Superior Court Judge Barbara Bellis has scheduled a hearing for this afternoon (Wednesday) regarding Superintendent of Schools Paul Vallas’ job status while her decision removing him for lack of legal certification is under appeal.
Lawyers representing retired Superior Court Judge Carmen Lopez who brought the case challenging Vallas’ qualifications to serve want Vallas off the job immediately. The city wants Vallas to remain on the job pending appeal. Connecticut civil procedure generally allows defendants to remain in place pending appeal. The hearing is scheduled to start at 2 p.m.
Bellis ruled Vallas did not complete a school leadership program required by state law. Prior to Bridgeport Vallas served as chief of school systems in Philadelphia, Chicago and New Orleans.
Way to go, Carmen.
Now let’s see what the smug Vallas has to say if he gets the boot.
He had said he expected to be on the job well into the next school year.
Let’s see what the good judge thinks about that. Maybe that was Vallas’s own uncertified legal opinion or worse maybe he was relying on the City Attorney’s office; the same City Attorney who told him he had nothing to worry about.
Here’s hoping Art Laske gets up in front of the judge again and tries to demean her into ruling in his favor. It’s worked well so far.
Would it be in the best interest of the students to keep Vallas while aggressively doing a nationwide search for a credentialed qualified individual who wants to make Bridgeport their final destination? It is not necessary to be vindictive and leave the seat vacant. Bob Walsh, who would you assume would take the helm while the City gets busy looking for his replacement? Has anyone even given any consideration? I know there are fans and foes of Mr. Vallas. The judged has ruled. There will be an appeal. It seems to me the board needs to be proactive and aggressive in finding an interim replacement if not Vallas as well as a nationwide search in the event The FINCH administration fails to appeal and win. It is all about the students and the future of our city.
Steve, he shouldn’t be there in the first place. There are plenty of qualified retired school administrators in the area who would do a fantastic job while they look for a permanent replacement. Vallas has proven not only is he unqualified but dishonest with the phony credentialing program he no doubt helped plan. HE HAS TO GO … NOW!
The judge has ruled he does not meet the state credentialing requirements. My first point is if Carmen had not filed to lift the stay then the whole purpose of the lawsuit is brought into question. Either the credentials are important or they are not. Right now we have a superintendent indefinitely on the job who is not credentialed. And I am sure the city would not move forward on finding a replacement because they will maintain they will win the appeal and will not be replacing Vallas.
A superintendent with his attitude and his reputation and, at least until December, a Board of Education willing to go along with whatever he wants could be extremely damaging financially and operationally.
And he deserves a smack-down simply because of his smug attitude. If he had acted more contrite and had offered a standing resignation to the board to be terminated at any time without notice, I might not feel so vindictive but vindictive is as vindictive does.
Bob, you are right on the money. I don’t consider your position to be vindictive. He has to go … period. There is nothing vindictive about that. He is unqualified and he many have committed fraud in the credentialing scandal. I would not be surprised if he will get in a lot of legal hot water. To keep him in office one more day alone is damaging.
Because getting him booted immediately is what’s best for the kids … right? What a farce!
This is just so vindictive and ridiculous. Don’t you old people have something more important to be doing? Like leaving for Florida! smh
Brick, haven’t heard from you in a while. Don’t you have to go shine Finch’s shoes or something?
While you’ve been in your troll hole eating artichokes, I’ve been working on some new development and modernization projects for the city!
Shouldn’t you be running for city council or something? You’re old and grumpy … just what Black Rock wants! hahaha
Steven,
Whatever is the right thing to do … Bridgeport leadership will do the opposite.
Paul Vallas is older than me.
Should we ship him off to Florida?
So Brick, if it is all about the kids, please tell me what have the kids gained from Paulie.
Real, hard facts, please.
Don’t tell me he balanced the budget because the only reason the budget got balanced is because his friend up in Hartford and his friend in City Hall annex gave him more money.
And please don’t rehash what Paulie wrote for Mulligan.
So Marc,
I hope you don’t have me confused with Bridgeport Leadership.
The mayor and Mark Anastasi are going to spend hundreds of thousands of taxpayer money trying to defend a superintendent who doesn’t really want to be here. He has written into his contract buyout clauses for when he leaves early. He has a private consulting business that is bidding on contracts that will make him far more money than he is making here.
He has contract language that allows him unlimited time off to do business outside of Bridgeport.
Wait, you are right.
Bridgeport leadership is doing the opposite of what is right!
My bad. Thanks for pointing this out, Marc.
I will say this, it is obvious what Bridgeport and the BOE have done in the past has not worked, and any future efforts will be wasted. The main thing lacking in Bridgeport is Parental Involvement. There are parents out there who just don’t give a damn about their children’s education. A teacher once told me on Parent/Teacher Conference night, only one parent showed up. That is insane! Not matter how much money you throw at education, without parental support we will have a very long road ahead of us. I will say this is not just a Bridgeport problem.
It is true. Parental involvement is very limited. The kids are very needy. Very little mental stimulation at home. After school programs are important. Breakfast and lunch are important. Half these kids only eat in school. I Would make an assembly mandatory for at least one parent of each student. The principal needs to give expectations the parent needs to sign off on. Electronics and phones are as much a status symbol as sneakers. They are disruptive. Any student caught with electronics should know they will lose it for the year. Parents need to know this. This will have an immediate impact. Kids text and take pictures all day. They are on Facebook. They all know how to get around the blocks on school computers. The kids are smart, very smart on information they want. I know they really are looking for the knight on a white horse. The city has seen Superintendents come and go. Salcedo, Ramos and Vallas. Education is key to the future of Bridgeport. There has to be a qualified individual out there with a track record and youthful. One that will be here for the long haul and turn the schools around. Even if it is one school at a time. The principals are key. We have so many great principals I have had the pleasure to work with. I would go school by school and see which teachers are the performers and those who are not. Where is the creative juice? I can think of seven amazing principals who could get together and run the system.
Who in the HELL gave Vallas unlimited time off to pursue other consulting engagements? I mean WHO specifically. Imagine the idiot thinking the condition of our school system is so stable it doesn’t need a full-time caretaker. Absurd. Utterly absurd. It’s really an administration that couldn’t care less about education so long as the window dressing keeps the little people off their back. One stupid scandal after another. Thank God we have Walker raising hell and now Halstead is showing some stuff. Change people. We need to change the whole kit and kaboodle. And to think there are some mudheads out there who think Newton is worthy of restored public trust. I think we should investigate the water company next. Somebody is putting something in the water supply that makes a lot of people really stupid.
Vallas is out!
Effective immediately Paul Vallas has been removed by the Judge. The stay is lifted, he can’t work another day!
I would like to see Fran Rabinowitz take the job–she’s the most qualified, competent and deserving employee who’s graced Bridgeport’s school system.
Sue, who is that? What school is she from?
Retired superintendent from the Hamden school system?
*** IT’S ANOTHER DEAD END FOR THE CITY’S BOE AND ITS TAXPAYERS! ***