Latest news with #PedroMartinez
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Incoming education commissioner outlines priorities
BOSTON (SHNS) – Literacy, teacher recruitment and retention, and promoting bilingual education are at the top of the priority list for the state's new K-12 commissioner of education. Pedro Martinez will begin running Massachusetts's Department of Elementary and Secondary Education on July 1, after former Commissioner Jeff Riley stepped down in March 2024 and over a year of interim leadership. Speaking at his first public event in Massachusetts since he was chosen for the role, Martinez outlined some of his priority goals on Tuesday at a Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education event in Boston. Among them is getting students back on track when it comes to reading. 'This issue has been front and center for students, as students return from the pandemic. And by the way this is national. Anybody who was a parent of a young child remembers, and remember our third and fourth graders today, those were children that were going to start their education during the pandemic period. So it's not a coincidence,' Martinez said. Teachers, education advocates and state officials in Massachusetts have been talking about improving student literacy for years, as young people have struggled with reading and writing after the pandemic. On last year's state testing, 41% of third through eighth graders scored in the 'meeting or exceeding expectations' range for English Language Arts. Currently the superintendent of Chicago Public Schools, Martinez said that in the city 'we realized that the only way to really solve this is we had to go back to the basics.' 'So we had to bring them in as soon as possible,' he said. 'So we expanded universal preschool across every one of the 77 communities. Free, full-day preschool. There we started laying the foundations.' In Chicago, they began 'implementing the foundational skills from pre-K through fifth grade — some people call it the 'science of reading,' ' he said. 'The instruction incorporates best practices such as abundant reading of diverse texts, frequent opportunities for students to write about what they read, and teaching students how to communicate with digital environments.' Science of reading is not one specific curriculum program that districts can buy, but a collection of research based on phonics, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension. The approach to teaching reading differs from past approaches partially by emphasizing phonics instruction — teaching students to understand how letters and groups of letters link to sounds and spelling patterns — though it is not wholly based on phonics. The term science of reading has been around for over a century, but has recently become shorthand to discuss using cognitive research on how children's brains work while reading, and using more classroom time on learning to sound out words and work on comprehension. 'I'll tell you, going into classrooms and seeing kindergartners write about something they've read, it's priceless, especially in high-poverty communities,' Martinez said. Gov. Maura Healey launched a program dubbed 'Literacy Launch' last year that secured $20 million in the state budget, in addition to $38 million in federal literacy grants, focused on getting higher-quality literacy materials into dozens of districts, which they're hoping will translate into improved reading scores and an improvement in the foundational skill on which all other learning depends. 'I know that Massachusetts recently adopted a long-term plan to improve literacy as well. I commit to you I will do everything in my power to ensure that that plan is successful,' Martinez said. In addition to literacy, Martinez said he'd be focused on recruiting and retaining high qualified educators. He shared a story about a teacher who he said changed the trajectory of his life. His sixth grade teacher in the Chicago Public Schools, Mr. Asher, 'was the first teacher that told me I was actually below grade level. He was actually the first teacher that said, 'I'm going to hold you accountable and you're going to make sure that you're going to rise up to that challenge.'' Martinez credited Mr. Asher with his coming out of 6th grade above grade level, and eventually becoming the first in his family to graduate high school and finish college. 'Mr. Asher changed my life,' he said. 'A highly qualified educator is the number one way to really close achievement gaps, and therefore, how we recruit, how we retain teachers — there are proven strategies across the country — and that's what I really want to look at.' He recommended a few ideas, including teacher residency and internal recruitment programs. In Chicago, he said, the district created a program called Teach Chicago Tomorrow. 