Apr 22
jonpeltoBridgeport, Education Reform, New London, Paul Vallas, Stefan Pryor, Steven Adamowski, Wendy Lecker, Windham Education Reform, Malloy, Paul Vallas, Stefan Pryor, Steven Adamowski, Wendy Lecker
Fellow pro-public education advocate and columnist hits the mark, yet again, with her column in this past weekend’s CT Post, Stamford Advocate and other Hearst Media Group outlets. Her piece is entitled, No need to break the law — just have it changed for you.
In the piece, Wendy writes, “The education “reform” movement has been rocked recently by revelations that its biggest stars are more concerned with the appearance of success than whether children actually learn.”
With that she outlines the two major scandals involving cheating on standardized tests that have been in the news.
But the core of her column is about the approach the corporate education reformers are taking here in Connecticut.
“Not to be outdone, we Nutmeggers have employed our Yankee ingenuity to game the system, as well. While superintendent of Hartford, Steven Adamowski boasted major increases in test scores — a result, he claimed, of his reform methods, including school closures, school choice and merit pay. However, as revealed by Hartford Board of Education member Robert Cotto, the gains in test scores in Hartford during that period can largely be explained by the district’s exclusion of a significant percentage of students with disabilities from the regular test and having them take a modified assessment that did not count in Hartford’s test scores. As Cotto described, it Hartford engaged in “addition by subtraction.” Neat!
Connecticut’s Legislature and state Board of Education can be crafty, too, and it’s all legal. Connecticut law provides that school administrators be certified, to ensure that our schools and school districts are led by individuals with the knowledge and experience to properly oversee the education of our children. All of Connecticut’s permanent superintendents are certified to be superintendents — except one: Paul Vallas, superintendent of Bridgeport schools, serving approximately 20,000 students. To remedy this problem, Governor Malloy wrote a law enabling Vallas to be certified if he completed an educational leadership course approved by the state board of education. But then, another problem arose: the state Board of Education did not approve any course and Bridgeport already hired Vallas permanently.
Not to worry! UConn quickly devised a course it claimed was just like what all other superintendents must pass. As Jonathan Pelto has pointed out, though, a regular superintendent candidate must have 15 credits beyond a master’s degree; go through a rigorous application process that requires a full faculty review of one’s application; complete an additional 15 credits of course work in the program; and pay approximately $30,000 in tuition and fees. UConn’s program, hastily approved by the state Board of Education, only requires Vallas to enroll in a three-credit, one semester independent study course at a cost of about $4,000. More legal cheating!”
Wendy ends with a reminder to our children writing, “So, kids, if you want to grow up to change the world like these star reformers, you don’t need to learn anything of substance (don’t worry, with standardized tests in every grade and subject, soon you won’t be learning anything of substance, anyway). But don’t break the law! Simply ally yourselves with those who make the laws and they will bend and twist them to make your dreams of greatness come true!”
The column is well worth the read and you can find the complete column here: http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/Wendy-Lecker-No-need-to-break-the-law-just-4448335.php#ixzz2RCIUZ79S
Apr 19
jonpeltoBridgeport, Ethics, Malloy, Mayor Bill Finch, Paul Vallas Bridgeport, Conflict of Interest, Ethics, Malloy, Mayor Bill Finch, Paul Vallas
As a member of the Bridgeport Board of Education, Hernan Illingworth took actions that directly benefited him and the company that he works for.
That is an ethics violation.
It is a serious ethics violation and it requires action.
Mayor Finch, the state is waiting to see how you handle this issue.
The Bylaws of the Bridgeport Board of Education: Policy 9270: Conflict of Interest
“(1) No member of the Board shall have any direct pecuniary interest in a contract with the school district, nor shall he/she furnish directly any labor, equipment, or supplies to the district. It is not the intent of this bylaw to prevent the district from contracting with corporations or businesses because a Board member is an employee of the firm. However, in such instances the member may be expected to declare his/her association with the firm and will refrain from debating or voting on the question.”
The spirit of the Conflict of Interest rule is simple enough.
If you are a member of the Bridgeport Board of Education and your job is with a company that is connected to the functioning of the school system, you are expected to declare your association with that company and abstain from discussing or voting on issues related to the products or services provided by that company.
Hernan Illingworth works for Uniformz. He sells uniforms to students and families who attend Bridgeport’s schools.
As reported here at Wait, What?, according to the company website, the uniform company that Illingworth works for opened a much larger, more accessible store on Main Street in July 2009 in preparation for the implementation of Bridgeport’s new uniform policy.
