The Connecticut Supreme Court on Thursday reversed a ruling by Superior Court Judge Barbara Bellis that Paul Vallas lacked the qualifications to lead Bridgeport schools. Read the decision here. The Supremes validated the authority of State Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor and the Connecticut Board of Education to qualify Vallas who was hired for the school system in December 2011, and subsequently given a three-year contract by the city school board. Vallas announced last week he will be leaving as chief of Bridgeport schools to run for lieutenant governor in the state of Illinois. The lawsuit was brought by retired Superior Court Judge Carmen Lopez, a Vallas critic, who had declared that Vallas’ legal fees should not be covered by the Board of Education irrespective of this case involving the performance of his duties. Appellate specialist Steven Ecker represented Vallas.
From the decision:
We, therefore, adopt the common-law rule followed by our sister states and conclude that a quo warranto action may not be used to avoid the administrative process by mounting a collateral attack on a governmental agency’s licensing or certification decision that has qualified a public officer to hold his or her position. Thus, we further conclude that the trial court exceeded the bounds of its quo warranto jurisdiction in determining, as matters of statutory interpretation and finding of fact, that the defendant was not qualified for his position as superintendent of the public schools of Bridgeport on the ground that he had not completed a “school leadership program” as prescribed by §10-157(b). That determination, which underlay the commissioner’s ultimate decision to waive certification requirements for the defendant, was a licensing decision squarely committed to the state board and the commissioner by the legislature, and the plaintiffs failed to avail themselves of appropriate avenues to raise this challenge to the defendant’s qualifications in the appropriate administrative forum.
The judgment is reversed and the case is remanded to the trial court with direction to dismiss the amended complaint.
Ecker told the Connecticut Post that a lot of taxpayer money was wasted because the plaintiffs (Lopez) did not follow the proper administrative remedy as cited in the Supreme Court decision. “A lot of arrows have been flung at Vallas by folks. That he wasn’t following the law,” Ecker said. “Guess who wasn’t following the law? This lawsuit never should have been filed.”
In the last year Judge Bellis’ decisions have not held up well under Supreme Court review. The Supremes had also reversed her decision ordering Vallas off the job while the case was under appeal. It is standard practice in Connecticut civil procedure for defendants to maintain rights under appeal. And in 2012 the high court ruled Bellis erred, prejudicing a jury, in forcing a defendant on trial to be shackled while wearing prison clothes. See that decision here.
Many of Vallas’ critics including outgoing school board member Maria Pereira, chair of the Bridgeport Working Families Party, have cited the Bellis decision and other claims such as no-bid contracts and failing to follow the School Governance Council regulations to show Vallas has no respect for the law.
Statement from Vallas:
“All of us in the Bridgeport Public Schools central office are pleased with the Supreme Court’s decision today. We were confident that the Court would recognize and defer to the authority of the Connecticut State Board of Education in this administrative matter. During the deliberations we have remained focused on ensuring that the children of Bridgeport have access to the best possible educational opportunities, and now that the Court has ruled, we will continue to do just that.”
Statement from Lindsay Farrell, executive director of Connecticut Working Families Party:
“On November 5th, Bridgeport voters sent a message that Paul Vallas was taking their schools in the wrong direction. Parents, teachers and communities stood up to take back their schools from the corporate reform agenda. Vallas was on his way out one way or another. But we’re pleased that it was the voters of Bridgeport that turned the tide at the polls and elected a new Board majority who will fight for every student.”
Statement from Mayor Bill Finch:
“I am immensely gratified by today’s Supreme Court decision and I want to thank the justices for their thoughtful deliberations in doing the right thing for our kids. This ruling means that Connecticut municipalities can now recruit innovative leaders like Paul Vallas who can give our kids new books, new laptops, and a strong curriculum and teacher supports that will allow our students to excel and get the kind of world-class education they so richly deserve.”
Bizarre ruling. It is one of the jobs of the court system to rule on whether the law was followed or not. If an agency is accused of acting outside the law, it is the court system that ultimately rules on this.
Even with this decision, the lawsuit brought by retired Superior Court Judge Carmen Lopez was a very important example to the voters of Bridgeport, make a stand and fight for what you believe instead of just bitching and writing about it. Carmen Lopez did something about it, while many others made noise and were sitting on their hands on the sideline.
Dave Moore,
Your many postings against Vallas over the past couple years, especially those that were critical of things he was going to do, rather than what he was doing that you viewed negatively, are what frankly appear bizarre today.
The ruling is according to the law as these justices read it and interpret it along with other cases that bear on quo warranto, etc. I am not trained legally. And you have not claimed that either. Time to respect the authority of the system? Isn’t that what you are saying?
And Ron, as you mention there has been such a great deal of “bitching and writing” about the doings of Bridgeport’s education system. But most of it has been about Paul Vallas and oppositional to anything and everything attached to his time here.
It seems the CT Supreme Court has validated Vallas’ activity in preparing materials presented to the State Board of Education representative Professor Villanova. It might be instructive for each member of the coming BOE to see the papers submitted to Professor Villanova about addressing “systemic school failure” in urban environments and the potential for change, sought by all, allegedly.
I have heard it said if the only tool you have is a hammer, then everything you approach looks like a nail. Retired Judge Carmen Lopez has an ability to research and approach issues from a legal viewpoint, and if she is in disagreement with the way things are, she hammers out a suit. The suit cost the City money, needless time and angst from many sides, and a focus not on the major issues such as increasing and improving quality instructional time in the classroom. Getting better grades as an indicator of improvements for students, schools and systems is a slower process than many have expected. Are we ready to explore and learn the many small and incremental actions that can be done with patience and perseverance to reach goals? Time will tell.
Hear, hear! Nicely said, JML.
John Marshall Lee, to you Paul Vallas is the greatest thing since sliced bread, this nomad has questions asked about him everywhere he shows up. You questioned Judge Lopez’ decision to sue, well why did Judge Barbara Bellis rule in her favor?
That’s what friends are for.
Well stated, Mr. Lee. For the record, the courts hate frivolous lawsuits, especially one constructed by a former judge who should have known better. I’m wondering if Vallas won’t file a civil suit at this juncture.
There is no ruling according to the law. The judges refused to do their job as to the merits of the case.
Is that why every school system Vallas has run is a shambles, JML? Systemic urban school failure … that describes Chicago, NO and Philadelphia after Vallas was just about run out of town on a rail, though after making a pretty penny!
The Connecticut Supreme Court’s ruling is the judicial equivalent of an honorable discharge for Paul Vallas.
Local Eyes, that’s pretty good.
*** Talk about never should have happened, egg on your face, slam-dunk ruling, facts over opinions on political obstructing, it ain’t over ’til it’s over, then charge it to the taxpayers, Supreme Court Decision, no? *** Vallas must be dancing on clouds repeating, “take this job and shove it in 60 days” and if you’re ever in Illinois, don’t bother to look me up! *** WHAT WILL THE NEXT HUNT BRING THE BPT BOE AND ALL ITS BAGGAGE? ***
Mojo, unfortunately that is not what Vallas is saying. Vallas is saying you can shove it in 60 days from when I say the 60 days starts unless the BOE is going to force me to say otherwise.
Paul Vallas may not like working in Bridgeport and definitely does not like the thought of living in Bridgeport but he sure does love the Bridgeport taxpayers dollars.
Your turn, JML. Show us your love for Paulie.
Heard today Vallas was positively gloating in meetings.
Bob, Vallas makes less than Ramos and brought $5 mil in grants with him. Basically, he could work in BPT for the next 20 years before he sees $1 in taxpayer money on that one grant alone.
Interesting link on Pereira. Apparently, her penchant for “inflammatory” behavior precedes her days on the BOE. Illuminating. 😉
Where is the link, Sally? I can’t seem to find it.
It’s no longer linked.
More character assassination from Mustang Sally.
David, did you read the link while it was up? It’s not character assassination if it is true. Perhaps you should get the details, then ask if Mustang Sally is off base.
Dave, she’s all Tang!
Please, Mr. Moore. I am anti-bad behavior on the BOE, and am neither anti-WFP nor pro-Vallas. I am also of the opinion Moales has been even more caustic and inappropriate than Pereira. The link had court records attached to it. Character assassination? Okay, suit yourself.
And for all of the Vallas supporters, please do not misinterpret the Supreme Court ruling. It does not state Paul Vallas is qualified to be a superintendent of schools in the state of Connecticut. What it says is the complaint about the procedure that was followed was filed improperly through the courts and administrative relief should have been sought from the state Board of Education.
And I would hope everyone realizes first and foremost the base problem, and that is how the law was written to begin with, has still not been addressed and corrected.
A “uniquely qualified” individual who passes a self-designed course of study should not be considered the equal of other candidates who have followed rigid courses of study and certification.
If the commissioner and state Board of Education want the authority to waive any and all requirements to certification AND the legislature is willing to give them that power, then that is what the law should read. Because that is basically what the Supreme court ruled. But I am willing to bet the law will not be changed to say so even though the court pretty much establish that law today.
As a parent who has sat back and tried to stay neutral, it’s sad the distractions of Ex-judge Lopez will once again take away from our children. This women and her minions seem to want to continue to exact their negativity on this city and school district. Enough is enough! Respectfully, move on with your life and stop forcing your agenda on us. It’s getting old.
Attorney Ecker has a lot of balls talking about money! How much did it cost the city to defend their illegal actions that were overturned by the Supremes?
Grin, good point but John Marshall Lee seemed to forget about the illegal takeover of the BOE by Mayor Finch to give Paul Vallas total control of the BOE, to him Judge Lopez is the enemy who cost the City legal fees.
Dave, what is a “pretty penny?” What do you mean by “run out of town on a rail” as I have not seen any evidence of that in the reported record?
Ron, perhaps you forget I have been more critical of Mayor Finch, with presentation of facts, numbers, Charter violations, ghost expenses, etc., etc. than most folks on OIB. I have continuously commented he is not an ACCOUNTABLE Mayor, and that is why I worked with the coalition of “NO” folks who opposed Finch’s Charter changes. Vallas has not had “total control of the BOE” unless you consider the BOE gave power to him by allowing themselves to get away from substantive issues at Board meetings.
Bob Walsh, try substituting the term “respect” for “love” when it comes to Paul Vallas. I respected you when you were on the Council because you were willing to “confront” the powers that be and interested people like me, for instance, learned from some of your actions. Your more recent work is not of the same caliber in my opinion. Perhaps your emotions have gained control of your mind. Isn’t it a lot easier to tear almost everything down than to plan and work for appropriate construction?
Urban school districts have problems, and more of them in kind and quantity than suburban districts. The real issue is assessing where you are, creating some realistic plans including funding to get to where you want to be, demonstrating active willingness to work with all stakeholders and having measurement tools available to chart progress (or not).
I am sorry I give an impression in my writing Paul Vallas “is the greatest thing since sliced bread” but in writing about how public funds are spent in our City and applying terms like OPEN, ACCOUNTABLE and TRANSPARENT, I find Vallas has done much with the our public school system to be praised. He has been here only two years. In cities where he had responsibility in the past, there are strong indications of continued gains after he left, though not necessarily in communities that suffered financial underfunding and deficits after he left.
Dave, you and a few others who seem to have moved on to other venues continue to heap disinformation, untruths and outright lies on OIB readers. That does not add to honest discussion of the community problem of educating the 21,000 youth in our system. It does deflect the presentation of facts and discussion of prudent courses of action to deal with things we can control going forward. (This is the work of the BOE, isn’t it?) You have no Plan B. You have not acknowledged any form of improvement during the Vallas term. What purpose have you served? What light can you shine towards a better future for quality instructional time? Time will tell.
John Marshall Lee, so you don’t have any problem with changing the rules of the game like the State did for Paul Vallas? Now we are telling students merit and standards have no true meaning and what is more important is who we like. JML, how did Vallas really get considered to run the Bridgeport school system, do you think this was just done by putting out a notice nationwide or are there others who directed Vallas here for their own reasons that have nothing to do about educating the students of Bridgeport?
Ron,
You can identify the folks who have been running the “lack of popularity contest” in this City. It has Paul Vallas in the spotlight and lots of untruths peddled without advancing the cause of kids in the City one iota.
My opinion, thank you for asking, is Vallas got here because he is someone with lots of insight into how school systems are organized and run. That means he could spot what was not being done, was not understood in City education about State funds for a poor City to use, and he had accomplished things where he had been in the past.
For all your words Ron, is it possible the Bridgeport Education Association, less than 25% of whom live in the City, hijacked the dues of BEA members to play guerrilla war with the administration? And in the name of gaining power for a new party in town and maintaining the status quo for adults employed by the BOE they felt their best bet was to challenge the new guy in town on technical grounds, not of the man’s making? No teachers lost their jobs. No schools were closed. Curriculum materials, technology and infrastructure have been addressed and extended, new resources have been opened and granted to the schools, and so much more. Did that happen mainly because of the BOE that threw in the towel? Because of the State-appointed group? Or because of the current Board’s analysis and construction of what is best for the community? What do you think? In my opinion it is because of the presence of Vallas and his experience in similar situations. He balanced the budget, kept the schools and teachers on board and has gone about cutting a little here and a little there as well as finding new money. Who has been there to help him? Was it the CC? Or the Mayor in failing to meet State MBR? Does not look like it to me.
Look at the plan, if you will, perhaps for the first time. Critique it! Add in what you will. But make sure to take out as well, because we are balanced now (assuming Mayor Finch comes up with the requisite funds). Please do not cry poor, BEA, because the Bridgeport taxpayer will be looking for real improvements and those are up to those stakeholders close to the action. Vallas has pointed the direction to higher salaries, but they will necessitate reining in a variety of health benefits with high utilization. We need to hear more about them, I guess. Time will tell.
John Marshall Lee, let’s try this again. So you don’t have any problem with changing the rules of the game like the State did for Paul Vallas? Now we are telling students merit and standards have no true meaning and what is more important is whom we like.
Ron, did you question merit and standards when firefighters started getting hired under affirmative action? Or did you decide merit and standards have no true meaning?
BOE SPY, I most certainly have, three different successful times in federal court based on tests that had disparate impact. As I’m sure you are aware, civil service gives department heads the power to fill a higher position as a “provisional” appointment (if there is no active) from the position below and that person could be someone who never took the test for that higher position or failed the test but still the person is given the rank, pay and all of the benefits and possibly retire with that higher pay, e.g. David Dunn, never tested for his civil service position or just as Fire Chief Rooney and how many “provisional” appointments he has gotten during his career. The only qualification that is needed is the department head selects you.
Yeah, that is great but the question was: three people take the firefighter test. Two non-minorities and one minority. Both non-minorities ace the test. The minority person barely passes. Through affirmative action the minority person is hired despite the fact s/he is not the best person for the job, just the best minority person. Did you have any objections or court battles over this policy?
BOE SPY, I’m sorry but where did that question come from, because I don’t recall seeing it?
Ron,
Did the State legislature change the rules of the game and assign a new course of action to the State Board of Education? Is that not their responsibility?
See my posting today on what I think about standards not being public, not receiving annual or regular reviews, and expectations being bruised by these failures.
The original suit to toss out the State-appointed BOE noted the Legislature had created a process that was not observed in order. It meant there was another step to take before the State BOE was called in. In this case there is a similar situation in that the rules were changed (by the Legislature who provided responsibility to the State Board of Ed to administer). Former Judge Lopez and co-plaintiff did not argue the Legislature does not have the power or right to change State Laws. Nor did they take their case to the State Board of Education, which the Supreme Court in their unanimous opinion suggest was the appropriate action that would have avoided the waste of time and money.
In the midst of all this “legal” activity that does cost the expense of public funds, the person who brought a plan to change outcomes in education and the balanced funds to keep it going continued to work hard at this task. Respectfully, I admire his tenacity and his pragmatism on behalf of the kids. Had the adults who have claimed advocacy “for the kids” been halfway as open, accountable and transparent during the past two years we would be further ahead with the necessary change process. And those advocates have not publicly provided alternative Plan B or Plan C changes for the public to understand or digest. That would have been a responsible addition to the election process. Perhaps, when understood, even more registered voters would have been at the polls beyond 11%. Public dialogue on educational substance not ‘celebrity’ bashing was the high road. Bridgeport pursued a detour. The change of citizens on the BOE who will be seated in December have a huge responsibility ahead of them. What will they bring to the table? What will they work on? Time will tell.
John Marshall Lee, the “master plan” by Mayor Finch was for him to have total control of the entire Bridgeport school system including the Board Of Education. In order to do that he “needed” to take the voting rights away from all of the voters in Bridgeport, then he needed someone to run the illegal takeover, therefore Paul Vallas.
Grin,
I think you will find Ecker took the case with a guaranteed cap of $50,000. That meant if his professional hours and that of his team (usually at a lower cost per hour) exceeded the cap, he was at risk, not the City.
Now that I have answered your question, perhaps you will kindly do some research for us and tell us about another public participant and compensation? Lindsay Farrell, leader in CT of the Workers Family Party is quoted often on City education matters. Assuming she is not a resident of Bridgeport, I believe she is an employee of WFP yet I cannot find where or how much her compensation is for her services. Can you? Does WFP stand for OPEN, ACCOUNTABLE and TRANSPARENT participation in the public process? Time will tell.
Happy Birthday Shout-Out to Mary! Glad to see Doc is not over-the-hill!!!
No matter what one thinks of Paul Vallas, the ruling by the Supreme Court is what I expected would happen. Maybe the BOE, people on this blog and others can now start to focus on the kids and the future rather than Vallas and the past.
Vallas, Quinn and Duncan: Haiti and Illinois Vultures
Posted on November 13, 2013 by Ken Previti
Fifty schools were closed and several thousand teachers were fired in Chicago as “FAILING” schools. Who were the superintendents of those schools for 14 years prior to this decision?
Arne Duncan (2001-2009) and Paul Vallas (1995-2001).
It staggers the mind. It is sheer insanity for these two to claim miracle cures for following their corporate education plans.
Since then, Arne Duncan has been promoted to U.S. Secretary of Education. He created Race to the Top and endorsed the private corporation CCSS, Common Core State Standards, for national prep and testing materials. New York State alone watched in awe as 70% of their students were declared as failing this corporate standard.
Paul Vallas went on to be appointed the CEO of Philadelphia schools (2002-2007) where he fired teachers, closed schools and privatized education via charters; Philadelphia schools are now declared as failing. Vallas was then appointed head of the Recovery School District of Louisiana (2007-2011) which is now declared as failing. Because Vallas was out of work for a few years from his American jobs, he got one in Haiti. President Rene Preval of Haiti gave the Inter-American Development Bank a mandate to reform the education system by creating a 5-year plan in conjunction with the Haitian National Commission and the Education Ministry. Vallas worked for the bank. In 2012 Vallas was also appointed the Superintendent of Bridgeport Public Schools in Connecticut until a Superior Court judge declared him unqualified; the State Supreme Court agreed.
Then Illinois Gov. Quinn (D) announced that Vallas would be his running mate as Lieutenant Governor in 2014. Quinn wants schools and teacher pensions “fixed.” Quinn has repeated the “Illinois Is Broke” mantra.
Arne Duncan took 8 American experts with him to Haiti. Yes, Vallas was one of them. They came to the conclusion that Haiti needs to spend its education money by investing in national standardized tests and data collection. Vallas agrees.
Haiti’s school children have no toilets and often no indoor plumbing or even walls on their classrooms, but Haiti will have to have Common Core State Standards (a private corporation) and inBloom (a private corporation) or agreed upon equivalents if they wish to receive money from the Inter-American Development Bank. That is how vulture capitalism works. Read definition.
(Total silence in a classroom such as this impresses Duncan–in his own tweeted words–and supports his oft-repeated dictum that there is no need for class size requirements and all those needless teachers.)
