Statement from Maria Zambrano, executive director of Excel Bridgeport:
Today, Connecticut Superior Court Judge Barbara Bellis ruled that Superintendent Paul Vallas did not have the legal qualifications to be Bridgeport’s superintendent of schools. She ruled that he “be removed from office” because he did not complete a school leadership program as required by law. This is an unfortunate ruling for the Bridgeport school system and for the 20,000 students in this city that are stuck in failing schools. Bridgeport needs leaders like Paul Vallas who are working to bring about transformational change that our schools so desperately need it.
As a community, we also need to have a conversation about what qualifications are necessary to lead a struggling urban school district. Is it a piece of paper declaring someone “certified?” Or is it a track record of results for improving the educational outcomes of students? We believe it to be the latter.
Maria,
The judge’s ruling trumps whatever your community conversation says. Of course Excel Bridgeport probably believes teachers need not be certified if the community decides so.
Excellent point. It is simple. If Mr. Vallas were properly certified he could be hired. You cannot practice law or medicine without certification. Why should an uncertified individual make over $200,000 without proper certification when there are countless individuals across the nation with proper credentials? Speaking about Moales, isn’t there a huge conflict of interest with his wife as a teacher at Dunbar School and running a private school on the side? How obscene is that? Wasn’t Moales Mayor Finch’s Treasurer when running for office? How about investigating this travesty? Kudos to the courts and Judge Bellis. The ruling is just plain fair. Mr. Vallas on behalf of the City of Bridgeport, I want to thank you and your staff. Please reapply when you have the proper credentials for the job. In the meantime I suggest the Board get busy looking for a new superintendent. Hopefully, we are not responsible for a Cadillac insurance package like with Ramos.
What great irony to read your call for a community conversation when it was the leaders of Excel who excluded the community from the conversation about the State takeover. Maybe we could have avoided all of this if the Excel leaders had chosen to include us in the initial decision! And you wonder why people “demonize” Excel!
Those towns have already purchased the plan, and at a huge discount from Westport and Greenwich.
Their letter ends by saying, “Is it a piece of paper declaring someone “certified?” Or is it a track record of results for improving the educational outcomes of students? We believe it to be the latter.” It looks like Excel Bridgeport does not believe in MERIT.
Is Vallas now in breach of his contract by not obtaining the proper certification? I would believe the requirements were posted when the job opening was posted and that would mean not only do we not owe him anything, he may owe the city compensation for what he’s been paid up until now.
I wonder who will pay for the appeal–the city or the BOE?
That’s easy, the taxpayers of Bridgeport.
The BOE should pay, not the City. Vallas is not a City employee. Eighty percent of the BOE budget comes from the state and federal government. City taxpayers pay about twenty percent of the BOE budget. If the City pays you can expect a class-action suit against all responsible parties.
This is a direct copy of a blog post by Dave Walker earlier this year.
Dave Walker // Feb 26, 2013 at 6:36 pm
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.
BlackRockGuy, base on David Walker’s reply means he disagrees with the judge’s decision.
Ron,
Do you have a reading comprehension problem? As I said previously, I haven’t even read it yet and I haven’t said anything about whether I agree with it or not. I don’t state opinions about things I haven’t read and I don’t assert what others believe when I have no basis to do so. You should do the same.
Congrats to Carmen Lopez. Maria and Jorge were hired so they could convince the Latino community to vote for what the Mayor was proposing regarding BOE takeover. Do not underestimate the Spanish-speaking community. Excel Bpt, sStop selling our educational system to private entities. As to the unions not stepping in, more than likely they were told stay out of it or we will mobilize against your seat next time you come up for election.
I say what I mean and I mean what I say. I stand by my comments but they need to be read based on the time they were said and the context of the matter at hand.
Dave Walker, have you read the court decision yet and do you still stand by your statement about Paul Vallas?
David Walker, these are your words
“Dave Walker // Jun 29, 2013 at 6:05 pm
I say what I mean and I mean what I say. I stand by my comments but they need to be read based on the time they were said and the context of the matter at hand.” And you stand behind your words without reading the judge’s decision, now that’s
a reading comprehension problem.
Ron,
Please read what you and I said again, and this time more carefully. I said I stand by what I said at the time based on the facts at the time. The comment you and BRG referenced was months ago! That comment made sense at the time and based on what the related blog discussion at the time. In addition, there wasn’t any related Court decision on the certification issue and the state had approved Vallas’ serving. My comment was based on the need for reform and additional stability. I have not read the Court decision yet but I will do so. Believe it or not, some of us have multiple jobs to do. I’m one of them.
Dave Walker, yes I understand what you said when you wrote, “I stand by what I said at the time based on the facts at the time.” And now do you stand behind your words AFTER reading the judge’s decision?
Is it me or is the hostility on this blog at a record high? Is Carmen Lopez positioned to be the first Latina Mayor of Bridgeport? Mayor Lopez. I will bet many people are asking that very same question. She has the credentials and a platform. Hmmm, now there is an interesting possibility.
Now I have it out there. DISCUSS.
Steve, if she did decide to run, if, then count me in to get her elected.
I will bet nobody even thought the ideal candidate was right before them. Finch would run scared. I wonder if she has considered it? I wonder if she supports major economic development? I wonder if she is even reading this? Make history.
Ha Ha–that would serve us all right.
The proper vetting should have been done before hiring Vallas. It really comes down to a simple BFOQ issue for our Superintendent job. Vallas was simply not qualified. Do I think he does not know what he is doing? No, I am very sure he does. Do I think he does not bring a proven track record of positive results? No, I think he has. Are any of our school principals hired without an administrator’s credential in education? No, they are not. Would they even be considered? NO, they would not be.
The money for an appeal would be better spent on a search for a credentialed Superintendent.
This kind of chaos is what setting parameters and designing rules are intended to circumvent. The aforementioned may just be the root cause of the sad state of affairs the City of Bridgeport is experiencing in ALL areas of government.
Please remember Vallas was not hired to be the Superintendent! He was hired to help turn around the system … stop the stagnation Ramos created and THEN help the BOE find and hire a superintendent. We would not even be having this conversation if he had received the contract from Indiana, but that fell through … guess they did some research! He had no intention of staying in Bridgeport.