As the company’s website explained, “The main reason for this move was to handle the school uniform needs of Bridgeport parents after a new uniform mandate (K-8) went into effect for the 2009/2010 school season.”
The website goes on to report, “Uniformz quickly became the “ground zero” of the back-to-school uniform rush! The Bridgeport PAC held a press conference, TV news crews arrived throughout August and our overflowing parking lot caused some minor traffic jams on Main Street.”
The Bridgeport PAC mentioned on the Uniformz website is the Bridgeport Parent Advisory Council and Hernan Illingworth was the President of that Parent Advisory Council.
Ramos/Illingworth Letter to Parents
In fact, in the spring of 2009, John Ramos, in his capacity as Bridgeport’s Superintendent of Schools and Hernan Illingworth, the President of the Bridgeport Parent Advisory Council (PAC) were on the cover of the Bridgeport Board of Education Newsletter.
That cover was a letter to parents and students informing the community that the Bridgeport Board of Education had formally adopted a mandatory uniform policy for K-8 students. According to the letter, “This policy was enacted after several months of meetings and with collaboration between parents, the Board of Education and District Administration. The letter informed parents that the mandatory school uniform policy would officially be enacted in August 2009.
The letter ended with the news that, “In the coming months the District Executive PAC will work with every school to provide more information to parents to ensure the implementation of the policy.” It was signed by John J. Ramos and Hernan Illingworth. However, nowhere did Hernan Illingworth explain he was a salesman for Uniformz.
CT Post Covers Uniform Policy
On August 31, 2009, the CT Post’s Linda Conner Lambeck wrote a story entitled, “FOLLOWING A NEW UNIFORM CODE.” In it she wrote, “Outside Uniformz, a new shop on upper Main Street, a sandwich-board sign proclaims ‘Bpt. Public School Uniforms, 10% Sibling Discount.’”
Lambeck added, “On Wednesday, if the policy works, a sea of nearly 15,000 students, all wearing collared shirts, and dress trousers — not a baggy pair of jeans in the bunch — should converge on the schools for the first day of classes.”
The story listed Hernan Illingworth as the President of the Bridgeport Parent Advisory Council (PAC) and as one of the parents who successfully pushed the uniform policy. However, the story failed to note that Illingworth worked for Uniformz.
The CT Post did explain that, “planners anticipate a child can get by with a wardrobe of three to five pairs of pants, six tops and a sweater for about $120. Logos, for schools that have adopted them, would be an additional cost.”
At the time, Hernan Illingworth told the CT Post that it would take time to get full participation in the uniform policy, but added, “If we get 75 percent on the first day, I think that would be a nice goal. Once the 21-day grace period is over, I think participation will become more universal.”
In April 2011, the Bridgeport Board of Education voted to expand the district’s uniform policy to cover high school students. At the time, the CT Post wrote, “Hernan Illingworth, president of the District PAC, said uniforms were a much easier “sell” this time around because the policy is already in place in the elementary schools.”
Illingworth appointed by Malloy Administration to illegal Board of Education
By the end of that summer, in August 2011, Hernan Illingworth became the seventh member of Bridgeport’s new, illegal Board of Education. As noted on the Only in Bridgeport Blog, Illingworth was the “second Finch campaign supporter” named to the Board, the first being Finch’s campaign treasurer, Kenneth Moales.
As the Only in Bridgeport blog reported, at the time, Finch’s campaign website included a testimonial by Illingworth in which he wrote, “Being both the Mayor and a father to children in Bridgeport Public Schools puts the Mayor in a unique position. His commitment and dedication to improving education shows.”
As the request of Stefan Pryor, Malloy’s Commissioner of Education, the illegal Board of Education then brought on Paul Vallas to serve as Bridgeport’s Acting Superintendent.
One of the initial actions following Vallas’ arrival was the creation of the Bridgeport Education Reform Fund. The Chairman of the illegally appointed Board of Education, Robert Trefry, announced that the names of donors to the fund would be kept confidential and that a committee would be created to oversee the distribution of the funds. Trefry then appointed Andy Boas, the Chairman of Achievement First – Bridgeport, Anita Gliniecki, Bruce Hubler and Hernan Illingworth to manage the fund.
As part of Mayor Finch’s slate of Democratic candidates, Illingworth later ran and won a seat on the democratically elected board.
Most recently, rather than abstain from any discussions about school uniforms, Hernan Illingworth has used his position to pressure Bridgeport school administrators to get tough on forcing students to buy and wear school uniforms.
As was reported in Wait, What?
