Elected as a Democrat and recently becoming a Republican, Dave Hennessey has resigned from the Board of Education. He was part of a coalition that defeated the endorsed Democrats for school board in 2013 and served as board chair. It’s been, to say the least, a contentious Board of Education in recent years.
CT Post reporter Linda Conner Lambeck has more:
On Tuesday morning, Hennessey, once chair of the board, went to City Hall and filed a letter of resignation, effective immediately.
Reached Wednesday by phone, Hennessey said he had no comment on his sudden departure.
He did confirm, however, that he recently changed his party affiliation to Republican.
Whether that will force the remaining eight school board members to replace him with another Republican remains to be seen. He was elected to the post as a Democrat.
More here.
He seemed tired of the grind. It is an absolutely thankless job. I will miss him.
Looks like we are heading to court to file an injunction. We received an email on the Friday evening of Memorial Day weekend at 9:55 PM stating anyone applying to fill Dave Hennessey’s vacant position must be a “Republican.”
The same BOE attorney and City Attorney’s office that issued legal opinions the member’s individual party affiliation was not relevant and the party line the candidate was elected on was what dictated those who could be considered to fill the vacancy have apparently issued new opinions that contradict their opinions from 2014.
I am experiencing déjà vu. If I recall, we received notice of the state takeover of the BOE on the Friday evening of Fourth of July in 2011.
Joe Ganim, Mario Testa, Chris Meyer, Danny Roach, Fran Rabinowitz, Joe Larcheveque, Andre Baker, Dennis Bradley, and Dishonest Dave are dumber than I thought if they think this isn’t going to be challenged in court.
They never learn.
What a cluster flock this is!!!
Where is Mark Anastasi when you need him?
Paging Rob Russo
Paging Ricky Torres
Paging Mike Garret
Paging Phil Smith
Any other civic-minded Republicans out there?
Let the fun begun.
Bob,
I always thought you liked me. Now this.
I don’t have kids in the school system;
I don’t follow other people’s agendas;
I speak my mind; and
I have no patience with obstructionists.
Clearly, I’m not qualified.
Clearly, you’re not. The main reason is the seat vacated must be filled by a registered Democrat.
I’ll leave that to the lawyers.
Phil,
You are a Republican. Therefore I cannot like you. I may respect some of your better qualities, but “like?” Don’t push your luck.
Who likes a Troll?
The Misses.
The Amazing Ms. Judith.
And they are all who matter.
Ben,
I couldn’t agree with you more. My good friend Max Medina and I spent about the same amount of time in city service, around 20 years. He on the BOE, me on the City Council.
And I constantly told him he had by far the worst job.
His constituency was far greater engaged and vocal, his problems more definable and insurmountable, and the political interference between jobs and funding (contracts, construction, etc.) much more constant.
*** Can you blame the guy for wanting to get out of the Mad House which is the Bpt BOE?! It continues to be the thankless unforgiving political board it always has been! Time to do away with the entire city board and let the State run the show with some input from city picks, no? ***
Why was Mike Bisiglia able to run a professional BOE that got things done and the same goes for Max Medina? Is it the quality of people who have become part of the board that is causing the problems? Hennessey never had a backbone. I think the state should take over and replace all the idiots now serving on the BOE. What has this board done to make things better for the kids? Nada, zero, nothing, zip point s#1#. Oh yes they managed to have the dropout rate increase by 7.5% points. They all suck and Hennessey, NBA.
Andy, on this I must agree and you brought up two really good people, Max Medina and Mike Bisiglia. Mike Bisiglia was a Republican who was elected and reelected to the Bridgeport Board Of Education and elected and reelected President of the BOE. I don’t recall anyone who served as long as Mike as the President of the BOE. I knew Mike from the Bridgeport Brass Company where he a vice president and we served on the United Fund committee together. Mike cared, he cared about the students and the City and he was the President of University of Bridgeport. Mike was the only Republican who Democrats kept voting for. Where are the Mike Bisiglias of the Republican Party? Gone and forgotten.
Andy, those were different times, different people. Mario wasn’t off the grid back then. But I agree with you, what a difference!!!
How about the Mouse?
Maybe in hindsight the State running the BBOE was the right thing to do because of all the dysfunction that seems to follow the board. This can’t be conducive to helping the children of Bridgeport even though that’s why all these individuals swore that’s why they were in it.
There’s a process for the state to take over. It’s not an arbitrary thing. When the state took over the board there were a number of steps that were skipped. That’s why it was illegal.
