Mulligan Steps Up For Vallas, Highlights Accomplishments

Board of Education member Tom Mulligan defends the honor of  Paul Vallas in an opinion piece that also appears in the Connecticut Post, listing a series of accomplishments by the superintendent of schools. Mulligan’s commentary:

I am writing concerning the editorial in the Connecticut Post on June 30, 2013. Judge Barbara Bellis ruled that Superintendent Paul Vallas’ study was insufficient to meet the statutory requirement of a “school leadership program.” This ruling is due to be appealed, but if the judge’s decision is upheld, then Superintendent Vallas’ service must end.

While a “school leadership program” is the statutory requirement, as its purpose is to be sure a candidate has leadership skills, it is surely a technicality as applied to this superintendent. As reported by Post reporter John Burgeson on June 30, Superintendent Vallas has been “at the helm of some of the most troubled school districts in the world, including Philadelphia, Chicago, post-Katrina New Orleans, post-earthquake Haiti and also as a special adviser to dozens of Chile’s lowest-performing schools.” In addition, 17 educators who have worked for Superintendent Vallas in these various districts have become superintendents in their own right, some in major cities and one for a state. It is not surprising that, during the course of his studies, the University of Connecticut professor who is director of the leadership program for superintendents asked Mr. Vallas to lecture the class. And so while the statute certainly requires a “leadership program,” it is silly to say it is not a technicality as applied to this superintendent.

The Post editorialists have been silent as to the substance, which is the job performance since December 2011 by this superintendent. Which of his actions does it find objectionable? Is it (1) the closing of a $12 million deficit with minimal layoffs; (2) a substantial funding increase from the city after three years of stagnant budgets; (3) increases in state funding since he has been at the helm with the help of State Commissioner Stefan Pryor, of whom the Post has been so critical but who seems to be fulfilling his commitment to helping low-performing school districts; (4) increasing the number of high schools from three to eight, creating multiple specialty schools; i.e. military academy, first responders and three magnet high schools focusing on different areas in the sciences, which will hopefully decrease our drop-out rate; (5) reinstating sports for middle school students; (6) summer school with increased enrollment available for 5,000 struggling students and increased hours of instruction; (7) laptop computers for each high school and possibly even eighth-grade students; (8) instead of the old boards, high-tech “smart boards” in every classroom; (9) convincing Commissioner Pryor to have the state provide special subsidies first for Curiale School and more recently for Dunbar School, which had been slated to close but now has been saved; (10) consolidation of bus routes, which may save us up to $900,000, which savings can then be shifted to other needs; (11) a separate school for students who repeatedly disrupt classes or who drop out; (12) new language arts, math and science textbooks for all students, K-12, with online access to these books at home; (13) substantial shrinking of the staff at the central office allowing a shift of resources to the schools; (14) professional teams visiting classrooms to identify student weaknesses and helping the students improve; (15) obtaining state funding for a new Longfellow School instead of removing asbestos and renovating the old one; (16) assembling a skilled team of administrators with one already being offered the job of chief financial officer for the Boston Public Schools; (17) attracting approximately $1.5 million in donations from private philanthropists; (18) increase in school security, etc.

Does the Post want us to return to the days in our city of the annual, fruitless kabuki dance that went on for decades when the Board of Education would demand large funding increases from the mayor and the City Council, not receive them and then blame poor results on the lack of money? A return to the years of the superintendent and the mayor constantly in conflict blaming each other for poor results, the mayor claiming he had no control over education and the superintendent complaining of inadequate funding? While we have received increased funding from both the city and the state since the arrival of Superintendent Vallas, with the condition of the city, state and federal budgets, we are not going to get the increases we need and we must depend upon talented administrators with new ideas and the energy, resolve and endurance to see them through.

Will they be successful? With the struggles that so many of our students have as a result of broken homes and/or poverty, it cannot be assured. But the innovations of this superintendent have justifiably given parents hope. Let the cynicism, hopelessness and nihilism remain only with the Working Families Party.