Last week, with only about 40 days left to the 2012-2013 school year, Central High School announced that they would begin enforcing Bridgeport’s district-wide school uniform policy.
As the CT Post wrote, “The edict, made during morning announcements Tuesday by Principal Stephen Anderson and sent home to parents by letter, was ordered by the district administration after some board members learned that the district’s 2-year-old high school uniform policy was being ignored at Central.”
That Board of Education member was Hernan Illingworth…who just happens to be a salesman for Bridgeport based Uniformz, whose website reports that the company is, “the premier local supplier of School Uniforms to the students of the Bridgeport (CT) Public School System.”
In this case, Central High School’s new principal, Stephen Anderson, was not a fan of the uniform policies for high schools, but Bridgeport School Board member, Hernan Illingworth, explained to the CT Post, “I am sorry, that is unacceptable… “It is a district policy. He can’t decide he is not going to do it.”
It is hard to imagine that the violation of Bridgeport’s code of ethics and conflict of interest rules could be any clearer.
Hernan Illingworth was, and continues to be, a major force behind the effort to require Bridgeport students to wear school uniforms.
Illingworth works for a company that proudly proclaims that school uniforms are a vital part of their business.
Rather than announce his conflict of interest and exempt himself from discussions and actions related to school uniforms, Illingworth used his position to push for greater enforcement of the uniform policy.
As a member of the Bridgeport Board of Education, Hernan Illingworth took actions that directly benefited him and the company that he works for.
That is an ethics violation.
It is a serious ethics violation and it requires action.
Mayor Finch, the state is waiting to see how you handle this issue.
Apr 17
jonpeltoBridgeport, Ethics, Mayor Bill Finch, Paul Vallas Bridgeport, Conflict of Interest, Hernan Illingworth, Mayor Bill Finch, Paul Vallas, Sandra Kase, School Uniforms
Last week, with only about 40 days left to the 2012-2013 school year, Central High School announced that they would begin enforcing Bridgeport’s district-wide school uniform policy.
As the CT Post wrote, “The edict, made during morning announcements Tuesday by Principal Stephen Anderson and sent home to parents by letter, was ordered by the district administration after some board members learned that the district’s 2-year-old high school uniform policy was being ignored at Central.”
That Board of Education member was Hernan Illingworth…who just happens to be a salesman for Bridgeport based Uniformz, whose website reports that the company is, “the premier local supplier of School Uniforms to the students of the Bridgeport (CT) Public School System.”
In this case, Central High School’s new principal, Stephen Anderson, was not a fan of the uniform policies for high schools, but Bridgeport School Board member, Hernan Illingworth, explained to the CT Post, “I am sorry, that is unacceptable… “It is a district policy. He can’t decide he is not going to do it.”
You could call Hernan Illingworth an expert on school uniforms, Bridgeport’s uniform policy and the Bridgeport Board of Education.
Illingworth was a driving force behind Bridgeport’s decision to require that all Bridgeport school students wear uniforms. The Bridgeport Parent Advisory Council, led by their President, Hernan Illingworth, lobbied for a mandatory uniform policy. As the CT Post explained, “Uniforms became mandatory in city high schools in fall 2011, two years after they were mandated at the elementary school level.”
Meanwhile, Illingworth was appointed by the Malloy Administration to serve on Bridgeport’s illegal Board of Education and later won a seat on the new democratically elected Board of Education as part of Mayor Finch’s Democratic slate. Illingworth has been a consistent vote for the team loyal to Mayor Finch and was one of the five members to vote in favor of Paul Vallas’ illegal contract, a vote and contract that is now in Court.
But perhaps most importantly, in his positions as a Bridgeport Board of Education member and school uniform salesman, Illingworth has been able to keep an eye on the implementation of Bridgeport’s mandatory school uniform policy.
In fact, back at Central High School, Illingworth and Vallas’ chief administrative officer, Sandra Kase, were on hand last Tuesday when Principal Anderson reversed course and made it clear that the City’s uniform policy was being reinstated at Central High School. Principal Anderson used the morning announcements to explain that the uniform policy would now be enforced adding, “We need your help … I ask you to come in tomorrow in uniform and the next day,”
According to the CT Post, the Principal’s letter to parents explained the uniforms were needed to ensure school security, writing, “Uniforms help us identify, at a glance, people who do not belong in the building.”
When not spending time on Board of Education business, Hernan Illingworth remains an active salesman for Uniformz, the uniform store located on Bridgeport’s Main Street.