The State should have taken over the schools. Bridgeport is full of assholes, and that’s it.
And like I have been saying, Bridgeport should just declare bankruptcy. This joke is getting worse by the day.
Looking forward and looking back, I think Mayor Finch should have had a referendum. When you have a failing school system year after year without any improvements it is time to change course. The state running the board may have been the best thing to happen to the City of Bridgeport. I wouldn’t be surprised if our Mayor Joe Ganim had enough of the constant failure and took the leadership out of the hands of the BOE. Everyone was against that? Why? How low do you want the grades in Bridgeport to go? If money is the constant argument, stop. Throwing money at the problem certainly will not help! Let the State take responsibility and maybe we will see results!
Steve, former Mayor Finch did have a referendum. He spent over $500,000 and his buddies Ex$ell Bridgeport spent an additional $100,000. He was soundly defeated.
Maria, I was just making sure you were not asleep. I remember that day like yesterday. Your friend Rob Trabor gave me a lecture outside Winthrop school when I supported the Mayor’s initiative. I really did support that effort and still do. That does not mean I do not think Ben Walker, Andre Baker and yourself etc. are not genuine and trying your best. It just means when a school system is not performing year after year it is time for a drastic change. I think Bill Finch recognized that as well as Mayor Ganim will. As the Mayor of the state’s largest city, he knows economic development is dependent upon a solid performing school system. He knows the city needs a complete turnaround and parents need a choice with charter schools. I would support Mayor Ganim on these initiatives and so will the city.
And Steve, if the state takes over and does not significantly improve (which I believe would be the case), what do we do next?
Ask the US Dept of Education to take over?
Outsource the entire schools system?
Kicking that can down the street and whistling a happy song.
Steve, you are correct. Just throwing more money at a failed system will not help. That’s why many people support school vouchers. The completion between schools would weed out the failures and parents would not be forced to send their children to failing schools.
Quentin, your post was interesting. Do you read a lot of fiction? 🙂
State takeover? *snicker* Because they are doing such a great job with running their own house, now aren’t they? SMH.
Ben Walker, you need to walk away from Bridgeport schools as well. Another loser.
Touché, Ben!
Steve,
First, one of the biggest issues is the lack of parent involvement. When I was a kid, I learned the basics at home, as I am sure you did too. There is a systemic problem with parent involvement in Bridgeport.
Second, what money is being thrown where in Bridgeport? Bridgeport is severely underfunded, and has been for a generation. The Commissioner’s Network is an unfunded mandate, and has not worked. The attempt to put Dunbar under a management company failed miserably. So you want the very state who knowingly severely and egregiously underfunded this very city for more than three decades to take over the system they worked so hard to tear down? That just doesn’t make sense.
Third, there have been a number of board members over the last five years whose agenda did not include the children of Bridgeport Public Schools. Most were.
Eric,
Yup, yup and yup!
I think Bridgeport needs to have a mandatory orientation for all parents having children entering the Bridgeport School System. They need to know their responsibility and need to know teachers are not going to spend their day disciplining their children in the classroom. We serve Breakfast and have afterschool. At what point does the parent spend time with the child before bedtime? Enough already. Orientation and a signed paper.
Once again Stevie A shows us all just how super smart he is.
So Steve, if the parent does not show up we refuse to let the child go to school? Then we are really teaching that child a lesson; go find new responsible parents.
Or if they go to your orientation and then don’t live up to your areas of responsibility, are we throwing them out?
Go back to serving breakfast, will you?
This is the long-term strategy of the millionaires, billionaires, and the reformers (deformers).
First, urban schools are purposely and severely underfunded for decades so they decay and fall apart.
Second, the wealthy investors and privatizers start pointing their fingers saying these poor black and brown children are “falling through the cracks” and they are “trapped” in failing schools.
Third, suddenly it is urgent an elected school board be replaced by an appointed board because we must “help the children.” The real reason is the only thing that stands in the way of massive privitization is an elected school board. Chicago, Philadelphia, New Orleans are all perfect examples.
Fourth, once the elected board is out of the way the vultures move in and there is massive proliferation of charter schools, contracts, and consultants because it’s all about “the children.”
Fifth, the unions must be dismantled and weakened because they are impeding progress and hurting the children.
Sixth, millionaires, billionaires, and Wall Street executives make money hand over fist on the backs of brown and black children in impoverished urban school districts that they could care less about.
