Pedro Martinez has been appointed as the new commissioner of the state's Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, following a year without a permanent leader. Having served as the CEO of Chicago Public Schools since 2021 and previously as superintendent in Nevada and San Antonio, Martinez has extensive experience in education administration. His leadership has seen improvements such as raising teacher salaries, which has garnered positive feedback from Board Member Ericka Fisher, highlighting his commitment to equity for disadvantaged students. The final selection process involved collaboration with educators and stakeholders to ensure the best candidate was chosen.
His commitment to students in poverty and multilingual learners is extremely important as we try to close these opportunity gaps, said Board Member Ericka Fisher.
Martinez was selected with a vote over Jack Elsey and Lily Laux, highlighting board members' confidence in his leadership capabilities.
He has a varied experience with large, complex organizations and school districts, making him a strong candidate for the role of commissioner.
Martinez received praise for being able to raise teacher salaries while in Chicago, which reflects his effective leadership.
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