The times earlier than winter break offered no trip from the battle and drama engulfing Chicago Public Faculties.
On the Friday earlier than Christmas, the Chicago Board of Training voted to fireplace CPS CEO Pedro Martinez. However Martinez will keep on the job he’s held since 2021 till not less than June. Martinez has taken the college board to court docket to attempt to reverse his firing. As well as, a decide granted a brief restraining order on Christmas Eve that preserves Martinez’s powers as CEO — for now.
The strife between the college board, Martinez, and Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration has riveted the town. It’s additionally generated main uncertainty proper earlier than one other huge — albeit lengthy foreseen — shift for CPS: A brand new 21-person college board will take over in lower than two weeks.
On high of all that, the district and the Chicago Academics Union are engaged in high-stakes, more and more fraught negotiations over a brand new CTU contract.
So the place are issues headed for CPS? Right here’s what to observe for within the coming weeks.
Martinez continues as CPS CEO amid authorized battle
Earlier than the college board even notified Martinez of his firing, he sued the board and filed for a brief restraining order in an effort to protect his powers as CEO. In response, Prepare dinner County Circuit Court docket Decide Joel Chupack dominated the college board can’t intervene with Martinez’s position as CEO. Which means college board members can’t attend negotiations with the Chicago Academics Union with out his permission, which some did shortly after they fired Martinez.
The subsequent court docket date for Martinez’s lawsuit and the momentary restraining order is Jan. 9 on the Daley Middle. The court docket has not issued a ruling on different allegations that Martinez’s crew has made of their lawsuit, together with that the board allegedly didn’t obtain correct coaching earlier than transferring to fireplace Martinez. In response to CPS, board members are speculated to be educated on a slew of matters, comparable to ethics, the district’s price range, schooling principle, governance, and workers firings that require a board vote.
No matter how lengthy he has left as CEO, Martinez can be in cost because the district navigates a few of its most urgent challenges for the reason that begin of the COVID-19 pandemic. These embody balancing its price range and settling new labor contracts with each the Chicago Academics Union and the principals union.
New Chicago college board begins governing
Chicago’s new college board can be sworn in on Jan. 15. Ten of them have been elected and the remaining have been appointed by the mayor. It is going to be the primary college board in Chicago’s historical past with elected members, though Johnson should nonetheless appoint a ultimate board member.
As with Martinez, this board will instantly should deal with huge points like voting on labor contracts and determining methods to pay for them as a projected $500 million deficit looms. The board may also inherit a brand new five-year strategic plan, which requires extra kids to attend public faculties inside their neighborhoods.
The brand new college board can also be scheduled for district-led coaching the week of Jan. 6. A beforehand scheduled week of coaching classes in December for the brand new board acquired cancelled. By regulation, all college board members in Illinois should full coaching necessities associated to their duties.
CTU contract approval awaits new college board
The dangerous blood between Metropolis Corridor and Chicago Public Faculties management stems partly from souring contract negotiations between Chicago Public Faculties and the academics union, which is a detailed ally of the mayor’s.
The union and the district are nonetheless far aside on some key points, together with further prep time for elementary college academics. Although the college board has informed Martinez that he’s fired, he’s nonetheless in command of negotiations on the district’s aspect till June.
The brand new college board will seemingly additionally should approve the brand new contract. A few of its members are aligned with the union and Johnson. Others aren’t. Whereas the board might approve a brand new take care of CTU by means of a easy majority vote, a brand new contract will nearly definitely additionally require CPS to amend its price range — and the latter would require approval from two-thirds of the college board, based on state regulation.
Price range amendments additionally require a minimal 15-day interval of discover to the general public earlier than the board can vote.
That timeline makes it seemingly that the town’s new 21-person board would be the ultimate entity to log off on a brand new contract. Throughout earlier contract negotiations, the board has signed a deal and amended its price range to pay for the contract on the identical day. If a deal is struck within the coming days, it’s attainable the brand new board members might approve it at their first assembly on January 30.
Reema Amin is a reporter overlaying Chicago Public Faculties. Contact Reema at ramin@chalkbeat.org.