The Massachusetts schooling board voted Tuesday to pick outgoing Chicago Public Colleges head Pedro Martinez as the following state Commissioner of Training.
The board elected to advocate Martinez of the highest three candidates, with 9 members voting in favor.
“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 unapologetic nature at other times when the situation calls for it,” Secretary of Training Patrick Tutwiler mentioned on the Board of Elementary and Secondary Training assembly Tuesday. “In my humble view, this is Pedro Martinez.”
Members Dálida Rocha and Mary Ann Stewart abstained, having acknowledged they might forged their votes for government director of Financial Mobility Methods Lily Laux. The third last candidate, chosen from 42 preliminary candidates, was Jack Elsey, founding father of the Michigan Educator Workforce Initiative.
The commissioner place has been briefly held by Tutwiler since late March, when Interim Commissioner Russell Johnston vacated the put up. The final everlasting commissioner, Jeffrey Riley, stepped down in March 2024.
Martinez has a complete of 13 mixed years as a superintendent, most just lately Chicago Public Colleges, and over 20 years in Okay-12 schooling management, a DESE launch acknowledged.
“Under his leadership, Chicago Public Schools has expanded full-day early childhood classrooms, posted some of the nation’s top elementary-level post-pandemic reading and math gains, and achieved record-high graduation rates, scholarships earned, and college credits obtained in high school,” the division acknowledged.
Previous to becoming a member of Chicago Public Colleges, Martinez led the San Antonio Unbiased College District, Nevada Division of Training and the Washoe County College District in Reno, Nevada.
Martinez was born in Mexico and can be DESE’s twenty fifth commissioner and the primary Latino to carry that place.
Chair Katherine Craven referred to as choosing a commissioner candidate a “very rare thing,” noting the board has solely completed so 3 times within the final 35 years.
“It’s not something we do that often, and that’s why it’s sort of a bumpy process,” mentioned Craven. “But we’re, I am committed, as is for Secretary Tutwiler, to ensuring that all of the constituencies out there are heard and are going to be at the table with Dr. Martinez as our Commissioner of Education.”
The Secretary of Training, who voted in favor of choosing Martinez, now has last approval of the selection for the commissioner place.