According to the company website, originally known as Nosotros Sports Plus, the company has opened a much larger, more accessible store on Main Street in July 2009.
The website explains that, “The main reason for this move was to handle the school uniform needs of Bridgeport parents after a new uniform mandate (K-8) went into effect for the 2009/2010 school season.”
As the website goes on to report, “Uniformz quickly became the “ground zero” of the back-to-school uniform rush! The Bridgeport PAC held a press conference, TV news crews arrived throughout August and our overflowing parking lot caused some minor traffic jams on Main Street.”
The Bridgeport PAC mentioned on the Uniformz website is the same Bridgeport Parent Advisory Council that Hernan Illingworth presided over.
For more on Uniformz, check out their website http://www.uniformz.com/pages/about-us, including the line, “Our highly talented team members are Juanita, Rita, Nilsa, Hernan and Michele…” Hernan, of course, being none-other-than Bridgeport Board of Education member, Hernan Illingworth.
This is the part of the blog post where we start singing “it’s a small world after all.”
Apr 16
jonpeltoBridgeport, Malloy, Paul Vallas, Stefan Pryor, UConn Bridgeport, Malloy, Paul Vallas, Stefan Pryor, UConn
Paul Vallas doesn’t have the credentials necessary to be a superintendent of schools in the State of Connecticut.
Governor Malloy’s “education reform” law included language that would allow Malloy’s Commissioner of Education, Stefan Pryor, to waive Vallas’ certification requirements IF Vallas successfully completed his one year probationary period and completed a school leadership program at a Connecticut institution of higher education.
Last month, the Bridgeport Board of Education voted 5 to 3 to give Vallas a three year contract as Superintendent of Schools in Bridgeport, despite the fact that he had not completed his probationary period or even begun an education leadership program. Soon after he announced that he had enrolled at UConn and would be done by the end of the semester.
Part of the problem was that the State Board of Education had never approved a “school leadership program” as required in Malloy’s law.
According to a story in the CT Post, “The 6-0 approval came with no discussion after the board spent more than a half-hour in executive session to discuss a lawsuit filed earlier this month over Vallas’ credentials to serve as superintendent.”
The CT Post story went on to explain that, “The pathway being created is a narrow exception open only to someone Commissioner of Education Stefan Pryor deemed exceptionally qualified, Nancy Pugliese, chief of the bureau of educator standards and certification for the state, said Monday to the state school board.”
The CT Post article went on with, “Developed by the University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education, the program requires Vallas to complete a curriculum that meets the same standards that exist for all who seek to become school superintendents, but can be completed in a shorter amount of time.”
So on the one hand, the State Department of Education is claiming that, “The pathway being created is a narrow exception open only to someone Commissioner of Education Stefan Pryor has deemed exceptionally qualified” while at the same time, UConn is saying that Vallas will “complete a curriculum that meets the same standards that exist for all who seek to become school superintendents.”
UConn is saying that Vallas has to meet the same standards that exist for all who seek to become school superintendents?
Okay, what does a “normal” person need to do if they’d like to get the certification necessary to be a superintendent?
(1) To get your CT-093 certification, you’d have to meet the criteria required for acceptance to UConn’s Executive Leadership Program that is located within the Department of Education Leadership. That program requires students to have “a Master’s degree and a minimum of 15 appropriately related graduate credits beyond Master’s…”
(2) Then, “A committee consisting of UConn faculty will review all applications and select qualified candidates for admissions interviews in March and April.”
(3) And then you’d actually have to complete The Executive Leadership Program which, “is structured using a cohort model, and requires 13 months to complete 15 Credits. Five (5) three-credit courses including an internship (3 credits). Participants can expect to attain their CT-093 certification in one year upon satisfactory completion of this program.”
So “normal” people who want the necessary certification must have fifteen credits beyond a Masters; you must go through a rigorous application process that requires a full faculty review of your application and you must complete an additional 15 credits of course work in the program..
- Plus you need to pay the following tuition and fees:
- A non-refundable $75 application fee.
- A tuition payment of $5,112 per semester for a Connecticut student registering for nine or more credits or $13,266 per semester for an out-of-state student. (Vallas would probably be considered a resident of Illinois).
- A General University Fee of $612 per semester.
- A Graduate Matriculation Fee of $42 per semester.
- An Infrastructure Maintenance Fee of $220 per semester.
- A University non-refundable fee of $13 per semester for taking courses.
- A graduate student Transit Fee of $35 per semester.
- A non-refundable Student Union fee of $13 each semester.
- A deposit of $50 which must be maintained by every registered student.
