All members of the Chicago Board of Education will resign from their positions by the end of the month, according to a joint statement released Thursday afternoon by the Mayor’s office and the existing school board.
“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,” read the statement.
“None of the members leaving the current Board planned to continue onto the hybrid Board, and none are running for election.”
Johnson’s vision for Chicago Public Schools
The shocking development comes just weeks after Mayor Brandon Johnson asked for the resignation of Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez, a request which Martinez denied, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
Johnson and Martinez reportedly failed to agree on an approach to financing a new teachers’ contract and supplementing the district’s projected $500 million budget gap for next school year.
Following his refusal to resign, Martinez’s future with Chicago Public Schools lay in the hands of the CPS Board. According to reports, the board refused to fire Martinez, instead instituting an agreement that would stave off school closures until 2027.
Now, however, with the impending resignation of all board members, Johnson will have the opportunity to appoint new members who will back his plans. According to the Sun-Times, Johnson is seeking the removal of Martinez as CPS CEO and is pushing for a loan to cover a new Chicago Teachers Union contract and city pension settlement.
Previous reports speculated Martinez was considering school closures as a means of settling contract negotiations and dealing with the impending budget shortfall, a move to which Johnson is adamantly opposed. Martinez, however, denied that school closures were being considered in a statement released to CPS families.
A mutual agreement between school board and mayor’s office
The departure of the CPS Board reportedly came as a mutual agreement between all parties.
The Sun-Times reported that board members were frustrated by the Mayor’s demands, and Johnson has sought to shift the board’s goals to better align with his vision for the school district.
The decision is likely to spur further turmoil for the embattled CPS, as well as city and state leaders. Gov. J.B. Pritzker cast doubt on the necessity of school board resignations earlier this week, according to the Sun-Times.
Johnson to appoint seven new board members Monday
Mayor Johnson will appoint seven new members to the Board of Education on Monday at Sweet Holy Spirit Church on the Southside.