'We're always complaining that we can't find highly qualified teachers, but guess where the students start? They start in K-12, right? In the districts. And so in Chicago we started working with the higher ed community, identifying students that had a passion for education, giving them really a clear path for them to be able to not only get support financially, get mentorship all the way through finishing to become teachers in our schools,' Martinez said. He added that thousands of paraprofessionals also moved into teacher roles through a similar program. Another priority Martinez highlighted Tuesday was bilingual education. 'I think we need to go even deeper in Massachusetts,' he said. 'One of the blessings that I feel is to be bicultural, to be bilingual is such a gift. It is such a gift. And so why wouldn't we want that for all of our children in Massachusetts? Why wouldn't we want all of our children to have access to multiple languages? Martinez immigrated to Illinois from Mexico when he was five years old. The last priority he highlighted was helping connect Massachusetts students to higher education. He talked about working in the San Antonio school district in Texas, where he saw people move from out of state to take advantage of Texas's strong economy while local students struggled to get jobs. 'Texas imports a lot of their labor, and then we have individuals that grew up in Texas, and there was a mixed bag. And so my question in Massachusetts, how do we make sure that it's our students that live in Massachusetts? How do we make sure that it's our students that are taking advantage of the amazing, amazing higher ed infrastructure that exists in the state?' he said. He added that 'one thing that I'm really anxious to talk to everyone about is, how do we get rid of this conversation of careers or college? That's not a thing everybody.' Martinez proposed working with community colleges and creating pathways in manufacturing, technology and health care to connect higher education and career opportunities for students after high school. 'I can't help but just recognize where I'm at in Massachusetts. This is a rich history, as everybody talked about, of education here,' he said. 'I can just imagine in 1993 when many fine individuals in this room came together to pass the Massachusetts Education Reform Act that has now put Massachusetts, in my opinion, number one in the nation. So think of this moment now. This is a time when we can come together, we can build a similar bold vision about what we expect our students to be able to do after high school.' WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Afternoon Briefing: Air quality alert issued due to Canadian wildfires
Good afternoon, Chicago. An air pollution action day was called this morning for the Chicago area and is in effect until midnight, weather officials said. Officials issued an alert as air quality is expected to reach unhealthy levels in all of Wisconsin until noon tomorrow, but the coverage area was expanded to include parts of northeast Illinois. This was the first air quality warning for the Chicago area as Canadian wildfires continue. The fires have forced thousands of Canadians to flee their homes and sent smoke as far as Europe. Here's what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices. Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History The Chicago Teachers Union is threatening to sue the Chicago Board of Education over budget plans proposed by outgoing schools chief Pedro Martinez that it says constitute unfair labor practices and violations of the recently ratified contract. Read more here. More top news stories: Charges dropped against Harvey Ald. Colby Chapman, arrested at April City Council meeting Former Geminus employee sentenced to two years for stealing federal funds If McDonald's ever doubted it needed to bring back the Snack Wrap, consider this: Nine years after the fast-food powerhouse discontinued the item in the U.S., customers have continued to order it at drive-thrus. Read more here. More top business stories: Ford posts May sales gain with employee discounts for all Hindu temple complex/residential development in Elgin gets thumbs-down from commission The Chicago Blackhawks gave a sneak peek of the Fifth Third Arena expansion to the media Tuesday — still a skeletal collection of steel beams, HVAC systems and construction dust — but they dropped some meatier news during the tour: The Chicago Steel are coming. Read more here. More top sports stories: Chicago Cubs rely on timely hits and Michael Busch's near cycle in 8-3 win: 'He's always patient' Shane Smith's curveball is an effective weapon in Chicago White Sox's 8-1 win over Detroit Tigers The exhibit is smartly centered on the endless interpretations of Spider-Man the Character who, despite being 64 years old, yet still a teenage spider, has remained remarkably mutable. Read more here. More top Eat. Watch. Do. stories: 'Stick' review: Owen Wilson scores in a comedy about golf, mentorship and picking yourself up from your lowest lows Column: Groucho Marx, playing one night only in the Loop President Donald Trump said that Russian President Vladimir Putin told him 'very strongly' in a phone call today that he will respond to Ukraine's weekend drone attack on Russian airfields. Read more here. More top stories from around the world: The Dutch government has collapsed. What happens next? Tom Girardi, estranged husband of 'Real Housewives' star, gets 7 years in prison for stealing millions from clients