- A one-time, refundable Cooperative Bookstore payment of $25.
The total cost for an out-of-state student to complete the UConn Education Executive Leadership Program would be in the range of $28,552
Or alternatively you could be Paul Vallas, who apparently DOESN’T EVEN HAVE the fifteen credits beyond a Masters that is necessary for acceptance to the program, but who is considered “special” by Commissioner of Education, Stefan Pryor.
As the CT Post noted in an earlier article, “Vallas said he has enrolled in a three-credit, semester-long independent study course to become a certified Connecticut school superintendent. It will cost him about $3,881 in tuition and fees, according to university officials. Robert Villanova, an associate research professor and director of the Executive Leadership Program at UConn’s Neag School of Education, who will lead Vallas through the program.”
Almost makes you feel bad for all those normal people out there.
Or, more to the point, so you want to get your CT-093 certification.
Well, as the modern-day phrase goes; “it sucks to be you.”
Apr 15
jonpeltoBridgeport, Malloy, Mayor Bill Finch, Paul Vallas, State Board of Education, Stefan Pryor, UConn Bridgeport, Malloy, Mayor Bill Finch, Paul Vallas, State Board of Education, Stefan Pryor, UConn
Here comes one more benefit for the power elite!
Some of the “rules” that apply to the rest of us, simply don’t apply to them.
When Governor Malloy’s Commissioner of Education, Stefan Pryor, recruited “education reformer extraordinaire,” Paul Vallas, to become Bridgeport’s $234,000, part-time, Acting Superintendent of Schools a major problem immediately developed.
Unlike every one of Connecticut’s other superintendent of schools, Vallas’ didn’t have the qualifications needed to serve as a school superintendent in Connecticut.
No problem…Malloy’s “education reform” legislation included special language that would allow Commissioner Pryor to waive requirements and allow Vallas to serve as Bridgeport’s Acting Superintendent of Schools for up to one year. The new law would further allow Pryor to waive Connecticut’s certification requirements if Vallas completed that one-year probationary period and completed an “educational leadership course” approved by the State Board of Education.
However, the problems facing Vallas and Pryor grew exponentially when the five members of the Bridgeport Board of Education that are loyal to Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch voted to make Vallas Bridgeport’s permanent Superintendent of Schools effective March 4, 2013. Vallas hadn’t completed his probationary period, as required by law, and hadn’t even started his “education leadership program.” In fact, the State Board of Education hadn’t approved the “education leadership program” that the law demanded.
At the time, Pryor was quoted as saying it wasn’t a problem and the Chairman of the State Board even said he thought any program approval process was within the authority of Commissioner and not the State Board of Education, despite the fact that the law specifically says that it is the State Board of Education’s responsibility to approve such a program.
Meanwhile, Vallas had begun a course of study with UConn’s graduate program in Educational Leadership at the Neag School of Education.
Well surprise, surprise…today, the State Board of Education is meeting at 9:30 a.m. and an agenda item has suddenly appeared that reads;
VI. Items Requiring Action:
B. Approval of School Leadership Program – University of Connecticut, Neag School of Education
So, with Vallas already enrolled in UConn’s Educational Leadership Program, but with no committee process and no public input, the State Board of Education will rush a vote today to approve the program that Vallas is taking.
The problem, as readers will learn in coming days, it that Vallas doesn’t actually qualify for UConn’s Education Leadership Program nor is his course of study the program required for all other students in UConn’s Education Leadership.
But hey, as we’ve learned, there are laws and rules and then there are “laws and rules.”
One set applies to the elite and another to the rest of us.
Apr 03
jonpeltoBridgeport, Mayor Bill Finch, Norm Pattis, Paul Vallas, Stefan Pryor Bridgeport, Mayor Bill Finch, Norm Pattis, Paul Vallas, Stefan Pryor
The Hartford Courant has added to the growing media coverage of the lawsuit about the Bridgeport Board of Education’s illegal contract for Acting Superintendent Paul Vallas.
As the Courant reports, Attorney Norm Pattis, who brought the lawsuit that led to the Supreme Court ruling that the Malloy Administration’s attempt to take over the Bridgeport School System was illegal, has filed a new case laying out the reasons that the contract given to education reformer extraordinaire, Paul Vallas, is also illegal.
Pattis told the Courant, “The legislature has determined that the superintendent must meet certain requirements…Bridgeport has been winking at them for a year now and Mr. Vallas thinks he deserves the wink. Bridgeport parents want to know why the rule of law isn’t good enough for their kids.”
