The fifth and final candidate in the search for a new Washoe County School District superintendent made an appearance for the media Thursday.
Pedro Martinez is currently the deputy superintendent for Clark County School District. He used to work for WCSD, and said that experience makes him qualified for the superintendent job.
"I led the development of the strategic plan as well as the graduation initiative here," Martinez said, "and it's just a great opportunity to continue that work and work with the amazing team here in the district."
Over the past three days we have heard from Harrison Peters, of the Chicago Public School system, Paul LaMarca and Jane Woodburn from WCSD, Judy Peppler from Wake County School District in North Carolina, and now Pedro Martinez.
All five candidates have faced questions about the biggest issues they would encounter as superintendent of Washoe County-- like budget cuts, teacher layoffs, and finding ways to increase revenue.
Martinez said his experience as chief financial officer for the Chicago Public School System prepared him to lead a district in a tough economy.
"There is going to be some continued struggles with the economy," Martinez said. "Right now we are having active conversations with the legislature and with the governor's office, on how we make sure we invest more money in education."
The school board has called a meeting for Friday at 7 AM to decide the next step in the selection process, narrowing the field of candidates, or even choosing one.
To watch the interviews with all five candidates or see their resumes, click here.
Written by Arianna Bennett
