According to the CT Post, Vallas told the (school) board Monday night he could have accepted a contract from the state appointed board but thought the respectful thing to do was to wait. “Now the only thing that will get me not to accept a contract is the board not giving me a contract. Because now, I’m pretty aggravated.”
Read more here.
Connecticut’s Working Families Party is one vote short of controlling the Board of Education. It is weighing in hard against Superintendent of Schools Paul Vallas including a protest in front of Harding High School Monday afternoon. The WFP, like any political organization, wants to pick its own person. Hold on a minute, says the Parent Advisory Council that represents thousands of city parents, we like Vallas and we want him to stay. Statement follows:
P.A.C. was shocked to learn that a press advisory release by the Connecticut Working Families Party on February 24, 2013 calling for Vallas’s ouster gave the impression that P.A.C. had come out against Vallas. Tammy Boyle, Corresponding Secretary for P.A.C., stated, “No one from the Connecticut Working Families Party even bothered to ask us for our take on Mr. Vallas. No one asked our opinion. They completely ignored us. The bottom line is that the Connecticut Working Families Party does not speak for parents in Bridgeport. They have spread false information and their press event is misleading and disrespectful to Bridgeport parents.”
Before Mr. Vallas’s arrival, Bridgeport schools faced a crippling budget deficit and devastating cuts in education. In less than a year on the job, Mr. Vallas has closed an $18 million budget deficit and made a series of improvements that directly impact students. PTSO President at Central High School, Lenore Foreman-Lewis stated, “If someone starts something, they should be given a chance to finish the job. Get out of the way and let the man (Vallas) work!”
Further, Carol Nunley, P.A.C. District Community Representative, said, “Vallas has done a wonderful job in a very short amount of time. Imagine how much more he can accomplish in another year. Our schools are finally on a path toward progress and improvement, let’s keep that going.”
Moreover, the PTSO President at Harding High School, Richard Pezzella, was never contacted or asked his views about a press conference being held at his school. Mr. Pezzella stated, “As the elected parent leader at Harding High School, I was never contacted or notified of this press conference. The truth is Paul Vallas is doing a fabulous job, especially at the high schools. His college credit program is phenomenal, he has made sure our kids have news books and has made safety a top priority. I have no problem with Mr. Vallas. Instead of coming to parents and asking our views the Working Families party has decided to bring outsiders in to blame superintendent Vallas.”
Not surprising Baraka & Pereira were at the helm of this. Not a speck of common courtesy or common sense between the two of them.
Fox was right!
Jimfox // Feb 20, 2013 at 8:19 am
To: Bobby Simmons, Maria Pereira, Sauda Baraka and John Bagley.
If you don’t know the good work of Mr. Paul Vallas by now, then the four of you are either the dumbest people we ever had sitting on the BOE, or just obstructionist. I didn’t vote your ass in to be an obstructionist.
*** Most parents get hung up on “rumored opinions” and not real “facts” in their overall views concerning city schools and the BOE. It’s not hard to get up a busload of pro-education parents and supporters (simply a few flyers) to either be in favor of or against something. Along with personal politics on the BOE, sometimes parents’ lack of really understanding the facts concerning an issue can be just as bad when trying to move city schools forward in Bpt. *** IS IT ANY WONDER? ***
Parent advisory council? Really? Who elected them? And who are they to claim to speak for the parents in B’port? Most of them were a bunch of loudmouths who were trying to shout down anyone who spoke out against Vallas. They should go by what they are, a bunch of brown-shirt fascists.
BRG–The PAC is the new name for the PTA. It is parents who have a kid in school but I think anyone can join.
www .bridgeportedu.com/Parent/Parent%20Center.html
Dude, do you not have Google on your computer? Or do your fingers engage before your brain is in gear?
BlackRockGuy you clearly are not a parent. The PAC is the official parent organization for Bridgeport schools. It is an elected body. PARENTS elected PAC leaders (also PARENTS) to be their representatives in the district. You probably don’t even live in Bridgeport because if you did you would know this already. We don’t need outsiders like you trying to bash our city! Get out!