Paul Vallas is not certified to be a superintendent in Connecticut. A new state law, written for Vallas, allows Stefan Pryor, the Commissioner of Education, to waive that certification requirement if Vallas successfully completes a probationary period and successfully completes a program in Education Leadership at a Connecticut institution of higher education.
Last month, at the time the Bridgeport Board voted to grant Vallas a three-year contract, he hadn’t completed his probationary period or even begun an Education Leadership program.
The Courant reported that, “Vallas could not be reached for comment. State Board of Education Chairman Allan Taylor declined to comment about the lawsuit.”
Carmen Lopez, a retired Connecticut judge who brought the case against the Bridgeport Board of Education, Commissioner Stefan Pryor and Paul Vallas told the Courant, “The point is we can’t have one rule for every other superintendent and then a rule for Mr. Vallas. The idea is that no one is above the law.”
You can read the complete Hartford Courant story see here: http://www.courant.com/news/education/hc-paul-vallas-suit-0403-20130402-1,0,521832.story
Apr 02
jonpeltoBridgeport, Malloy, Mayor Bill Finch, Paul Vallas, Stefan Pryor Bridgeport, Bridgeport Board of Education, Malloy, Mayor Bill Finch, Paul Vallas, Stefan Pryor
As first reported by Jacqueline Rabe Thomas in the CTMirror, Attorney Norm Pattis has filed a lawsuit in Superior Court alleging that Superintendent Paul Vallas’ contract to serve as Bridgeport’s superintendent of schools is illegal.
Pattis is the attorney who brought the case that led Connecticut’s Supreme Court to rule that Governor Malloy’s attempted takeover of the Bridgeport School System was illegal. In that case, an illegally appointed board of education, appointed by the Malloy administration, was removed and a democratically elected board of education was reinstated.
However, early last month, the five Bridgeport Board of Education members loyal to Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch voted to give Acting Superintendent of Schools, Paul Vallas, a three-year contract despite clear statutory language that would make such a contract illegal.
This new lawsuit, brought by retired Connecticut Judge Carmen Lopez and a Bridgeport parent, seeks to have Vallas’ contract ruled null and void.
As Attorney Norm Pattis explained to the CTMirror, “Bridgeport shows a curious inability to read the law.”
In Connecticut, state law requires that all teachers and education professionals hold the appropriate state certification. However, the law was changed in 2007 to allow the Commissioner of Education to waive the certification requirement for superintendents in very specific situations. In that case, the law was modified by the General Assembly to allow Steven Adamowski to serve as Superintendent of Schools in Hartford despite the fact that he did not have the certification necessary for the job.
The lack of certification issue arose again with the arrival of Paul Vallas who also lacked the necessary experience to be a superintendent in Connecticut.
In this case, the Malloy administration added language to Malloy’s “Education Reform” proposal to broaden the Commissioner of Education’s ability to waive certification for superintendents. Ironically, at the same time, the bill sought to strengthen qualification requirements for teachers..
The final language of Malloy’s education reform law allowed an uncertified individual to serve as an Acting Superintendent for up to one year, but in order for that person to become a permanent superintendent, they were required to successfully complete their probationary period and must have complete a school leadership program at a Connecticut institution of higher education.
In Vallas’ case, the majority of the members of the Bridgeport Board of Education granted him permanent superintendent status despite the fact that he HAD NOT completed his probationary period and HAD NOT completed the required school leadership program. In fact, he hadn’t even begun the school leadership program that was mandated by the law.
As the CT Post story notes, “When Vallas’ contract was approved in March; board member Maria Pereira warned the majority that what they were doing appeared to her to be illegal, despite assurances to the contrary from the city attorneys and state Department of Education. They were proved wrong once before, she said.”
Pereira is absolutely correct. Bridgeport’s city attorneys and Malloy’s Department of Education were wrong before and it cost taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars.
Unfortunately, these people still seem to be missing the point that the rule of law means that law applies to everyone.
The CTMirror story can be found at http://ctmirror.org/story/19600/round-two-bridgeport-education-heading-back-court, while the CT Post’s story is at http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Lawsuit-challenges-Vallas-qualifications-4401209.php
Apr 01
jonpeltoBridgeport, Malloy, Mayor Bill Finch, Paul Vallas, Stefan Pryor Bridgeport, Malloy, Mayor Bill Finch, Paul Vallas, Stefan Pryor
The CT Post has posted their initial coverage of the lawsuit against Connecticut Commissioner Pryor, Bridgeport’s Acting Superintendent of Schools Paul Vallas and the Bridgeport Board of Education. In doing so, they help make the case that the Bridgeport Board of Education’s decision to grant Vallas a three-year contract as Superintendent of Schools was illegal.
