The revamped, state-controlled Board of Education said vamos Ramos Wednesday night. John Ramos fell on the sword when the schools chief worked behind the scenes to encourage state control of the city school system. For the past two years he did not scream and yell for more city funding for the district he supervised and so many had wondered why. His supporters maintain he was willing to tank local control for a long-term gain. History will decide Ramos’ place on behalf of the kids. One thing is for sure, he’ll not be in the poorhouse, unlike so many of the kids he was paid to educate. From the Board of Education:
Board of Education Votes to Terminate Superintendent’s Contract. Search committee to begin task of finding new leadership
The Bridgeport Board of Education this evening voted to exercise its option to terminate Supt. John Ramos Sr.’s contract with the Board effective Jan. 1 2012, and announced it will open a search for a new leader within the next two weeks.
Board Chairman Robert Trefry said, “After extensive consideration and discussion with Superintendent Ramos, the board has made the decision to terminate his contract, effective January 1, 2012. We are grateful for the many significant contributions Superintendent Ramos has made to the District over the past six and a half years. The decision was a difficult one and one that we weighed very carefully. Yet, it is clear that the Bridgeport Public Schools are in the process of a significant change and as we embrace the challenges ahead of us, a change in leadership allows us to focus on the future.”
The board called a special meeting Wednesday, and after discussion in executive session, voted unanimously to enact the provisions detailed in Article 6 of the Superintendent’s contract. Specifically, Article 6, section 3 allows the Board to terminate the Superintendent’s contract for “its convenience to be effective no earlier than Jan. 1, 2012 by providing written notice to the Superintendent.”
“A search committee will be formed to conduct the search for a new superintendent and to recommend a group of final candidates for the Board’s consideration,” Trefry said, adding, “Candidates with experience in closing the achievement gap will be sought from both in and outside Connecticut.” The Board will act on the appointment of search committee members at its regular meeting on October 24.
Under the terms of his current contract, the Board will have to pay the Superintendent a lump sum equal to 12 months of his salary in effect at the time his contract is terminated. The Superintendent’s current yearly cash compensation is $229,204. As part of his contract, the Superintendent and his spouse can continue to receive health, dental and vision benefits until he reaches the age of 65.
“In my six-and-a-half years as the superintendent of the Bridgeport Public Schools I have had the privilege of working with some of the finest people in education–from board members to senior administrators, principals, teachers and support staff–and for this, I am grateful. There are countless unsung heroes in our communities including parents who keep their hopes up in the face of intense hardship. I wish the new board, the City administration and the supporting community the very best. It has been a privilege to serve the cause of the children of Bridgeport.”
Trefry said the Superintendent would continue working through the end of the year while the board conducts a search for Ramos’ replacement.
During Ramos’ tenure, the school district was a finalist in the prestigious nationwide Broad Prize competition in 2006 and 2007; two schools were awarded Blue Ribbon status by the state Board of Education and six elementary schools received ConnCAN awards; seven new schools were opened, and the first interdistrict magnet high school is under construction; and two high schools and two elementary schools were deemed ‘turnaround’ schools through the use of School Improvement Grant money.
The Board of Education’s next regular meeting is October 24.
Bridgeport BOE goes through superintendents like some people go through underwear. Between the changes at the helm and the changes in curriculum, morale is in the toilet …
How sweet is that! Let’s see Finch run for cover on this one. LOL.
Now batting, Johnny Fabs!
Qualifications needed for job as follows
Backs a pervert in court … check
Did drugs while holding public office … check
Does not posses proper certificates … check
Hangs at Testo’s … check
Welcome to your new job, Johnny Fabulous
How much is this buyout costing including severance deal, lifetime health benefits and the cost of an interim or new supt.? $600k?
*** Good luck to Mr. Ramos & a good decision vote on the part of the new “State BOE” for Bpt. Let’s hope they take their time in researching all candidates applying for the Supt. job! Moving towards positive progressive change in the Bpt. school system will not be easy so I hope the board takes into account recommendations & ideas from other successful urban schools districts in America, the Bpt school parents & school staff. And let’s not forget to give credit to all the teachers, tutors & school staff as well as the school building committee for the past education achievement awards & new schools in Bpt. Education should be a team effort for real change, no? *** BACK TO BASICS ***
Morale is terrible … staff, parents and students. It won’t improve until there is a budget in place and new leadership. Dr. Ramos wasn’t a bad superintendent, but he didn’t necessarily follow the mantra of a good leader: surround yourself with great people. I believe that is one of the downfalls in BPS–lack of caring, competent leaders. This results in low expectations and poor morale. If parents, staff and students felt respected as individuals, perhaps all would work together to improve education in the city.
