|
CPS CEO claims CTU contract would cost $10 billion over four years
Thursday, Oct 17, 2024 - Posted by Rich Miller * Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez as quoted in the Tribune…
* Related…
* WTTW | Effort by City Council to Put CPS Board Members, CEO on the Hot Seat Fizzles: Ald. Angela Clay (46th Ward) pressed Martinez, who has led the district since 2021, on why he used those grant funds to cover the district’s ongoing operations while knowing that they would run out by 2025, leaving programs in jeopardy of being cut and employees at risk of layoffs. “We all knew this day would come,” Clay said. “What’s the plan?” Martinez did not directly answer Clay’s question, but spoke at length on the need for additional aid from the state and his commitment to investing in Chicago schools and students. * Chalkbeat Chicago | Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez asks City Council for additional $325 million in funding: Ald. Angela Clay asked Martinez how the district would cover costs next year, when it is expected to face another $500 million deficit, if the city bailed CPS out this year. Martinez said he hopes TIF districts will expire under Johnson, potentially freeing up more money for CPS. He added that he will ask for City Council “and the mayor’s help” to advocate for more state funding. * NBC 5 | CPS CEO Pedro Martinez appears at City Council hearing as budget battle continues: “We know we have at least 100 schools, between high schools and elementary schools, that are probably at least, you know, at least 100 that are under 200 students enrollment.” * Fox32 | Chicago City Council questions CPS CEO on budget crisis, tensions with Mayor Johnson: Some aldermen also question why CPS is keeping open schools that are virtually empty, including Douglass High School, which right now has only 39 students. Ald. Anthony Beale: “Walgreens is closing 1200 stores because those stores are either underperforming, and so they had to make a business decision that if they’re going to stay afloat, that they have to restructure.” CEO Martinez: “Yes, class sizes are very small. But again, for me, I would, I would ask, let’s change the conversation of what could be possible at Douglass High School to really attract children to go there.” * Block Club Chicago | CPS Boss Grilled By Frustrated Alderpeople After School Board Members Skip Special Hearing: Alderpeople did use the hearing to ask Martinez about CPS funding decisions, potential cuts, school closures and other issues. Ald. Anthony Beale (9th) questioned the school chief’s decision to continuing operating Douglass High School in Austin, which only has a few dozen students enrolled. Last year, the school was spending just over $68,000 per student compared to the district average of $18,287, according to Illinois State Board of Education statistics. Martinez on Wednesday defended keeping the school open, saying he supports further investments in schools like Douglass, not less, especially as many students in Austin currently leave their neighborhood to go to school. “We have to make the investments,” he said. “I would ask, let’s change the conversation of what could be possible at Douglass High School to really attract children to go there.” * Mayor Johnson’s chief of staff says school CEO and board kept 5th Floor in the dark: Was Pedro Martinez influencing – did he take he take over the board essentially? Cristina Pacione-Zayas: “I can’t say – again, I’m not privy to what his interaction was with the board.”
|
 |
|
|
|
|
- A.J. MacInerney - Thursday, Oct 17, 24 @ 8:54 am:
Since when is it a good idea for a CoS to give an interview admitting they are not serving their boss well?
And “not privy” - if your own appointees aren’t keeping you in the loop, that’s a “you” problem not a Pedro problem.
- Teve DeMotte - Thursday, Oct 17, 24 @ 9:18 am:
CPS enrollment has declined by 81,000 students over the past ten years. The CPS budget in 2018 was $5.6B with a headcount of approximately 36,500. The CPS budget is over $9B and a headcount of 45,000! Both CEO Martinez and the previous CPS CEO know the federal money was going to run out, this is not a secret. Adding an additional 9,000 employees no doubt was intended to mollify CTU. Now the chickens have come home to roost and low and behold we have a crisis. CTU contract demands given the CPS short term and long term fiscal situation is irresponsible.
- Precinct Captain - Thursday, Oct 17, 24 @ 9:18 am:
Credibility is not a strong suit for Martinez.
- City Zen - Thursday, Oct 17, 24 @ 9:41 am:
==why CPS is keeping open schools that are virtually empty, including Douglass High School, which right now has only 39 students==
According to newly released 20th day enrollment numbers, there are 28 students enrolled at Douglass High School. Freshman class has 5 kids total.
- Lincoln Lad - Thursday, Oct 17, 24 @ 9:44 am:
How many teachers and staff support a school with 28 students? This seems crazy.
- Principal Skinner - Thursday, Oct 17, 24 @ 9:54 am:
==How many teachers and staff support a school with 28 students? This seems crazy.==
There’s 7 teachers, and 11 staff.
- low level - Thursday, Oct 17, 24 @ 9:57 am:
Cristina Pacione-Zayas Interview was a disaster. She seems to think Johnson was elected to do some sort of revolutionary change. News flash : he was elected because he wasnt Paul Vallas. They successfully defined him as a Republican in a very Dem city. Congratulations to them for that, but they shouldnt read that as a mandate for what they are proposing.
- ChicagoBars - Thursday, Oct 17, 24 @ 9:58 am:
The CPS team had a pretty good powerpoint that included a chart on exactly that cost projection. Hopefully some intrepid reporters can request/FOIA it, lot of interesting data in it yesterday.
- TheInvisibleMan - Thursday, Oct 17, 24 @ 10:18 am:
We went through something similar in a suburb a few years ago.
Enrollment in our district has dropped by almost 25% in the past decade. The districts response was to remove this info from the district website, and to then build a new school.
There’s something about the mindset in educational administration that is stuck in an infinite growth model, and when reality shows up the common response seems to be to not just ignore it but attempt to take action to make it seem like reality is in fact not reality.
If we simply stop creating a crisis, we wouldn’t need to respond to a crisis.
Such is the human condition I suppose.
- Donnie Elgin - Thursday, Oct 17, 24 @ 10:25 am:
= CPS CEO claims CTU contract would cost $10 billion over four years=
A bargain compared to CTU estimates …
“We are asking you to give us an opportunity to tell our story. It will cost $50 billion, and three cent,” CTU President Stacy Davis Gates said Tuesday at the City Club of Chicago this week, setting the stage for upcoming negotiations with the city. “And so what? That’s audacity.”
- JoanP - Thursday, Oct 17, 24 @ 10:49 am:
= They successfully defined [Vallas] as a Republican in a very Dem city =
In fairness, he did a pretty good job of defining himself that way.
- Telly - Thursday, Oct 17, 24 @ 11:02 am:
There’s so much swirling around this right now, it’s easy to lose sight of the the fact that Brandon Johnson losing control of his own board is one of the biggest sheer political failures in Chicago mayoral history.
- Two Left Feet - Thursday, Oct 17, 24 @ 11:04 am:
The State can let CPS/City keep talking and watch that train wreck. Let’s see the City budget. The spring legislative session should be exciting. What is the exact level of state advocacy that they are looking for? Advocate all you want. The State will not send a billion to CPS next year. CPS is maxed out. It uses tax anticipation warrants to smooth out the real estate tax revenue. And it is at the statutory limit on conventional borrowing which is why they are talking about a high interest rate, payday loan.