideas of Mayor Brandon Johnson. He denies “pressuring” them to remove CEO Pedro Martinez but rumors say otherwise. He wanted Martinez to “take out a short-term high-interest loan to pay for a new teachers contract and pension payments.” Martinez insisted Johnson pay for his own ups and extras. “If the board was forced out because they were unwilling to fire a CEO who was being fiscally responsible, that is extremely troubling,” Bill Conway laments. He’s Alderman of the 34th Ward.
Entire school board quits
All seven Chicago school board members have resigned, Mayor Brandon Johnson’s office announced on Friday, October 4. Each and every one of them had been hand picked by the Democrat mayor.
Their “mass resignation” reportedly “paves the way for the mayor the reappoint a board who will be willing to act on Johnson’s wish to oust CPS CEO Pedro Martinez.”
That’s a troubling thought to Chicago citizens all by itself. 2nd Ward Alderman Brain Hopkins insists that “school board members owe CPS families an explanation of why they are resigning, as there was no mention of it in a joint statement with the mayor.”
At their last board meeting Johnson asked Martinez to resign. He refused and the board refused to cancel his contract. The whole idea of electing a board of education apparently just went out the window.
As Hopkins relates, “for years, we’ve heard the far left of Chicago scream about elected school board, elected school board now they’re getting an elected school board, and yet they want to take it over in a last minute coup and appoint people. That’s wrong.”
Johnson’s office released a lengthy statement that says not much.
A transition plan
As noted by the official statement, “Mayor Brandon Johnson and members of the Chicago Board of Education are enacting a transition plan which includes all current members transitioning from service on the Board later this month.” With the balky school board out of the way the city can “shift to a hybrid elected and appointed Board.” Not yet, though. Johnson needs to lay “a strong foundation for the shift.”
That means hand selecting people to fire the trouble-making CEO. Then, hire someone who will follow orders and sign what they’re told to sign. Martinez is relying on his contract and “has no plans to step down.” A new board has to show “cause.” The old one wouldn’t.
Johnson declares it’s totally necessary to light some money on fire to fund the “new five-year strategic plan that emphasizes continued progress, investing in neighborhood schools and expanding the Sustainable Community School model in lieu of school closures.”
The board said close down the non-performing facilities, consolidate resources and teach kids to actually read instead of hiring drag queens for story hour and sex shop owners for show and tell.
If that’s the way the mayor wants his department of education to be run, that’s his prerogative. However, “none of the members leaving the current Board planned to continue onto the hybrid Board, and none are running for election.” Alderman Jason Ervin serves as City Council Budget Committee Chairman. He’s not worried.
“CPS has to make choices regarding its finances, and if that means they have to borrow resources to make that happen, or make adjustments and expenses to make that happen, that’s their decision.” His school board just decided that the reality is Mayor Johnson is dreaming and they don’t have the resources to make things happen just because they’re politically expedient.
