Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez gets $10,200 raise

Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez has received a $10,200 raise, bumping his salary to $350,200 — near the top of the city’s payroll.

The Board of Education unanimously approved the raise Wednesday after discussing Martinez’s performance and contract terms behind closed doors at the end of its monthly board meeting.

The board made a few other amendments to Martinez’s contract, including granting the school board president the authority to increase the CEO’s salary each year without a vote by the full board as long as the board issues the CEO a positive performance review.

Martinez’s contract, signed in the fall of 2021, included a $340,000 annual salary and annual raises of up to 3% based on his performance. The board gave Martinez the full raise this year. A CPS spokeswoman said a 3% increase is in line with other district administrators.

The board also tweaked the reasons Martinez could be terminated for cause, specifying “any other conduct inconsistent with the CEO’s duties and obligations to CPS or the Board, or that may be reasonably perceived to have a material adverse impact on the good name and integrity of CPS or the Board in the sole judgment of the Board.”

Also, the board added a 180-day notice for a without-cause termination; during that time, Martinez would have to continue working and transition his duties to a new CEO.

Wednesday’s board meeting agenda had included only unidentified proposed changes to Martinez’s contract, and CPS officials wouldn’t say until after the vote exactly what would change. The district has not provided a copy of Martinez’s new contract.

There have been issues about the transparency of Martinez’s compensation since he was hired. Mayor Lori Lightfoot and CPS representatives refused to answer questions or fulfill public records requests about his pay at that time, telling reporters his contract was still being negotiated — even after he had started the job.