The CT Post’s Linda Lambeck write, “A lawsuit was filed Monday against city School Superintendent Paul Vallas, the city school board and Commissioner of Education Stefan Pryor over Vallas’ his lack of certification.
The suit was filed by retired Judge Carmen Lopez, a city resident, and Deborah Reyes-Williams a city parent. The complaint was filed in Bridgeport Superior Court by attorney Norman Pattis. The suit asks that Vallas be removed from the role of superintendent and that the three-year contract he was recently granted be declared null and void.”
Lambeck observes, “A new state law allows an acting superintendent who successfully completes a school leadership program approved by the state and offered at a public or private institution of higher learning in the state to receive a certification waiver. A semester long program, created just for Vallas, has been developed at the University of Connecticut. Vallas is in the program this spring.
The suit claims that Vallas’ original appointments were illegal and that any proper probationary time period for Vallas has been exhausted. It also says the school leadership program Vallas is in has not been approved by the state Board of Education and that Vallas is not eligible for a waiver.
State Board of Education Chairman Allan Taylor said Monday he does not believe his board approved the program but also is not sure that would have been necessary.
“That would be the sort of thing the commissioner would do. Especially since it is for one person,” said Taylor.”
With this, the CT Post successfully proves the very point Attorney Pattis is making on behalf of Judge Lopez.
The state statue reads:
“A LOCAL OR REGIONAL BOARD OF EDUCATION MAY APPOINT AS ACTING SUPERINTENDENT A PERSON WHO IS OR IS NOT CERTIFIED FOR A PROBATIONARY PERIOD, NOT TO EXCEED ONE SCHOOL YEAR, WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION. DURING SUCH PROBATIONARY PERIOD SUCH ACTING SUPERINTENDENT SHALL ASSUME ALL DUTIES OF THE SUPERINTENDENT FOR THE TIME SPECIFIED AND SHALL SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE A SCHOOL LEADERSHIP PROGRAM, APPROVED BY THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION, OFFERED AT A PUBLIC OR PRIVATE INSTITUTION OF HIGHER LEARNING IN THE STATE, . AT THE CONCLUSION OF SUCH PROBATIONARY PERIOD, SUCH APPOINTING LOCAL OR REGIONAL BOARD OF EDUCATION MAY REQUEST THE COMMISSIONER TO GRANT A WAIVER OF CERTIFICATION FOR SUCH ACTING SUPERINTENDENT…”
The law could not be clearer. The school leadership program MUST BE APPROVED BY THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION. At the time the Bridgeport Board of Education voted to grant Vallas a three-year contract, he not only had not completed a program, he hadn’t even started the program. Even more importantly, the program was NOT approved by the STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION, as required.
According to the CT Post Story, newly elected Board of Education Chairman Kenneth Moales responded to the suite by saying, ““Vallas is beyond qualified.”
But the truth is there are more than 150 superintendents of schools in Connecticut. All of them have acquired the required certification to serve as a superintendent – except Paul Vallas. Governor Malloy and his Commissioner of Education, Stefan Pryor, persuaded the legislature to adopt language that gave special treatment to Vallas. Despite that language Vallas failed to meet those requirements. Mr., Moales is absolutely and totally wrong. Mr. Vallas, according to the laws of Connecticut, is NOT QUALIFIED to serve as the permanent superintendent of schools in Bridgeport.
Finally, the CT Post writes, “When Vallas contract was approved in March; board member Maria Pereira warned the majority that what they were doing appeared to her to be illegal, despite assurances to the contrary from the city attorneys and state Department of Education. They were proved wrong once before, she said.”
And with that, we finally have a truthful statement.
Ms. Pereira is absolutely correct.
What the Board of Education did is illegal.
And Attorney Norm Pattis filed a lawsuit today that will finally prove a key principle of American law.
No one, not even Governor Malloy or Commissioner Pryor or Paul Vallas or the five members of the Bridgeport Board of Education who are loyal to Mayor Bill Finch are above the law.
For the full CT Post story go to: http://blog.ctnews.com/education/2013/04/01/vallas-being-sued-over-certification/
Apr 01
jonpeltoBridgeport, Malloy, Mayor Bill Finch, Paul Vallas, Stefan Pryor Bridgeport, Malloy, Mayor Bill Finch, Paul Vallas, Stefan Pryor
The CTMirror has just posted an article on this breaking story - Round two: Bridgeport education heading back to court.
