E4E-Chicago Statement on Firing of CPS CEO Pedro Martinez by Unelected School Board

Evan Stone, Co-Founder and CEO of Educators for Excellence issued the following statement in response to the Chicago Board of Education’s rushed decision to terminate CPS CEO Pedro Martinez during a last-minute session on the eve of winter break:

“This evening’s decision by the Chicago Board of Education is an alarming betrayal of the trust Chicagoans placed in our city’s leadership. Mayor Johnson ran on a promise to decentralize power and prioritize community voice. This secretive, last-minute vote — conducted just weeks before a more representative, hybrid school board takes office — is a blatant contradiction of that pledge.

“Rather than upholding the principles of transparency, accountability, and democratic decision-making, the Board’s actions tonight reflect shameless political maneuvering. Chicago’s students, families, and educators deserve decisions that are made in the light of day, with community voices at the forefront. Instead, they have been subjected to an opaque process that undermines confidence and destabilizes our schools.

“This move is not just disappointing — it’s a dangerous step backward. At a critical moment for the future of our schools, the Board’s actions have eroded the very trust our education system so desperately needs. Chicago’s education leaders should be modeling the values we want to instill in our students: fairness, integrity, and respect for community input. Tonight, they did the opposite.

“E4E-Chicago stands with the countless educators, parents, and students who are rightfully outraged by this decision.”

###

About Educators for Excellence

Founded by public school teachers, Educators for Excellence is a growing movement of more than 35,000 educators, united around a common set of values and principles for improving student learning and elevating the teaching profession. We work together to identify issues that impact our schools, create solutions to these challenges, and advocate for policies and programs that give all students access to a quality education. 

For more information, please visit e4e.org.