Pedro Martinez bounces back from illegal firing to land state education job

Associated Press

Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015 | 9:40 p.m.

CARSON CITY — Gov. Brian Sandoval says he has recruited former Washoe County school superintendent Pedro Martinez to help state education officials develop plans to bolster Nevada's under-achieving schools.

Sandoval said in his State of the State address to lawmakers Thursday night he has asked Martinez to serve as a superintendent in residence at the Nevada Department of Education.

Martinez was fired from his job in Washoe County last year, but the firing was found to be illegal and he returned to work until the school board voted in September to buy out his contract. He left the position in November.

Sandoval says Martinez will provide important leadership to help develop a special, statewide "Achievement School District" to manage the 10 percent of Nevada schools that the state has identified as persistently failing.

Martinez, who previously worked at the Clark County School District as deputy superintendent of instruction, comes from a finance background. He earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an MBA from Chicago's DePaul University.