Another failed PhD expert on public education bites the dust. What Bridgeport needs is the likes of Michelle Rhee!!!
Bob // Oct 12, 2011 at 10:18 pm
To your posting
Bob,
These clowns wouldn’t know Michelle Rhee any more than they’d know about best practices for the teaching of Bridgeport’s young children.
Nothing is going on except power plays, political gamesmanship and control over a lot of BOE money Sherwood has his eyes on.
Search committee did they say? That ought to be interesting.
Thanks Carol, you and I are a party of two here.
The treatment Michelle Rhee received in Washington DC speaks volumes of the ineptitude, especially, and all of the other negative descriptions of politicians of which one can think. It’s never about the good and welfare of the municipality politicians control, it’s all about getting elected and re-elected and perpetuating a corrupt system. And Bridgeport is a poster child of such a system.
Was that edgy enough for you, Lennie?
I say bring back Salcedo. She has been bought out by better than Bpt, as well as Bpt.
This is why our kids have to share books. The BOE gives high salaries and sweetheart deals to inept managers. After 6-1/2 years Ramos gets full medical, vision and dental for him and his wife until the age of 65. WTF? Employees can retire after 50 years of service and they would not get vision and dental benefits. Plus the BOE never gave up their take-home cars. Talk about your corporate greed. Who do these people think they are? I hope the new BOE shakes things up and quickly.
Ramos’ departure raises so many ‘hot-button’ topics with readers:
* chs–Employees in private firms have different and ultimately less expensive compensation packages than many in public employment today. The unions have done a good job negotiating, and the Council has no active guidelines in mind before being told by “those from on high” what makes a good contract and cost structure for employees and taxpayers.
* Bob and Carolanne–Michelle Rhee, John Ramos, et al. do not walk on water. They are humans with talent and experience and require a tightly conceived Mission Statement and regular monitoring by those in charge, the BOE. This did not happen according to many for Ramos’ term. Why not??? So we start with talking about ‘preparing all students to be college bound’ and finish with chasing kids who hide out in the halls while classes are taught, large numbers with suspensions and a truancy problem. Paraphrasing Rick Torres at HCC: “I can fail 9 out of 10 Bridgeport students with a similar education budget.”
* Parents … when parents don’t vote, and they do not in quantity sufficient to change the machine governance in Bridgeport, there may be multiple reasons. A few parents who came to the BOE meeting at Tisdale School last Thursday night did speak up as they decried the loss of counselors and social workers who assist their youth and families. No one decried the loss of security personnel or custodians. Is that curious? Or does that represent the way Bridgeport decisions are made? Are there any public education systems who have explored the possibility of ‘private firms’ that pay competitive compensation to either security or custodial employees but not with the long-term costs negotiated by municipal unions? Might be interesting to know. Alternatives are important as dollars get more dear.
What urban systems have managed to activate parents to assume major responsibilities for raising their kids and enjoying the potential fruits of an educational system, available until age 18 or so? BOE stewards, Superintendents of school systems, certified teachers and counselors, and all other school employees can only do so much to assist youth in reaching their potential. Parents are a critical connector, and their responsible role should involve regular activity with and for their children as well as community advocacy for more money. A very important activity “for and with their children” would be to become informed about candidates and voting for those who seem to be most progressive in support of education in our community. Time will tell.
So what you’re saying is to break the unions? I’ve got news for you, this city is not broke due to union contracts. It’s broke because it elects and hires incompetent people unable to do their jobs. Ramos’ sweetheart contract was not due to any union negotiations. It was due to an inept board put in place to rubber stamp what City Hall wants.
You want to put the blame on the backs of union custodians? Privatization of low-level union workers will change nothing. If any money is saved–and that’s a big IF because it is debatable privatization saves anything in the long run–it will only go to further line the pockets of those at the top.
Corrupticut // Oct 13, 2011 at 10:35 am
To your posting
Corrupt …
That’s not what BEACON2 was saying at all … Don’t blog just to pick a fight, especially when the information is of critical importance to us. BEACON2 talked a lot more about all the components brought to bear in educating Bridgeport’s young children.
Pick your battles with your real enemies Corrupt, not with those writing to inform the circumstances of the day. Take notice along with the “union component,” public education in Bridgeport has many other components to form the entity.
