A new school year is underway. Will Superintendent of Schools Paul Vallas fill out the year? Vallas will be a guest tonight (Tuesday) on the cable access show Bridgeport Now co-hosted by Rob Foley. Vallas will discuss challenges at Dunbar School as well as other education initiatives. The program starts 8 p.m. on Channel 88. It is also streamed live at www.soundviewtv.org. The number to call in is 203-345-0103.
This is a timely opportunity to interview Vallas as the Connecticut Supreme Court prepares to hear oral arguments in mid September about Vallas’ legal certification to serve a Connecticut school district. Vallas, who supervised school districts in Philadelphia, Chicago and New Orleans, joined the school district of Connecticut’s largest city nearly two years ago at the urging of Connecticut Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor. In March the school board, with the backing of Mayor Bill Finch, voted to approve a three-year contract for Vallas by a 5-4 vote. The deal calls for Vallas to be paid roughly $230,000 a year.
In April retired Superior Court Judge Carmen Lopez, a Bridgeport resident, filed a lawsuit in state court challenging Vallas’ credentials to serve as school chief. Superior Court Judge Barbara Bellis subsequently ruled that state education officials cut corners in certifying Vallas. She ordered him removed as superintendent. The state’s highest court agreed to hear the matter and ordered that Vallas remain on the job pending appeal.
I spent sometime talking to teachers at the building that temporarily houses Roosevelt School only to learn there is no AC and the average room temperature today was 97.4. How are kids going to learn in this type of environment?
Why hasn’t the AC been fixed? Who is responsible, UB or the city? In either case, get it fixed.
Andy,
Glad to hear from you again. Did you use any of the CitiStat or other technology to report the issue? Just wondering how those systems are working these days.
Had a chance to sit in on the Pension A meeting today. That plan continues to chug along with withdrawals/distributions to Plan A retirees around $30 Million per year. (Since 2006 the entire portfolio has earned an average of 5.31%.) The actual invested funds have decreased to about $117 Million as of July 31 because of benefit payments even though the City continues to make contributions and despite plan earnings.
I learned the City of Bridgeport is responsible for funding the police and fire pension plan B workers currently active who transferred to MERS, the State plan for municipal employees. The MERS plan allows overtime to be included in retirement calculations, but THE CITY OF BRIDGEPORT WILL BE RESPONSIBLE IN FUTURE YEARS FOR THE COST OF EXPANDED PENSION BENEFITS. Did you know that?
The State has a plan actuary to tell the City what it must pay each year and the State also set up a funding pattern for Plan A that is presently being followed by the City. And the City has its own actuary with its own set of figures.
Of course, the assumed interest rates used by the different actuaries are different, perhaps by as much as 3%. What is real? What is assumed? The public makes up shortfalls with tax payments. Time will tell.
Try 3rd floor at Bassick or Central. Remember the good old days before air conditioning? Uchhhhhhhhh.
*** WHEN IT COMES TO POLITICAL PICTURE-TAKING TIME, THE WHOLE GANG IS THERE! ***