There is NO evidence appointed boards perform any better than elected boards.
Does anyone believe a single one of our historic and prestigious civil rights leaders would EVER advocate we should give up our right to vote? If anything, we should have more voting rights.
We should have more positions that are elected, like the Zoning Board, Civil Service Commission, etc.
Wake up, people.
Maria Pereira, six times you are wrong. You have been there and you are part of the problem. We need to get rid of Bridgeport ASSHOLES WHO HAVE ANY part of the Bridgeport educational system.
Yeah, Frank. BPS should be run by the residents of Greenwich and Westport who have no idea what it’s like to be an impoverished minority student or parent. They know what is best for us.
Over 90% of the votes we have taken action on have come out of Facilities and Finance, which are chaired by Sauda and Howard.
Since we took our seats, not a single item has been voted on by the full board out of Dave Hennessey’s Governance Committee. Not one.
The only thing the full board has voted on out of the Personnel Committee chaired by Joe Larcheveque is administrator positions coordinated by HR and the approval of the evaluation document for the Interim Superintendent, which was the same form used for Paul Vallas which was slightly tweaked.
On every BOE agenda, Sauda, Ben, Howard, and I submit agenda items and have raised important issues that have often come to a vote. If we hadn’t done that, there are several bi-monthly agendas which would only have recognitions, consent agenda items, approval of minutes, and student and committee reports.
The vast majority of work being done is being driven by us.
What people should be asking is how did Fran Rabinowitz get two contract extensions at $190,000 per year and been employed for over two years without a single evaluation being completed when her contract requires her to be evaluated every six months.
I will apologize for for using a word (a######) that was inappropriate.
News Flash: We had two important committee meetings tonight including interviewing principal candidates and reviewing a contract. Dennis Bradley did not show for either.
Meanwhile I get a call from one of my neighbors on Nutmeg Rd. that Dennis knocked on his door to ask for his vote for state senate.
He told him “you are a disgrace on the school board and no one in this house is voting for you.” Dennis had a small card and asked him “can I leave this card with you?” He said ” no, because we are just going to throw it in the garbage.” Then he slammed the door closed.
Out of all the neighborhoods he could knock in, he chose mine first. I guess he is a little worried.
Lol!
Your meetings are worthless.
Frank, Dennis is the Chair of the Board and should have been at those meetings as opposed to campaigning. I attended a fundraiser last night for Ed Gomes, the feeling in that room was palpable, the respect Ed has is well-earned and there’s no doubt in my mind he’ll be reelected. I’ve seen this happen more times than I care to remember, a sacrificial lamb is chosen, this time it’s Dennis. I hope after he realizes he’s been used, he won’t be so warm and cozy with Mario Testa. May I regress, can you imagine what a slaughter the Board of Ed would endure if the Mayor were allowed to appoint BOE members? Mario has used it as his personal pork-barrel for too long; it was the source of his perceived relevance. The spotlight is on him now and hopefully that entity is safe and contracts are safe from political patronage. As to the state of the BOA, there seems to be an opportunity to fill two seats in the very near future, if the remaining members of the Board don’t agree on these replacements, the matter goes to the City Council. Keep an eye on this, public input may be needed if the choice is rigged by the Party.
If it goes to the City Council (half of whom need to go back to school), it will be a Party-rigged choice. Anything and everything coming out of the CC is party-rigged.
Frank, you are absolutely right!
Oh my, Frank. You sound a little bitter.
Let me guess. Charter School, privitization, reformer extraordinaire?
My answer to the multiple choice question is NONE OF THE ABOVE. I am not bitter. My mission statement about Bridgeport schools is to have schools that work. Now, obviously, that is a very simple statement with the very difficult conditions urban schools face. I have no confidence in an elected Board of Education in the City of Bridgeport due to the dearth of capable community leaders who would have the knowledge and expertise to face the challenges of the Bridgeport Educational System. On top of that, Bridgeport, in the near and foreseeable future, CANNOT fully fund the school system–and our students are the losers in this entire scenario.
