The Bridgeport Mess: Vallas Camp Is Right on Merits, Not on Law
by Frederick M. Hess • Jul 11, 2013 at 7:07 pm
Cross-posted from Education Week
Cross-posted from Education Week
Yesterday, a Superior Court judge ruled that Bridgeport Superintendent of Schools Paul Vallas must resign his post immediately. It was the latest development in a saga that's stretched over the past few weeks, and that will continue as Vallas appeals that decision. The problem? Vallas lacks the administrative certifications required by Connecticut law.
It's summer and people have other things on the their minds, so I'll just make two points. First, on the substance, I think this was an unfortunate decision. I tend to agree with Connecticut's governor, Democrat Dannel Malloy, who opined, "Do I think that someone who was superintendent of Chicago, Philadelphia and New Orleans is qualified to be a superintendent in the state of Connecticut? The answer is yes." For what it's worth, I think it's bizarre that we'd allow paper credentials from programs with lackluster reputations disqualify a candidate with an extensive track record. Seems to me like it makes a lot more sense to just judge Vallas on what he's done, his skills, and his temperament. I think Vallas is an impressive guy and that it'd be a bad thing if he were actually pushed out of office. More generally, I have problems with the underlying logic of administrative license. If you're interested, I spelled the reasoning out at some length, a decade ago, in "A License to Lead?".
Second, however, whatever I happen to think of the law, it is in fact the law. If Connecticut statute or