BEACON2 // Oct 13, 2011 at 10:01 am
To your posting
B2,
All you say and more points to the first tenant: the student, the parent, the teacher serve the beginning, the middle, and the completion of a public education experience in Bridgeport. Ramos is the opposite of Rhee … Rhee didn’t so much as walk on water as she brought these components together in such a way as to see a dramatic improvement in the public school system of DC. With a damn strong backbone added. Ramos may have thought well when he thought about public education in Bridgeport, but that is where it stopped and his persona was not equal to to the challenge of implementing. However, both Rhee and Ramos saw their careers die because of the politics of each City … Bpt and DC!
I am sad to hear Dr. Ramos will not continue. In my brief time on the board I found him to be a stand-up guy who cared deeply about the kids. He deserves nothing but best wishes from all of us.
Pat, that is a crock. If he cared deeply about ALL kids why do we have a 60+% dropout rate? Were you part of the group that kept extending this guy’s contract? Were you part of the group that in effect gave Ramos & his wife lifetime health care, dental & eyeglass coverage? If you were then thanks for screwing the taxpayers again. I will say this Pat, you did not do your job.
Andy … Pat Crossin most certainly was part of the group that kept extending Ramos’ contract. Pat did do his job–the one Mario Testa told him he had to do …
Corrupticut,
You are totally wrong. Unions stink. Every administration panders to union negotiations purely to garner favor and votes. We cannot afford the ‘deals’ that have been jammed down our throats.
Private industry has all but done away with unions. A union is a dinosaur. The only place a union can stay in power is in municipalities.
Unions stink? The middle class in the country was founded on unions. The problem is people are starting to believe the right-wing noise machine that unions are the enemy. Sure, some poor hotel maid breaking her ass for $30k per year is the problem, not profound corporate greed. I guess you won’t be joining the Occupy Wall Street protesters any time soon.
Without unions, there would still be sweatshops. Private industry has all but done away with unions? What about the airlines? Sikorsky? Newspapers? Hotels?
As to Ms. Curry:
I don’t know what you have against me but this is not the first time you have jumped down my throat. I don’t “blog to pick a fight.” I’m tired of everyone blaming the little guy for the mess this country is in right now. I am entitled to my opinion as much as anyone else here and I don’t appreciate your admonishments.
I am not anti-union, I just find it strange you are blaming “corporate greed.” Where is that present in Federal, State, and municipal labor contracts? When government contracts are signed and municipal workers are getting better deals than similarly credentialed, experienced and classified workers in private industry, the reason is there is nobody representing the taxpaying public as a primary agenda.
My Grandfather could write pamphlets for the Union about mine owners in England in his spare time after a day’s heavy work. The game has changed 100 years later and I am arguing for fairness in a different regard. The little guy in Bridgeport who fails to inform himself, who depends on government to provide so many things, who thinks there is no cost to increased dependency, and who fails to get out and vote every chance he/she gets, is partially responsible for the mess we are in.
I am not out to break the unions, but rather to have the taxpaying and voting public looking at the same info available to the union worker. This is not shared publicly, before or after, in any meaningful way. Too many rules and regulations can create non-economic “safe islands” for certain people and groups, and the public pays for it, with little value to show.
When are elected officials going to understand their full responsibility for fairness in this regard to all stakeholders? My Mom was and wife is a certified member of the educational establishment in CT. Hard working, caring professionals like so many in Bridgeport. Ready to dip into their pocket for necessary materials, for the needy youth, or into their personal time, to move someone along their educational journey.
Think a little deeper about the real dynamics locally. It will help this dialogue. Time will tell.
The only living wage jobs are all primarily in municipal employment. Taxes and corporate greed drove manufacturing jobs from BPT. I challenge you to name even one company that left because of union greed and please be ready to back up your statements.
The one company that closed up because of a union strike was Carpenter Steel. The one thing that helped their decision was they had a bigger non-union plant in Redding PA.
RONIN HAHA.
I calculate total dollar amount of the Ramos severance pay at $1,410,000. What do you come up with, including estimated yearly health benefits? What are standards and best practices? I forget which people on the former BOE voted for this, anyone recall?
Bridgeport Now // Oct 13, 2011 at 11:58 am
To your posting
Bnow,
A calculation that makes one sick.
If Ramos worked in industry, he would have been escorted out the door the instant he was terminated. Only in Bridgeport (sorry Lennie! :)) would he have been terminated and kept on the job ’til 1/1/12.
Maybe 50 years ago. Today, if Ramos worked in industry, he would have cashed out his options, taken the money, and laughed as hundreds of millions or billions in shareholder value was destroyed. Six figures would be a humiliating haul for a disgraced CEO in today’s economy.
lisawhite–I agree 100 percent. If he is going to receive his salary, he should be moved to another area and forced to work for his outrageous salary.
Truer words were never spoken.