CCSD deputy superintendent finalist for Washoe district’s top job

Pedro Martinez may soon be leaving his post as deputy superintendent of the Clark County School District, the nation's fifth-largest school district with 308,000 students, to return to the Washoe County School District, with 62,000 students, after a year on the job in Las Vegas.

"We agreed on two years," said Clark County Superintendent Dwight Jones, who hired Martinez in June, shortly after he took charge. "But I have known he wants to be a superintendent and gave him the out to pursue it."

Martinez, former Washoe deputy superintendent, is one of five finalists being considered to replace Superintendent Heath Morrison, who recently became superintendent of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools in North Carolina.

"Mr. Martinez would make a fantastic superintendent and reform ally in Washoe County," Clark County School District spokeswoman Amanda Fulkerson said. "If he is selected to lead in Washoe, we would applaud their choice and enjoy working with him."

Jones said he hasn't started working on a plan to replace his second in charge. Martinez found out he was a finalist last weekend and told Jones on Monday. Jones said he will look inside and outside the district for a replacement should Martinez leave.

Martinez is up against Washoe's Chief School Accountability Officer Paul LaMarca, Washoe's Deputy Superintendent Jane Woodburn, Chicago Public School's Chief of Schools Harrison Peters and Judy Peppler, chief transformation officer/chief of staff for the Wake County Public School System in Raleigh, N.C.

Contact reporter Trevon Milliard at tmilliard@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0279.