Chicago taps San Antonio superintendent to lead school system

Sept. 15, 2021

Pedro Martinez, who has led the San Antonio Independent School District since 2015, is a graduate of the Chicago school system and previously served as its chief financial officer.

Mike Kennedy

Pedro Martinez, superintendent of the San Antonio (Texas) Independent School District, has been named the next CEO of Chicago Public Schools.

The Chicago Tribune reports that Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced the selection of Martinez, a Chicago native, at Benito Juarez High School, which Martinez attended.

Martinez will be the first Latino to lead the Chicago school system on a permanent basis. José Torres has been serving as interim chief for several months.

Martinez has led the San Antonio district since June 2015. He previously served as the Chicago district's chief financial officer from 2003 to 2009 under former CEO Arne Duncan. After that, he was a deputy superintendent in the Clark County (Nev.) district in Las Vegas and superintendent of the Washoe County (Nev.) district in Reno.

Martinez will replace Janice Jackson, who announced in May that she was stepping down as Chicago Schools CEO after three years.

The oldest of 12 children, Martinez moved to the United States at the age of five, settling with his family in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood.

"We needed someone with not only the expertise of overseeing a large and diverse public school system, but also shared the lived experience of public school students," Lightfoot said in a tweet.

YouTube Video of announcement: