Excel Bridgeport Leader To Step Down

Maria Zambrano
Maria Zambrano

Maria Zambrano, executive director of the education advocacy group Excel Bridgeport that supported initiatives advanced by former school chief Paul Vallas, has announced she will leave the organization March 28.

“I helped found Excel Bridgeport in 2011 during a breakthrough time in Bridgeport public education,” Zambrano wrote in a statement to organization supporters. “I was humbled by the invitation to make a deep impact in my community. From childhood to adulthood, Bridgeport has pushed me, nurtured me and given me a wealth of opportunities. I am grateful that I have been able to give back to a place I love so much.”

Excel Bridgeport had served as the antithesis to the Connecticut Working Families Party that now has coalition control of the Board of Education. Excel Bridgeport had embraced many of the education reforms proposed by Vallas. The organization also was on opposite sides with the WFP in Mayor Bill Finch’s failed attempt in 2012 to win voter approval to appoint school board members. Hundreds of thousands of dollars in independent expenditures influenced the outcome with Excel Bridgeport among organizations supporting the city charter initiative. The WFP was among several groups that led defeat of the question asserting a yes vote would disenfranchise voters.

In the past year, however, the organization has taken a lower profile trying to build bridges in reaching education goals, especially with the WFP now in charge of the school board. In a statement Zambrano adds:

I’ve been inspired to work alongside the tenacious Bridgeport parents, youth and community members who advocate for high-quality public education in this city. I continue to marvel at the growth I’ve seen in our parent leaders, parents who initially engaged around issues affecting their own children but who have moved on to help all children in Bridgeport.

Moving forward, Excel Bridgeport’s work continues. Too many Bridgeport children are stuck in failing schools and face a life of limited opportunities. Excel’s model of building collective will and community action for world-class public schools stands out as a critical lesson as we look to improve public education across the state and nation. This work cannot stop until all children in this great city have access to an excellent public education.

Excel Bridgeport has appointed Erica Schwarz as the interim executive director. Her background:

Erica Schwarz comes to Excel Bridgeport with expertise in community organizing and nonprofit organizational management. Erica has been a consultant to Excel Bridgeport since September, providing coaching and training for our organizers as they work more closely with parents and youth to develop strategies and implement campaigns for better education in Bridgeport.

Before moving to Connecticut last summer, Erica was the Executive Director of WATCH, a community development corporation in Waltham, Massachusetts that organizes tenants to improve housing conditions and affordability in their community. During her tenure as WATCH’s director, Erica expanded its community organizing work, engaging many more families with WATCH, and more than doubled fundraising from community members.

Prior to her management of WATCH, Erica spent five years as WATCH’s lead community organizer. Among other campaigns, Erica organized tenants at a large apartment complex who secured an agreement from the owners to cap rent increases for 104 families for 4 years. This agreement prevented displacement of families who could not afford large rent hikes, and was the most expansive agreement of its kind at the time in Massachusetts.

Erica has also worked in the Community Development Department for the City of Medford, Massachusetts and served on the board of a small business association in downtown Waltham. She is currently a volunteer with the Turtle Shell Fund, a nonprofit arts organization in Shelton, where she lives with her husband.

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6 comments

  1. “From childhood to adulthood, Bridgeport has pushed me, nurtured me and given me a wealth of opportunities.”

    Maria Zambrano, that “wealth of opportunities” was made possible in part by people who exercised their right to vote and elect BOE members. You didn’t just “give back,” you participated in a process to take away the people’s right to freely elect school board leaders.

    “I’ve been inspired to work alongside the tenacious Bridgeport parents, youth and community members who advocate for high-quality public education in this city. I continue to marvel at the growth I’ve seen in our parent leaders, parents who initially engaged around issues affecting their own children but who have moved on to help all children in Bridgeport.”

    If the above statement is the case, why is it during the past year Excel has taken a lower profile trying to build bridges in reaching education goals as Lennie points out?

    Excel is not willing to work with the current BOE. So what’s the purpose for all this parent organizing? Enter Erica Schwarz. Erica must continue to look at the housing issues in Bridgeport as part of her role in Excel. Before she can do or ask the BOE to do things, she must take a good look at the living conditions of Bridgeport children and teens, especially those living in public housing. She has the background, after all.

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  2. Joel, the current BOE is not willing to work with anyone who has the slightest difference of opinion with them. If you are not 100% with them, they will do all they can to overrun you. There is no real compromise with the majority (or their behind-the-scenes, not-so-secret WFP influences).
    The way they conduct meetings do not promote FULL PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT. From unannounced public speaking (at the Harding Facilities Meeting) to manipulating the sign-up sheets (at the full BOE meeting regarding charter schools), this BOE’s actions are similar to those everyone on this blog complained about when it was the “FINCH/VALLAS” BOE. And if you dare to defy them, the WFP will target you (see Challenge slate 138th). Excel is better off working with parents directly to get them to unite.

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  3. I was one of many who fought Finch’s attempted take over the BOE. He was beaten and it came time for the election to the BOE and again he and his cronies were beaten.
    Now enter the Working Families Party and they are in charge or should I say have the controlling votes for the BOE.
    My question is what have they done so far except argue.
    Have they made a decision on Harding yet?
    Have they decided what curricula are going to be taught at this school?
    Have they contacted the various foundations started by billionaires like Sanford Weill of City Group? There are many Fortune 500 companies looking to help inner-city schools modernize their educational programs. Many of the programs are tied into the community colleges.
    Have they or their previous BOE members done any of this? No, they haven’t.
    Where are the new membees of the BOE? You were not put there to sit on your hands and nod your head. Stand up and fight for the kids. If necessary, impeach Baraka and tell Bagley to get a clue (Robert’s Rules).

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