A passionate Interim Superintendent of Schools Royce Avery put it all out there about the school board disfunction that had his team “gun shy” asserting with the state coming in “We can breathe a little bit.”
One of the conditions the state school board and State Education Commissioner Charlene Russell-Tucker imposed in the intervention of the city schools is several training sessions run by state gatekeepers to build a foundation of camaraderie among local board members so meetings don’t run off the rails, as well as understanding the boundaries between school chief and board responsibilities.
One such meeting took place a few days ago with Avery highlighting how the board madness infected district personnel.
While some school board members have postured intrusion by the state board, others in the community such as Avery view it as a positive action to build stability. As Avery noted with all the hostility why would anyone want the school chief job. See his remarks in video above.
Russell-Tucker has slammed the brakes on a search for a permanent chief until the district experiences stability.
Meanwhile, the state has announced it will conduct an audit of the district to examine how school finances went so deep under water.
From Richard Chumney, CT Post:
Deputy Education Commissioner Charles E. Hewes told the State Board of Education during its regular meeting on Wednesday that the department is looking to hire a firm to perform a forensic audit of the district.
“We will be trying to understand what’s going on and what has gone on with the decision-making relative to the Bridgeport Public Schools’ budget,” Hewes said.
The school system faces up to $30 million in cuts to staff and programs in the upcoming fiscal year due to the massive budget shortfall, according to revised projections that were shared last week.
Full story here