How exactly is the BPT BOE underfunded? There are a number of districts that spend less per student and get better results than BPT.
ave. daily per District BOE Budget pupils pupil rank ELLINGTON 31,325,666 2,789 11,234 61 MARLBOROUGH 13,422,699 1,188 11,295 45 WOLCOTT 32,522,777 2,812 11,568 54 NEW BRITAIN 132,366,466 11,186 11,833 159 STERLING 7,866,083 664 11,846 107 WOODSTOCK 15,582,718 1,313 11,873 57 DANBURY 128,009,840 10,727 11,933 134 DISTRICT NO. 8 22,338,107 1,868 11,958 17 WEST HAVEN 87,310,660 7,223 12,087 142 EAST HARTFORD 97,826,222 8,034 12,176 151 NEW MILFORD 55,423,910 4,531 12,231 HEBRON 24,642,138 2,008 12,271 50 TOLLAND 36,200,905 2,950 12,273 30 DERBY 19,830,000 1,613 12,292 147 MERIDEN 112,282,449 9,071 12,378 146 SHELTON 65,213,474 5,247 12,429 59 BRISTOL 106,108,616 8,503 12,478 119 SOUTHINGTON 84,646,215 6,769 12,504 33 DISTRICT NO. 10 33,811,147 2,674 12,645 52 PLAINFIELD 30,388,012 2,394 12,695 BROOKLYN 16,039,431 1,261 12,722 93 BARKHAMSTED 8,255,534 649 12,725 68 WATERTOWN 38,709,664 3,040 12,733 105 GRISWOLD 23,421,324 1,835 12,765 116 COLCHESTER 37,737,957 2,950 12,794 70 SEYMOUR 30,834,078 2,407 12,811 108 OXFORD 27,550,631 2,149 12,822 47 PLYMOUTH 23,053,007 1,797 12,825 109 ENFIELD 74,275,924 5,767 12,880 89 SOMERS 20,223,505 1,569 12,886 53 GRANBY 26,883,092 2,074 12,959 20 CROMWELL 26,531,835 2,043 12,984 58 THOMASTON 15,116,630 1,163 12,993 LEDYARD 32,930,489 2,526 13,036 79 ANDOVER 7,675,842 589 13,040 41 NORTH BRANFORD 28,569,382 2,187 13,062 86 PORTLAND 18,715,828 1,428 13,109 37 CHESHIRE 61,132,671 4,655 13,133 39 NORTH HAVEN 46,839,694 3,562 13,150 78 BROOKFIELD 37,484,882 2,837 13,211 31 EAST HAVEN 48,189,676 3,644 13,224 139 SUFFIELD 31,719,270 2,384 13,303 36 ANSONIA 35,007,526 2,629 13,318 150 GLASTONBURY 89,961,154 6,753 13,322 34 SPRAGUE 6,034,354 453 13,330 123 ROCKY HILL 34,660,815 2,600 13,333 44 NEW LONDON 47,694,610 3,577 13,333 155 STRATFORD 98,380,226 7,355 13,376 115 NEWTOWN 69,723,100 5,189 13,437 VERNON 49,900,544 3,710 13,451 127 DISTRICT NO. 16 32,904,288 2,428 13,552 91 NAUGATUCK 63,831,755 4,704 13,569 141 NEW FAIRFIELD 37,107,374 2,725 13,620 77 AVON 47,308,602 3,472 13,625 10 BRIDGEPORT 279,926,764 20,485 13,665 161 CANTON 24,269,828 1,776 13,666 12 STONINGTON 33,433,716 2,441 13,698 80 WEST HARTFORD 141,740,300 10,334 13,716 56Fruit salad served up by BOE SPY? Rural districts, suburban showtowns, small towns, and State largest with concentrated poor?? As to funding, Hartford and New Haven get more State dollars and they matter when it comes to staffing the classroom. Each of those communities also contribute more taxpayer funds per student than Bridgeport does, and that type of genuine action indicates where the Mayor’s office is on the subject.
If the subject is the 2016-17 budget where the school budget required $15 Million more to maintain contractual commitments and health insurance funding rather than new programs, etc. then the Ganim2 has by action if not words disrespected 22,000 students and families (except for the ones who have visited his office maybe?)
And if it is about a problem school system where throwing more money at it will not solve things (per Steve Auerbach, et al.), what are the metrics to be used by a tired public, set out by elected and appointed leaders for all to see, with regular evaluations? Transparency so the public who wishes to see can do so honestly? Accountability where public resources are being consumed and used so the taxpayer does not feel ultimately used? Open process so all parties will feel respect when addressed on subjects dear to them, and so sharing of relevant info is a citizen right? Time will tell.
I made my comment about the Republicans in jest.
The CT Post seemed to leave open the possibility.
However, as they stated, the last vacancy was of a Democrat elected on the Working Families line.
The City Attorney ruled they must be replaced with a candidate from the same party as the one the they won election on.