Why would anti-union, anti-elected schools board, anti-teacher, anti-public school Vallas be named as the Democratic running mate of the anti-teacher (present and retired teachers’ pension funds are again being threatened by Gov. Quinn), anti-public school incumbent governor of Illinois? Read Jonathan Pelto. Read Fred Klonsky. Read NBC coverage. “Vallas’ arrival only seemed to fire up opposition and determination even further among some teachers, parents and activists.”
What was successfully done to get rid of Vallas in Connecticut? Read Jonathan Pelto. “The Bridgeport Board of Education race has garnered national attention and is now seen as proof that parents, teachers and public school advocates can use elections to beat back the corporate education reform industry.”
What can be done to rid Illinois of Vallas? Read Fred Klonsky. “Now we have Quinn, Vallas and the Tea Party and the filing deadline for petitions a month away.”
Ron,
I believe you can provide me with a labor relations history of the Bridgeport Fire Department. You had a job, observed injustice and protested in ways open to you.
But when did you become a seer into the future of Illinois? And how many classrooms have you visited in Haiti recently and how would you advise the Haitian government that guarantees education to their youth and then fails to deliver? And what would you suggest as a measure to provide some surety to public employees retirement funds will be there in the future (as I have not heard you comment upon or analyze local or State funding of same)?
I guess Pelto, Klonsky and Previti are your “three wise men” for today? I can personally take issue with one or more of their statements but then I know you are not interested in discussion or dialogue about our real school problems or about the funding of necessary solutions. It appears much easier to stay on the warpath and point fingers at people rather than destinations or goals. Who will be the wise woman or man? Consider BOE CFO Marlene Siegel! Time will tell.
John Marshall Lee, which came first, the chicken or the egg? Which came first, bringing in Paul Vallas or Mayor Finch’s act to take the voting rights of the voters of Bridgeport away so they couldn’t vote for whom they wanted to serve on the BOE? If I come across something about Vallas I will post it, good or bad, but maybe you can point me in the direction of good things written about Paul Vallas.
Ron,
While I am pulling some citations together for you, can you answer the questions about Lindsay Farrell I ask above? You are quoting her most favorably. Thank you. I’m looking for your response. Time will tell.
This is nonsense. If you give a 5th grader a test on stuff 5th graders should be able to pass and they fail, whose fault is that? Is it the fault of the test giver or the people who failed to teach the kids what they were supposed to know? If they gave a firefighter a test on safety equipment you would expect them to pass. It is a test on things they are supposed to know. Especially if they just took a class on safety equipment. People have also said we ‘teach to the test.’ What does that mean? We are going to give 5th graders a test on what 5th graders should know. Doesn’t every class teach to a test? The test is a measure of how much a kid learned through the year. That test is called a ‘final exam.’ Remember, these tests aren’t asking obscure things. They ask questions a 5th grader should know.
BOE SPY, what are you talking about, are you talking about someone who is already a firefighter or someone taking an entry-level exam?
I was talking about someone who is already a fireman. They have their little training sessions, then a new Chief decides to give a test (like Vallas). Say 70-80% of the guys fail the test (like the school kids). Understand this is stuff they should already know and the training is just a refresher. Now, did the chief cause the failing district or just discover it? Are the guys (students) failing because they are not paying attention to the training or is the company (teachers) contracted to do the training ineffective?
Here are some predictions:
The teachers get an unprecedented contract in comparison to the other unions.
Next year will show improvement. This will be credited to the WFP but it will be Vallas’ reforms that actually made the difference. Most of the improvement will come from the Trumbull kids taking CMTs in BPT multi-district schools. After this ‘one-time’ jump, scores will settle into a new, slightly higher, rut. If you remove out-of-district kids from the stats, grades, test scores and dropout rates stay the same.
Coach Bentley (Harding) will receive a far stricter punishment for tapping a student than Principal Dickson did.
WFP will fall out of favor once the people realize they were bamboozled but WFP will continue to win elections in DTC fashion.
The BOE budget will no longer be available on the web site or anywhere else. The BOE will run a deficit next year.
Several scandals will haunt the BOE including kickbacks, thievery, no-show jobs, nepotism charges and bid rigging.
BOE SPY, well I guess you figured everything out and there is nothing to talk about.