Chicago Tribune
6 days ago
- Climate
- Chicago Tribune
Afternoon Briefing: Air quality alert issued due to Canadian wildfires
Good afternoon, Chicago. An air pollution action day was called this morning for the Chicago area and is in effect until midnight, weather officials said. Officials issued an alert as air quality is expected to reach unhealthy levels in all of Wisconsin until noon tomorrow, but the coverage area was expanded to include parts of northeast Illinois. This was the first air quality warning for the Chicago area as Canadian wildfires continue. The fires have forced thousands of Canadians to flee their homes and sent smoke as far as Europe. Here's what else is happening today. And remember, for the latest breaking news in Chicago, visit and sign up to get our alerts on all your devices. Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History The Chicago Teachers Union is threatening to sue the Chicago Board of Education over budget plans proposed by outgoing schools chief Pedro Martinez that it says constitute unfair labor practices and violations of the recently ratified contract. Read more here. More top news stories: If McDonald's ever doubted it needed to bring back the Snack Wrap, consider this: Nine years after the fast-food powerhouse discontinued the item in the U.S., customers have continued to order it at drive-thrus. Read more here. More top business stories: The Chicago Blackhawks gave a sneak peek of the Fifth Third Arena expansion to the media Tuesday — still a skeletal collection of steel beams, HVAC systems and construction dust — but they dropped some meatier news during the tour: The Chicago Steel are coming. Read more here. More top sports stories: The exhibit is smartly centered on the endless interpretations of Spider-Man the Character who, despite being 64 years old, yet still a teenage spider, has remained remarkably mutable. Read more here. More top Eat. Watch. Do. stories: President Donald Trump said that Russian President Vladimir Putin told him 'very strongly' in a phone call today that he will respond to Ukraine's weekend drone attack on Russian airfields. Read more here. More top stories from around the world:
Associated Press
02-06-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
This Date in Baseball - Albert Pujols hits his 600th home run of his career
June 3 1918 — Dutch Leonard of the Boston Red Sox pitched his second no-hitter, blanking the Detroit Tigers 5-0. 1932 — Lou Gehrig became the first American League player to hit four home runs in a game, helping the New York Yankees beat the Philadelphia A's 20-13. The event was overshadowed by the resignation of John McGraw as manager of the New York Giants. 1954 — Henry Thompson of the New York Giants hit three home runs and drove in eight runs in a 13-8 win against the St. Louis Cardinals. Willie Mays drove in the other five runs with two homers. 1971 — Ken Holtzman of the Chicago Cubs pitched his second no-hitter, beating the Cincinnati Reds 1-0. 1978 — Dave Johnson became the first major leaguer to hit two pinch-hit grand slams in a season. His grand slam in the ninth inning gave the Philadelphia Phillies a 5-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. 1989 — Los Angeles and Houston played 22 innings at the Astrodome in the longest night game in National League history -- 7 hours and 14 minutes. The Astros won the game on Rafael Ramirez's RBI single off Jeff Hamilton, normally the Dodgers' third baseman. When the game ended, Fernando Valenzuela was playing first and Eddie Murray was at third. 1989 — Nolan Ryan pitched his 11th career one-hitter and struck out 11 as Texas beat Seattle 6-1. It was Ryan's 16th low-hit game (no-hitter or one-hitter), breaking Bob Feller's record of 15. 1995 — Pedro Martinez of Montreal pitched nine perfect innings against San Diego before giving up a leadoff double to Bip Roberts in the 10th inning of the Expos 1-0 win. 2003 — Sammy Sosa was ejected in the first inning of Chicago's 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Devil Rays after umpires found cork in his shattered bat. 2006 — Damion Easley hit three homers and had seven RBIs in Arizona's 13-9 victory over Atlanta. 2008 — Randy Johnson took sole possession of second place on baseball's career strikeout list after getting the Milwaukee Brewers' Mike Cameron to go down swinging in the first inning. It was Johnson's 4,673rd career strikeout, breaking a tie with Roger Clemens and leaving the Arizona Diamondbacks' veteran ace behind only Nolan Ryan, who had 5,714 strikeouts in his career. 