Dave Hennessey was elected on the Democratic line. He must be replaced by a Democrat.
Unless a current board member were to switch party alliance so as to make minority party registration an issue. Then we would need a new ruling from the City Attorney.
Reading the comments on this blog is prove positive the BOE really does not care about the kids or the programs that are taught. Maria spent paragraphs describing why we don’t want rich people taking over running of the schools. What has Maria and her elected board done to make the school system better? Nothing! They have created a category called part-time students for kids who don’t show up for school. They have managed to increase the dropout rate by 7.3%. How mush worse would it be to put educated outsiders on the board? The dummies we have there are not doing the job.
I have only been back on the BOE since December 7th and you’re blaming me for the 2014 graduation statistics.
This is why you are not respected by many, Andy. People in our neighborhood don’t have a nice thing to say about you, Andy.
You should ask yourself why.
Maria, I don’t know many people in the neighborhood anymore and the ones I know who feel about me the way you stated don’t mean anything to me at all. BTW Maria it really isn’t your neighborhood, you rent and don’t own so you can leave any time.
You had a stint on the board before that also and the dropout rate was almost as high as it is now. Maria, just what have you and this board accomplished? Tell us all.
You know Maria, you really live in a fantasy world. How can people who don’t know me have any opinion at all? This is just bullshit that can’t be checked. Go Stallworth.
A neighbor who likes me relayed a conversation she had with you. You stated 10 months ago you decided to run for State Rep so the question is Why did you run for the BOE again when you knew you were running for state rep? You were the one who really badmouthed Andre baker when he did it. Why is it now okay for you to do it? This will make three elected offices if you win. Go Stallworth.
Andy, I know the BOE issues and players inside out after being involved for seven consecutive years. Andre Baker ran for state rep. because he cut a deal with Finch he would betray all of us if Finch backed him for state rep. He was on the BOE for five months before he decided to run for state rep. and was clueless then and is clueless today. I have seven years in and I don’t have a learning curve on the BOE. Andre Baker couldn’t say that when he ran for state rep., and he cannot even say that today.
At last night’s Personnel Meeting he showed up late. Max Medina, Nate Snow, and TFA members were there. He was trying to ask a question about a section that stated “the Superintendent or their designee.” He actually asked Nate Snow who would be the “designee,” not designee. I mean as in a fashion designer.
Ben, Sauda and I looked at each other and we all felt embarrassed for him.
I want to take my knowledge around public education and more importantly the BPS and fight for our children in Hartford. The reality is not one member of our delegation possesses in-depth knowledge regarding our public schools. I also want to fight for issues specific to women, tighten laws around condominiums and co-ops, and a variety of other issues.
Andy, there are many seniors in our neighborhood who know you well, and they don’t have much to say about you that is kind.
Maria, what did you do when you met various people? Ask them if they knew me? Maria, you are a total liar and BS artist. You may have some of the old timers BS’ed but that’s it. Maria, anything that comes out of your mouth or out of your computer is BS. Go Stallworth.
As you know Andy, we have quite a few retired firefighters and some current firefighters.
Give it a rest Maria, you really are showing what a BS artist you are. I don’t know any present serving firefighters as I have been retired too long. I do know the firefighters at 15’s as they responded to my medical emergency.
ANSWER THE QUESTION.
Andy, seriously. You do not believe the State of Connecticut gives a damn about the school system or the city of Bridgeport. They will continue to do the minimum they can get away with so as to save as much for the wealthy residents of the state.
Charter schools were an experiment that has failed and yet, since it can save the state some money, they continue to shove these down the throats of the neediest school districts.
I don’t think the state could do a better job but I do think they could not do a WORSE JOB.
Bob,
The last time the issue involved the requirements of the state’s minority representation law. In this case the issue is the Charter requirement that the appointee be “a member of the same political party as the member vacating such office.”
In this case Hennessey was a Democrat when he was elected and a Republican when he resigned. The question is what party the appointee is required to be a member of. It is an interesting question which can be reasonably argued either way.
I’ll leave that issue to the lawyers … and probably a judge.
John Bagley was a registered Democrat when he was elected on the WFP line and he was a Democrat when he resigned. His position had to be filled by a registered WFP member.
The vacancy must be filled by a Democrat.
Maria, that involved an entirely different state law, which is not involved here.
John Bagley was a registered Democrat when he was elected on the WFP line and he was a Democrat when he resigned. His position had to be filled by a registered WFP member.