BOE SPY,
You provided enough info to Ron to satisfy him, I guess.
I can follow most of your connections regarding where we are currently and theoretical responses to the ‘temporary vacuum’ or direct diversion from the Vallas plan and funding prescription.
As you say, the elimination of the public display of BOE financial plan and actual from the Public School website would be dangerous and prove you prescient. (It might also be accompanied by the rapid departure of our current CFO, Marlene Siegel, who has maintained an expert view on how to find and make dollars work towards quality instructional classroom time. She has been a tower of integrity and professionalism.)
Regarding scandals, kickbacks, thievery, no-show jobs, charges of nepotism and/or bid rigging, will you please comment on whether those scandals are predictive for administrations that fail to be OPEN, ACCOUNTABLE and TRANSPARENT in their process? Or are you predicting charges and/or suits that will be brought against activities between December 2011 and the date Paul Vallas departs? Thank you for your regular contributions on the subject of education. Time will tell.
John Marshall Lee, not really. BOE SPY is just glossing over the subject of testing, here is how tests are measured, the EEOC’s Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures.
The scandals will result from two things. Mainly, the loss of BOE OATS and lack of oversight. You can’t miss what you don’t see. Some of the scandal will result from the hiring and appointing of friends, family and political cronies. The reason these people are getting these jobs is because they can’t get a job anywhere else. Lastly, the new BOE will be afraid to detect or report scandals. There is a general belief in the city these scandals are better off undiscovered than exposed. They fear it makes everyone look bad. It would be a far better tack to publicize the idea some bad people were doing these things and our checks and balances caught them. Of course, you would have to have some idea of what is going on in your own house and a system of checks and balances in order for that to work.
To the Punisher, your cover name seems to fit your attitude towards Judge Lopez. Negative and untrue. You obviously don’t know the Judge and the work, time and effort she’s given on behalf of the children in Bridgeport. Had she sat back and done nothing, the State, Vallas and the Mayor would have complete control over the Board of Education. In addition to her efforts, an organized coalition fought to continue our right to vote for candidates of the Board of Education. I don’t know how much value you place on the right to vote, but thank God there were enough of us to stop this travesty. Judge Lopez will not go away as you suggest, and for that reason the residents of our City will always have her as an informed voice willing to take on the task of trying to challenge the unjust actions of those in power.
At this point Judge Lopez could probably run for Mayor and win. Just my gut.
Bridgeporteur, well she has my vote and anybody I know I would ask them to vote for her.
I must say I find the comment that best expresses what the issue are is the statement from Lindsay Farrell, executive director of Connecticut Working Families Party:
“On November 5th, Bridgeport voters sent a message that Paul Vallas was taking their schools in the wrong direction. Parents, teachers and communities stood up to take back their schools from the corporate reform agenda. Vallas was on his way out one way or another. But we’re pleased that it was the voters of Bridgeport that turned the tide at the polls and elected a new Board majority who will fight for every student.”
Ron, that was the teachers union that bought that election. Mostly political outsiders saving their own jobs. You’re just fooling yourself. Let us see if the schools improve. Time will tell.
I was with one of Paul Vallas’ successors as Superintendent and CEO of the Chicago Public Schools today. We agreed that, as is the case with most people, Paul has positive and negative attributes. One point that has not been made is how Connecticut over-regulates to protect its local professionals. It is the second most-regulated state in this regard. In the final analysis, the State Supreme Court decided Vallas could keep his job. However, now he’s leaving and he is likely to be the next Lt. Governor of Illinois. Illinois has the second-highest liabilities and unfunded promises per taxpayer in the country. Connecticut has the highest! In addition, Connecticut and Illinois are tied for last place in regard to the condition of state roads.
So are these issues Lieutenant Governor candidates do as stalking dogs for their party in order to allow the candidate for governor to take the high ground?
*** Beware, for the next Bpt Schools Supt. (whomever he or she may be) might be much “worse” than what Mr. Vallas has been labeled as, before even getting started! *** IT’S BEEN A CRAP SHOOT FOR THE LONGEST TIME, WHY WOULD TAXPAYERS EXPECT ANYTHING MORE? ***