In a unanimous vote, the seven-member Chicago Board of Education voted Thursday to ban school closures through 2027.
The vote concluded — at least for now — an increasingly turbulent month in which the district was accused of a clandestine plot to close schools and the fate of superintendent Pedro Martinez’s job was constantly in question .
In an op-ed published Wednesday in the Tribune, Martinez defended his position after constant speculation that Mayor Brandon Johnson would fire him. Tensions and rumors kicked into high gear this week following reports that anonymous sources told the media that the mayor had asked Martinez to resign.
However, as of Thursday, Martinez’s role as CEO was not a topic of discussion or on the board’s official agenda. What it was: The possibility that a number of schools were on a list to potentially be closed or consolidated. This angered the Chicago Teachers Union, which campaigned against the prospect.
During his remarks Thursday evening, Martinez addressed the “misinformation campaign” he said was waged against him regarding school closures, reiterating that the district had no intention of closing schools. He also discussed his role in drafting a resolution extending the moratorium on school closures until January 2027. However, Martinez did not address speculation that he would soon be ousted.
“There’s just no truth to it,” Martinez said during the meeting. “To end this problem once and for all, I am asking the Board of Trustees to pass the resolution today, making it clear that CPS will not close or consolidate any school until the fully elected school board is in place in January 2027.”
CTU Vice President Jackson Potter took to the podium at Thursday’s board meeting, calling on Martinez to amend his resolution on school closures, saying it currently does not fully protect schools because it does not prohibit shared accommodation, in which schools share facilities. without any change to school programming.
“We are debating school closures, staff reductions, rather than implementing a transformation plan or prosecuting the banks for their corruption and deceit,” Potter said. “We go through stages of grief. We have been traumatized by the closing lists given to us by mistake in the past, then they pretend to be theoretical and become a harsh reality. We are reminded that the same procedures for shared accommodations do not apply as for closures and consolidations, as neither the law nor the resolution you are considering adopting this evening would prohibit this form of school action. This is why we have amended your resolution,” he said.
At the opening of Thursday’s meeting, Education Council Chairman Jianan Shi also insisted that there were no plans to close schools, directly addressing “noise in the media” about the PSC and the Council.
In an article on high-interest rate that the mayor asked the district to take on would not be on the board’s agenda. The district quickly reissued a statement, speaking only on behalf of district officials, not board members.
At Thursday’s meeting, Shi said the board does not “publicly discuss confidential or personnel matters,” confirming that Martinez’s employment status would not be discussed.
“We want to take a moment to reinforce the values and vision that guides this work as board members,” Shi told the audience gathered at the Roberto Clemente Community Academy in West Town. “When this board was appointed by Mayor Johnson, we committed to working with our schools and communities to transform CPS into a fully resourced, fair and equitable school system.”
Before the meeting, at a news conference outside the school, activist and school board candidate Aaron “Jitu” Brown spoke about rumors of school closures to a gathered crowd of school board members. CTU and the press. Brown is vying for a seat in the 5th District, which includes, among other places, Austin’s West Side neighborhoods, Garfield Park and Lawndale.
Two display boards had been assembled featuring a printout of the analysis of potential co-locations and school clusters generated by CPS. As she stood in front of this list – the flashpoint for accusations of planned school closures – the assembled crowd chanted: “No school closures! »
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