The vacancy must be filled by a Democrat.
Phil, I was in no way referencing the minority representation statute. I was referencing our City Charter. Both the city attorney and the BOE’s attorney provided legal opinions and both agreed if you were elected on a particular party line, than the appointed replacement must be a registered member of that party.
Unlike you, I actually was present for these discussions and FOIed the legal opinions.
Either Ms. Baraka or myself have the best attendance record on the BOE. We have not missed a single bi-monthly meeting, we have attended almost every single committee meeting whether we serveed on the committee or not.
Now Andre Baker is a different story. He has missed a significant amount of bi-monthly meetings or often arrives very late. He is on the Finance, School Funding, and Facilities Committee. He has only attended one Finance meeting. He has only attended one Facilities meeting, and he missed the first School Funding Committee meeting.
His attendance is atrocious.
One of the main problems with the BOE is it has become the launching board for BOE members to run for higher office. Just look at the group, Baker, State Rep, Gardner ran for mayor, Maria running for State Rep and Bradley running for State Senate. Why elect them to the BOE if all they’re going to do is leave right away?
Ron,
Perhaps a new oath of office for those elected or appointed to serve on the BOE will include a statement they will neither run for nor hold other elective office so as to place the entirety of their time, energy, and spiritual commitment to the current and future student body. Then, perhaps at their swearing in, a group of fifth graders who generally have seven more years to reach our local target of a high school diploma, can serve as witnesses to these pledged words. Let youth see the difference between selflessness (in serving others) and self-interested personal agenda? Time will tell.
Ron,
Perhaps you and JML can get together over a cup of java to discuss this further. Time will tell.
Ron,
I think it is a big part of it. The job is hard enough to do under the best of circumstances without worrying about how your actions will play at upcoming elections or whose support you need.
There a lot of other issues in play here. But the quest for higher office is certainly A major issue.
Elect me, I’ve already done the State Rep thing and Citywide I am a much stronger candidate than just in my district.
Hector, you would be an excellent choice for more reasons than I can state. Yore daughter is an example of what the Bridgeport Schools can produce with parents and teachers working together. You are a facilitator, mediator, and the smartest man I know. But, and that’s a big but, nominating you would make too much sense, and that’s how it goes in Bridgeport. I want to make myself clear, I believe the Board members would see your contribution as positive, but Mario Testa will get involved and I’m sure he already has his choices selected. This is a travesty, I wish folks would lay off Maria whose commitment is clear, and concentrate on the real cancer in our School system.
Thank you Lisa, your words are heartfelt and appreciated.
Hector A. Diaz, in the past I was a little critical of you for one reason and that was because a number of times during elections for Bridgeport Board Of Education you would mention on OIB you wanted to run to be on the BOE but that was as far as it got. Now one time you mentioned about your work schedule as far as making comments on OIB. I understood that but I wanted you to go out there and run but you didn’t for whatever reason. Hector, go ahead and run and don’t back down.
In my opinion one of the biggest problems here is a slate of candidates is formed for the purpose of winning and not of ruling. You end up with board members who apparently have no common thread of thought as to how to govern.
As such, immediately after the election the coalition crumbles and the members go in different directions whether it is who will lead the board, what will happen with the acting superintendent or any of the meatier issues before the BOE.
I am not faulting anyone for this but simply pointing out if the same approach is taken in the future no one should be surprised if we end up with the same result.
A point well taken.
Maria,
Will you resign from the BOE if you are elected to the legislature?
Phil,
Absolutely not. The work I do on the BOE will be deeply intertwined with my work in the legislature.
I spent months making my decision and spoke with my friends, family and my spouse. All were incredibly supportive. I did not make this decision lightly.
Maria, you don’t have a spouse.
Maria,
What are you going to when there is a Board meeting and either a committee meeting or house session at the same time?
Phil, the committee meetings in the legislature are held during the day. Committee meetings on the BOE are held in the evenings.
Public Hearings could be an issue, however all written testimony is available online and I could watch the entire public hearing on CT-N.
The only real issue would be voting in the house, which I would evaluate on a case-by-case basis.
Phil Smith, great question, I’ve voted Maria whenever she ran for the BOE. Now I think she is a hard worker and understands the issues with education but her lack of focus during her time on the BOE where she stepped down before and now she wants to be a State Rep. I thought she truly was concerned about doing something good for our students.