The CTMirror’s Jacqueline Rabe Thomas writes, “One year after the state Supreme Court ruled that the state illegally appointed members to Bridgeport’s Board of Education, the same lawyer who won that case is asking the courts to expel the district’s superintendent.
On behalf of two Bridgeport residents, Norm Pattis has filed a lawsuit in Superior Court alleging that Superintendent Paul Vallas’s contract, approved last month in a split vote, is illegal.”
The CTMirror story goes on to report, “State law requires all superintendents in Connecticut to be certified by the State Department of Education, which requires a candidate have a master’s degree plus 30 credits in courses relating to becoming a superintendent and eight years of teaching or administrative experience. These requirements can be waived for up to one year by the state’s education commissioner while the candidate completes an “educational leadership program” approved by the 11-person State Board of Education.”
However, as Wait, What? readers know, when the five members of the Bridgeport Board of Education loyal to Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch voted to make Vallas the permanent superintendent and give him a three-year contract, Vallas had NOT completed his probationary period AND had NOT completed the mandated training program. In fact, he hadn’t even started the training program. Making matters worse, it appears the State Board of Education hasn’t even approved a training program that Vallas could take.
As Attorney Norm Pattis told the CTMirror, “Bridgeport shows a curious inability to read the law.”
Of course, neither Pryor, Vallas nor the Department of Education made themselves available to the CTMirror, although the Chairman of the State Board did speak to the reporter. His answer is reason enough to go read the entire article at http://ctmirror.org/story/19600/round-two-bridgeport-education-heading-back-court
Apr 01
jonpeltoBridgeport, Mayor Bill Finch, Paul Vallas, Public Consulting Group (PCG), Special Education Bridgeport, EasyIEP, Mayor Bill Finch, Paul Vallas, Public Consulting Group
It started as one of Paul Vallas’ notorious “no-bid” contracts.
Vallas signed the contract with the Public Consulting Group on April 23, 2012. Vallas had worked with the Public Consulting Group (PCG) numerous times in his previous positions. As a result of those contracts, the Public Consulting Group has made millions of dollars. In fact, the firm highlights their experience with Vallas in Chicago and Philadelphia as a way to showcase their accomplishments on their company website.
When Vallas arrived in Bridgeport he was so sure that he wanted the services of the Public Consulting Group that he sidestepped Bridgeport’s contracting laws by using a “sole-source” procedure to make sure no time was lost to the cumbersome and pesky process of having to solicit bids or compare products. In this case, he went so far as to purchase a new special education software system for the City of Bridgeport without even properly involving special education teachers in that software selection process.
On April 23, 2012, a contract was signed, all with the promise that Bridgeport would have access to the “best product” in the entire country.
Wouldn’t you know it; the software was even called Easy IEP. In honor, one supposes, of how easy it was going to be to use… [Or maybe how easy it was to fleece the unsuspecting taxpayers of Bridgeport and Connecticut who would be paying for the software].
In any case, the software failed to materialize.
Instead, email after email went out informing Bridgeport’s special education teachers that they were to use the old, “outdated” product until the issues with Easy IEP were resolved.
July 2012 came and went.
So did August, September, October, November and December.
Team Vallas explained that various issues had come up, but the special education software would be ready on this date or that date.
January 2013 came, but the New Year didn’t bring the Easy IEP software.
February came and went.
So did March.
But rest assured, all the problems have finally all been resolved and Team Vallas recently wrote to tell Bridgeport’s teachers that EasyIEP would “go-live” today, April 1, 2013…nine months after the software was supposed to come on line and one year after Vallas signed the “no-bid” contract.
And although it is eight months into the school year, Team Vallas is pleased to announce that “in addition to the previous school-based embedded trainings, there will be weekly supplemental trainings. The trainings will occur based on staff request and locations will vary throughout the district…Finally, a number of technical supports are in place to further support the development of a strong foundational knowledge relating to EasyIEP and to assist with any questions you may have” Those trainings include: “ A Webinar will be made available to all staff, which addresses the overall EasyIEP process, A district-wide technical support email where staff can send their questions to have them answered by a team of Bridgeport-trained EasyIEP users – the email address is [email protected] and an EasyIEP Reference Guide.”
Meanwhile, the Board of Education has never been fully informed about the mess nor provided any details about the additional cost, if any, that the City will have to pay for things like the extra training.
Freedom of information requests will now be submitted to see what documents and payments are hidden away.
And this was only one of at least a dozen “no-bid” contracts Vallas signed.
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