I am willing to give Vallas the benefit of the doubt but I have yet to see exactly what the wonderful results are. Really, what is the evidence? New textbooks? A budget gap closed by political maneuvering that could have happened without him? Just the facts would help. And please let’s not hear about all the schools that have opened thanks to Finch and Vallas.
Without real facts, the door is wide open for the continued dissension on the BOE and WFP input. Sure would like to see some grown-up behavior from all, though.
Vallas lost me when he appointed Fabrizi to an important executive position. A shameless Calamarian move. We were supposed to hire a tough guy to come in and restore our educational system so as to endure a steady flow of highly skilled graduates fully prepared to enter the emerging commercial market we should have had in place by now. Instead we got Vallas.
DeStefano. He knows how to restore an educational system. Compare DeStefano to Finch.
*** Could this city’s educational woes be turned around in just two years? Is this not what’s being asked of Vallas & Co. without the extension? If it’s a miracle this city’s educators and taxpayers are looking for, why not get a “Genie” in a bottle instead, no? *** GET REAL, PEOPLE! ***
My biggest concern about Vallas is most of what I have read about him indicates he left his previous school districts in disarray, Chicago, New Orleans and Philadelphia. He was also accused of hiring cronies as consultants (as in Bridgeport?). I’m led to believe he signed no-bid contracts here for texts, tests and consultants contrary to Bpt. BOE regs. My impression of him is he is part of a cadre of “reformists” who want to privatize public education not for the children but for the simple sake of profit. Most of this information I garnered from Jonathan Pelto’s “Wait, What?” and Diane Ravitch’s blogs. A Google search will turn up similar unflattering articles. If these accusations are valid then I question Bpt’s BOE due diligence and fiscal responsibility.
Flubadub, if you are relying on Pelto and Ravitch to get your information you really have no clue about what’s really going on in Bridgeport schools. Neither of these two live or send their kids to Bridgeport schools. Neither of these two has ever attended a Bridgeport BOE meeting. Neither of these two have any K-12 teaching experience. Neither of these two are parents in a low-income community. They don’t know what Bridgeport schools need. They both repeatedly print falsehoods in their “blogs” in order to feed their anti-school reform followers. Pelto is a disgruntled ex-state employee upset that Gov. Malloy didn’t give him a job in his administration. So he then chose to take on the Gov’s legislative priorities (i.e. education reform). Ravitch is an ivory-tower academic from Manhattan who was the main sponsor of President Bush’s accountability school reforms–the same one she now rails against. Hypocrites. Both of them. The Working Families Party that organized the Fire Vallas rally is no different. Did anyone catch that picture in the CT Post? All the people in the rally were people who don’t live in Bridgeport and work for WFP.
Paul Vallas is trying to bring much-needed and long-overdue transformational reforms to Bridgeport’s education system. He deserves support and a reasonable amount of time to do so. In addition, the City of Bridgeport’s finances are in worse shape than the Board of Education. The City of Bridgeport needs transformational reforms too.
Walker, why don’t you read about what Vallas did … getting rid of electives and sending kids to local colleges where 75% of these kids couldn’t handle it. That sounds like dismantling our schools and the poorest kids are going to be left behind.
Flub,
Please go to the Bridgeport Public Schools site. Is there anything you see today that was not provided 16 months ago? Does that show a change from the last administrative team to this one? Is Vallas doing anything differently than he predicted he was going to do during his early months?
About ‘accusations’ that are made and repeated, and repeated, and then quoted elsewhere; have you come to a meeting or written to the Vallas team to test accuracy, veracity, etc. about what is ongoing here? I have an entirely different opinion of him after watching him at work, members of his team to whom he entrusts real responsibility to execute their duties to good effect, and look at the public trail of materials on the BPS site. What do critics wish for Bridgeport kids that is not being done for them today? Who have you come to trust with our young people, with City resources and with the considerable funds spent on education? Who has told you about the plan, posted it for all to see, and stays available to comment as it moves forward? Time will tell.
Thanks for the reply, John. I’ll do due diligence and follow up on your suggestions.