2017 — Albert Pujols hits his 600th home run of his career, the historic blast being a 4th-inning grand slam off Ervin Santana of the Twins in a 7 - 2 Angels win. He is the ninth player to join the exclusive fraternity. 2017 — Endinson Volquez of the Mets throws the first no-hiitter of the year, defeating the Diamonbacks 3-0. 2018 — Blake Snell ties an American League record by striking out the first 7 batters he faces for the Rays against the Mariners. 2022 — With a disappointing 22-29 record after splurging on free agents over the past few years, the Phillies fire manager Joe Girardi, who has failed to take them to the postseason in his two-plus seasons at the helm. Bench coach Rob Thomson is named manager on an interim basis to finish the season. 2024 —Padres player Tucupita Marcano faces a lifetime ban from baseball after an investigation by MLB found that he has placed bets on a large number of major league games, in contravention of very clear rule. He is suspected of having bet on Pirates games while injured last season; he has not played this season, also due to injury. The lifetime ban will be confirmed tomorrow and four other players will receive one-year suspensions for placing bets while they were in the minor leagues: Michael Kelly, Jay Groome, José Rodríguez and Andrew Saalfrank. _____
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Editorial: Pedro Martinez served Chicago with courage
Pedro Martinez attended his final school board meeting Thursday as CEO of Chicago Public Schools. The occasion elicited tears from this son of Chicago — a CPS student himself, growing up in Pilsen after arriving at age 5 from Mexico — who called his turbulent time heading Chicago's schools 'the honor of a lifetime.' He thanked the teachers who taught him back in the day, as well as those educating today's youth. Chicago has had some memorable CPS leaders since Mayor Richard M. Daley assumed full control of the schools in the 1990s. Paul Vallas, who lost to Mayor Brandon Johnson in the 2023 election, was Daley's first schools boss after the state-approved takeover. Arne Duncan followed Vallas, ascending from there to become President Barack Obama's secretary of education for the entirety of Obama's presidency. But to our minds Martinez will remain particularly noteworthy, long after he decamps later this month for Massachusetts and a senior state education post. Named CPS CEO by Mayor Lori Lightfoot in 2021, Martinez oversaw the schools as they emerged from the disastrously prolonged period of remote education. Showered with federal pandemic aid, Martinez invested heavily in individual tutoring for students who'd fallen behind, an effort that produced positive results. His record isn't perfect. Once the federal cash stopped flowing, CPS found itself fiscally adrift again, having spent the money as fast as it arrived. But, in a job littered with more political minefields than most government-appointed positions, Martinez pivoted. His true shining moment came in the final year of his tenure when Martinez courageously resisted highly irresponsible demands by Johnson and the mayor's allies at the Chicago Teachers Union to take on hundreds of millions in new junk-rated debt to cover costs the financially teetering district clearly couldn't afford. The clash came to a head during the holidays when Martinez won a court order barring Johnson and his appointed school board members from meddling in a contentious contract negotiation with CTU. That school board, in place for just a handful of months before a hybrid board of elected members and mayoral appointees took office in January, fired Martinez — but only per the terms of his employment contract, which required he be given six months' notice. Was there ever a more honorable firing? We are hard-pressed to think of many. Elected school board members on Thursday were effusive. Che 'Rhymefest' Smith, the South Side rapper who won election to the board and has been an indispensable voice of conscience on the hybrid board, spoke at the meeting, recalling that Martinez was the first to contact him after his win. 'The advice you gave me was to lean into the complexity … peel the layers of the onion until you get to the evidence-based solutions and use the evidence to center children and help children.' Smith said that was the best advice he's gotten in the job. As Martinez prepares to move his family east, we salute him and thank him on behalf of Chicago taxpayers. His legacy is that he did all he could to give Chicago Public Schools a fighting chance at solvency. Now it will be up to his successors to make the necessary tough choices that seem to be beyond the understanding of a compromised mayor. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@
