Education

CPS CEO Pedro Martinez Tapped to Become Next Massachusetts State Education Commissioner

Outgoing Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez is set to become the next Massachusetts school board commissioner after a state board approved his nomination Tuesday.

The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted 9-0, with two additional abstentions, in favor of selecting the embattled CPS chief from a pool of three finalists to become the state’s next Department of Elementary and Secondary Education commissioner.

“This moment, this state, this agency needs bold, proven leadership where there’s a balanced exemplification of a willingness to partner meaningfully, to confront tough challenges, to think outside of the box, to demonstrate humility at times when the situation calls for it, and an unapologetic nature at other times when the situation calls for it,” Massachusetts Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler said during the meeting. “In my humble view, this is Pedro Martinez.”

Martinez’s name will now be submitted to Tutwiler for final approval. Other finalists for the position included Michigan Educator Workforce Initiative Founder and CEO Jack Elsey and former Texas Education Agency Deputy Commissioner of School Programs Lily Laux.

Martinez was set to remain as CPS CEO until June after he was terminated by the Chicago Board of Education in December amid escalating tensions with Mayor Brandon Johnson over district finances, pension payments and a new contract with the Chicago Teachers Union.

Because he was fired without cause, his contract allowed him to remain on the job for an additional six months.

Martinez still intends to stay with CPS through the end of the current school year before leaving in mid-June “with a deep sense of pride and optimism for its future, knowing the District is in strong hands and moving in the right direction.”

“I am deeply honored to be selected as the next Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education,” he said in a statement. “I am profoundly grateful to the Massachusetts Board for their trust in my leadership and for recognizing the work we’ve done in Chicago, as well as in San Antonio and Nevada.”

In his biography on the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, Martinez is described as a “nationally recognized superintendent” who has a “track record of creating comprehensive, multi-year solutions that advance equity and economic mobility.”

Martinez, who is also a graduate of Chicago’s Benito Juarez Community Academy, said the city and CPS ”will always hold a special place in my heart.”

“This city welcomed my family and me when we emigrated from Mexico, and CPS became the foundation of my personal and professional journey,” he said. “It was in CPS classrooms that I discovered my passion for learning, developed fluency in English, and uncovered a love for math that would shape my future. I was forever influenced by the rich diversity and resilience of this District, and it has been the greatest privilege of my life to return home and serve as its CEO.”

Board members also lauded his work on closing education achievement gaps and his connections to former CPS CEO and U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, under whom Martinez previously worked as the district’s budget director.

“I’m supporting Pedro,” board chair Katherine Craven said. “I think he’s the right person at the right time for Massachusetts.”

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