I think the taxpayers of Bridgeport are owed a full and transparent accounting of Vallas’ transactions. The speculation is textbook buys, purchase of software, hiring of consultants, etc. have all gone through his consulting company. Has the company/Vallas benefited from these transactions? Were there competitive bids? Why or why not? Where is the hard evidence of any gains in the Bridgeport schools over the last year? As for previous performance, there is lots of information out there. New Orleans at least is a question mark though not leaning toward success. Philadelphia is about $1 billion in debt and closing 28 schools. Chicago is obvious. Without that information it is hard to form a real opinion on whether Vallas should stay or go.
A small amount of truth and humility would go a long way–don’t think Vallas is acquainted with either …
BiB,
Take me back to spring 2011 without an education budget for the City, just a paste-up repeat of the previous year projected for 2012. Were you concerned? State appointed board hires Vallas who jumps into the City with both feet, a businesslike approach and a team spanning the professional disciplines necessary to assess, plan and reform a broken public school system. Do you remember the Ramos rag about $18 Million deficit and 200-employee layoff? Who had a plan?
If you really think he has not set in motion a good and worthwhile amount of change with a five-year school-based academic plan coupled with a five-year budget plan, you are not paying attention to Bridgeport. Perhaps you should be reading ONLY IN PHILADELPHIA or ONLY IN CHICAGO, or even ONLY IN NO! (NOLA = New Orleans, LA) The man is present. His info is on the Public School web site for all to see. Judge the current performance relative to the ‘past performance’ of previous leaders and previous BOE, please. Or share your magic elixir and solution to benefit the kids. It’s time for current facts, not haphazard speculation about things you repeat rather than research. Check out the City purchase orders, perhaps? Time will tell.
*** Vallas cannot preform miracles with kids who have spent the majority of their school years academically failing; and should not be expected to either! What he should be expected to do is to turn the system around in a positive direction for the future. Cut all the wasteful mismanagement spending and find ways to build revenue. Stop student and staff abuse of the school system in general. Weed out all the bad top-heavy administrators down to the principals and make the school’s union and its members accountable for the work they’re supposed to be doing! Moving down the line with requiring parents to become more involved in their kids’ work, in and out of school by volunteering some time at the schools for extra credit for their kids! And last but not least, making schools safer for all staff and students alike along with enforcing a three strikes and you’re out policy for those who really don’t want to be there and for the sake of the school, staff and students in fairness should not be! *** TIME TO LEAN ON VALLAS! ***
Just what is it Vallas has accomplished since arriving in Bridgeport?
I’m not sure about Vallas yet. He comes across well in public but he did hire Fabrizi and he did eliminate Home Tech and Auto Mechanics from the curriculum. He did a whole closed-door deal with General Electric without any transparency. That is where the real money is.
Question–
Does anyone else have an issue with two of the WFP BOE members attending the Anti Vallas rally and being a part of the online petition to fire Vallas? I know Maria denied she signed it, but her name is still there and not taken down.
My point is this, they are in charge of evaluating his performance. How can he expect a fair evaluation if they are attending events supporting efforts to fire him? WFP supporters, think about it–you would upset if Moales or Kelleher held a “Keep Vallas” rally at Central High School. In regard to Vallas, the jury is out. His past is all online, but the school year is only half over. I believe he deserves another year at least to see if his plan takes. In regard to his salary, I don’t think we are going to get a School Super for less than $200K anyway. Add on top of that the money you will pay to a search committee.
I agree with Lifelong Bpt. Maria Pereira denied to the CT Post she signed the petition and then she shows up at the Fire Vallas rally? Who does she think she’s fooling? What a liar. She is a BOE member. She has access to the information needed to verify these false claims against Vallas and she still goes on BOE property to condemn him??? Vallas should file a lawsuit against her. She’s committed libel.
*** Vallas has done more in 18 months than both Ramos and Salcedo did the “whole time” they were here in Bpt running the school system. Cuts, admin. and staff accountability, more new books, and hopefully at budget time a better, clearer, transparent school budget for review! What have the present BOE members done to support Vallas while here these past 18 months or less? Now it’s time to search for another so-called “genie” in a bottle to do what in another 18 months or less? *** ARE WE SUPPOSED TO BE REBUILDING OR MENDING THE BPT SCHOOL SYSTEM ***