Now Maria want to be a State Rep. and so far she has said she is running because of the number of votes of current State Rep. Charlie Stallworth but she told what she will do if elected. On the BOE Maria is one of seven members but in the State House she will be one of 151. How in the world will Maria get anything done when she doesn’t get along with people who don’t agree with her 100%?
Phil’s question is still out there, will she resign from the BOE if she is elected to the legislature? Time will tell (JML).
I do not doubt Maria wants more and better for Bridgeport students. And she has an impressive grasp, if not command, of many of the issues that create such a difficult path for the Bridgeport education system.
Maria has used “metrics” to note the attendance of fellow BOE members at BOE functions or the State Representative for participation in legislative matters effectively. Perhaps she can provide two or three “metrics” that might be sought by all Bridgeport citizens who care about the students and how the activities of BOE members in her opinion serve to advance those quantitative objectives. Attacking Andre Baker for his dual role on BOE and State legislature by commenting on his absences, when if elected to both positions may suffer the same impossibility of being in two different places at the same time. With all the learning about urban education she has mastered, why isn’t the Bridgeport BOE the place she should be devoting and focusing her ability, energy and leadership? Time will tell.
I’ll take Hennessey’s place.
“I’ll take Hennessey’s place.” What a ridiculous thing to say.
Quoted from above. “We need to get rid of Bridgeport ASSHOLES WHO HAVE ANY part of the Bridgeport educational system.”
Obsceana is the manifestation of a fallow mind.
Frank, you make my day!
Évidemment (btw, that’s French) Ben Walker, you did not see my apology and retraction of some of my words.
Clearly, the State of Connecticut is not up to directing the rescue of the Bridgeport school system. It doesn’t take a PhD in education to know 90% of the educational process takes place in the home, a place that must be capable of providing the peaceful, supportive, disciplined family/living environment that is the sine qua non for any successful school career. Such homes describable in the aforementioned terms, of necessity, are maintained by mature, mentally healthy parents who are inclined to be fully engaged in their children’s education and cooperatively engaged in interactive dialogue with their children’s schools and teachers. Such parents will seek to provide materials and resources in the home that augment and complement the resources in the schools that facilitate learning and intellectual growth.
I know these things from my own experience as a student, teacher, and mentor of the children in my own family. The many educational and learning theory college/graduate level courses I have successfully completed confirm my own observations.
So without a supportive, healthy family capable of providing resources such as computers, assorted reading materials, educational television, educational outings, etc., a public school student is going to be far behind the eight ball before they even have a chance to take their first standardized test. And, without a school system capable of providing the latest, proven methods of teaching and the institutional resources needed to implement these methods, that student will be losing educational ground at an exponential rate over their public school experience.
Now if you take a city such as Bridgeport, where most of the families are in varying degrees of serious difficulty on all measures of family life, and where the school system is deficient in many of the basic modern educational assets and where the extras needed to address the special socioeconomic needs of the impoverished community are not forthcoming from the city, state, or federal government, there will never be anything near systemic success in the public school system.
The State of Connecticut, the governmental poster child for political dysfunction and poor economic policy design, is an entity in danger of complete failure and in no position to provide leadership or support to the failing school systems of any of its municipalities. Its failed attempt at “rescuing” Bridgeport’s school system set that system back many years.
But back to the consideration of the family as the fundamental unit of educational success: It is clear Bridgeport’s school system will not be moved significantly in a positive direction by the application of any number and types of interventions or even increases in funding without the whole socioeconomic picture of Bridgeport improving drastically as the first step in that intervention.
In order for the Bridgeport public school system to improve, the economy of Bridgeport and the prospects for healthy family life in Bridgeport must improve drastically first. The State of Connecticut, and the federal government, in the modern era, have provided only a negative impetus for Bridgeport in this regard.
Until the political dynamic in Fairfield County/Connecticut that keeps Bridgeport relegated to subservient status changes radically, nothing is going to improve in Bridgeport, including its public school system. If Bridgeport is to have any hope for the necessary socioeconomic renaissance that will allow excellence in its public school system, it must first go into complete political rebellion against the Fairfield County/Connecticut power structure that keeps us down.
Supporting the establishment Connecticut Democrats currently in power, and in this context supporting the establishment Democrats (and Hillary Clinton’s candidacy) at the federal level, will not help Bridgeport in any way, especially in regard to its school system. All the other political machinations in Bridgeport short of this full rebellion/rejection of establishment politics is just a foolish waste of time and energy.
Great insight, Jeff!
