From Richard Chumney, CT Post:
City officials and community members say they are eager to welcome newly appointed Superintendent Carmela Levy-David to the Park City after the Board of Education named the longtime Texas educator as its next leader.
Following a monthslong search, the school board voted this month to hire Levy-David, who for the last several years has served as an assistant superintendent for the Fort Bend Independent School District outside Houston.
…Levy-David, who is fluent in Spanish, is the great-granddaughter of a Jamaican sugarcane farmer. She was born and raised in La Chorrera, Panama and later relocated to the U.S. with her family. In an interview, she said she chose to pursue the Bridgeport superintendent job in part because the area reminded her of the Central American port city where she grew up
“Bridgeport, in particular, reminds me of home,” she said. “The minute that I arrived I felt at home. The level of diversity, the immigrant experience and the needs that are very evident for students and for the parents who want the best for their children is exactly the type of meaningful, critical and life-altering work that I want to engage in.”
The board narrowly selected Levy-David over Interim Superintendent Alyshia Perrin, a longtime administrator who has led the district for the last eight months. The nine-member body is now hammering out the details of Levy-David’s yet-to-be-approved contract.
Full story here
Although I was on the “losing” ends of a five/four vote and my candidate lost. I welcome Dr. Levi-David and look forward to helping her succeed in moving the district forward.
This was an open honest process that has resulted in a fair open and honest process which I could support, unlike the aborted, corrupted searches in the past.
https://www.bridgeportedu.net/cms/lib/CT02210097/Centricity/Domain/1778/Special_Meeting_Approves_Minutes_5-9-19.pdf (https://www.bridgeportedu.net/cms/lib/CT02210097/Centricity/Domain/1778/Special_Meeting_Approves_Minutes_5-9-19.pdf)
https://www.ctinsider.com/news/ctpost/article/Bridgeport-s-superintendent-search-inches-14538377.php#photo-18380514 (https://www.ctinsider.com/news/ctpost/article/Bridgeport-s-superintendent-search-inches-14538377.php#photo-18380514)
https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Behind-closed-doors-Testani-gets-new-contract-14954548.php (https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Behind-closed-doors-Testani-gets-new-contract-14954548.php)
Thank you Joe Sokolovic for holding up a necessary tenet of democracy. When we work as a community, with a common purpose, and face a decision, one side is likely to prevail when everyone votes (whatever their viewpoint and range of facts is at any given moment) and the votes are counted. Welcome to Bridgeport, Dr. Carmela Levy-David. Onward and forward to the system workers.
Congratulations Joe, on publicly honoring the fact that the community can now look forward to having a permanent qualified leader in place in a timely fashion. May all of us wish her well as she uses her talents, experience, and energy to move educational opportunity for Bridgeport youth forward, step by step. Certainly we need all BOE representatives on board towards this purpose, giving their best effort to improve opportunities and outcomes for the youth of the city. Time will tell.
Thank you, John.
I’m just happy I finally had enough board members aligned with me to help disrupt “business as usual” and finally get the process right. That’s why this upcoming election is so very important. There is a chance of losing that alliance. We need knowledgeable qualified people elected to the BOE to build on this work in progress. I’d hate to go back to being the solo voice shouting in the wind, it’s exhausting.