*** MAYBE THE REST OF THE BOARD WILL WAKE UP AND FOLLOW SUIT, NO? ***
For the record, didn’t the vast majority of past and current Hartford legislators serve on the City Council first?
Ernie Newton, Chris Caruso, Joel Gonzalez, Auden Grogens, Ed Gomes, Andre Baker, Steve Stafstrom, Tom McCarthy, etc. Why is or was that just fine and dandy?
In addition, I have never “stepped down” as a BOE member. I was elected in 2009 and finished my term through 2013 minus the 1- month hiatus due to the illegal takeover.
I don’t recall any of them trying to do both jobs at the same time.
Maria, I never held state office and neither has Tom McCarthy.
Maria, you were critical of Baker running for the State Rep but it’s okay for you to do the same thing. Maria you have never shown you have the ability to work with others who don’t agree with you, never, so now you want to go to Hartford and do the same thing there, call people names and tell us what they are not doing. How do you get something passed when you can’t get along with people who don’t agree with you? How?
I made five recommended changes on a contract on Wednesday. I didn’t lobby or speak with a single BOE member prior to the meeting and I am not a member of the committee.
All five recommendations were moved and seconded by a member of the committee and all five passed.
I am on a first-name basis with a number of legislators in Hartford and I already know whom I will ask to mentor me.
As a matter of fact, at Blumebthal’s convention I ran into a legislator from Stamford and she immediately said “Hi Maria.” I was pretty impressed.
Unlike Andre Baker, I didn’t cut a backroom deal nor did I betray any of my supporters, colleagues, or members of my coalition.
He was and is still not knowledgeable about the BBOE. You don’t take on another major responsibility when you clearly cannot handle the one you have.
Mark my words, the BOE resignations are not over for the upcoming summer.
Maria, really, you “made five recommended changes on a contract on Wednesday. I didn’t lobby or speak with a single BOE member prior to the meeting and I am not a member of the committee.” Maria, all you needed was four member of the BOE to agree with you and it’s fewer if all the members are not there.
You said, “I am on a first-name basis with a number of legislators in Hartford and I already know whom I will ask to mentor me.” Hell, I’m on a first-name basic with a number legislators in Hartford, that means nothing. You acknowledge, “I didn’t lobby or speak with a single BOE member prior to the meeting and I am not a member of the committee.” Maria, that’s NOT how legislation is passed on any level in governing. As I stated earlier, if you are elected you will be one of 151 State Reps and 76 is the magic number to get anything passed so you must be a team player even with members who do things you don’t like because you’ll need their votes. You seem not to understand trading votes for the greater good. You will be like Ted Cruz in the U.S. Senate, he’s smart, he knows the law but the other 99 Senators don’t like him and can’t work with him. I would hope you talking with Lisa will help you to truly understand how to win friends and influence people.
Maria, you said, “Unlike Andre Baker, I didn’t cut a backroom deal nor did I betray any of my supporters, colleagues, or members of my coalition.” That’s a lie, you have betrayed your supporters by running for the State Rep position and placing your time and effort someplace else.
Well I guess it is pretty easy for a outed “liar” to assess someone they consider to tell lies.
I don’t lie because I don’t need to. My problem is I am incredibly honest and truthful. We all know you can’t claim the same. I am sure you remember the significant lies you posted about Judge Lopez, Sauda Baraka and Bobby Simmoms. I am sure it was quite embarrassing for you as it should have been.
If you want to point to an individual who tells “lies,” find a mirror, Ron.
Maria Pereira, don’t go there or you will look real bad. In fact you need to ask those who you just mentioned and as you recall only one of those names was the one you talked to, and trust me on this one.
Maria, I’ve NEVER in my life ever told a lie or anything negative about Judge Lopez, never. Like I said, you mentioned three names but you only talked to two of them. Maria, go back and read the original post I made back then. As far as the lie I said you made, you asked voters to support you to be on the BOE and in fact read some of your campaign literature and see what you promised and what’s not on that list is where you told voters you would be a part-time BOE member. You ran and got elected but then you decided not to run for reelection and instead took the position of running a political party and left those supporters hanging and then you left your political position and decided to run again for the BOE and you won and each time I voted for you because I believed you would do a good job but after getting elected back to the BOE you now want to be a State Rep but Maria did you tell your supporters that when you ran for the BOE? Is that being honest splitting your time on the BOE and being a State Rep? Maria you don’t know me so you need to ask before you say something.