Latest News and Comment from Education

Saturday, November 9, 2013

11-9-13 Wait What? All Week

Wait What?:

         



Tweeting from Gulfport, Mississippi, Capital Prep’s Steve Perry goes off on what could reasonably described as a psychotic attack on unions and the fundamental rights associated with collective bargaining. Perry states, “All DUE PROCESS means is that you need documentation for your decision. You don’t have to justify your documentation to the union.” What? Equally […]The post From the Deep South,

Steve Perry, the principal of Capital Preparatory Magnet School in Hartford recently tweeted, “I like to hire teachers who played college sport or who were in the military. Both understand the importance of team and winning.” Perry also takes great credit for his winning football team. But he apparently forgot that old adage that “there […]The post Big home football game at Capital Prep, But Princ


Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis on Paul Vallas
Lewis addresses Illinois Governor Pat Quinn’s decision to name Paul Vallas to be his running mate: ”The Chicago Teachers Union has supported Governor Quinn in the past because of his commitment to grassroots organizing, publicly funded public education, and collective bargaining. For these reasons we are concerned about his choice of Paul Vallas as a […]The post Chicago Teachers Union President Ka
Vallas could face residency lawsuit in Illinois – file under you can’t make this ______up…
Capitol Fax is the media outlet that broke the story this morning that Illinois Governor Pat Quinn has selected Paul Vallas to be his running mate. “* 10:01 am - Gov. Quinn is calling around telling people that he has picked Paul Vallas as his running mate.  Completely unexpected. Stay tuned.” A little later, Capital Fax […]The post Vallas could face residency lawsuit in Illinois – file under you
Illinois Governor calls Paul Vallas a renowned fiscal and education expert
Maybe there are two Paul Vallas? Maybe Pat Quinn, the Governor of Illinois, asked the “other” Paul Vallas to be his running mate? Could it be he chose “our” Paul Vallas? Does Governor Pat Quinn really want that arrogant, elitist, self-righteous, thin skinned, glass jawed faux superintendent of Bridgeport’s schools to be his running mate […]The post Illinois Governor calls Paul Vallas a renowned fi
Newsflash: Illinois Gov. Quinn taps Paul Vallas for running mate
Breaking News…from Crain’s Chicago Business Gov. Pat Quinn apparently has made an unexpected choice for his running mate for lieutenant governor: Paul Vallas, the former Chicago Public Schools chief and an ex-candidate for governor himself. The surprise development first was reported by political blog Capital Fax in a subscribers-only alert, and it’s being confirmed by Dean Vallas, Paul Vallas’ […
When Capital Prep’s Steve Perry isn’t AWOL he is busy doing media interviews…
Thursday, November 7, 8:15 AM More than 500 students are inside or headed to Capital Prep Magnet School in Hartford But Steve Perry, Capital Prep’s principal is tweeting “Birmingham Alabama! Tune in at 7:30 to WJLD. I can’t wait to be back in Birmingham w your Mayor,” Since Birmingham, Alabama is in the Central Time […]The post When Capital Prep’s Steve Perry isn’t AWOL he is busy doing media inte

NOV 07

Capital Prep’s Steve Perry goes on the offensive?
Faced with growing criticism about his excessive absenteeism and the list of failures at Capital Preparatory Magnet School, it would appear that Steve Perry has decided to “go on the offensive” by attacking his critics. In a wild and bizarre burst of tweets, Perry hurled the following insults over the course of an hour or […]The post Capital Prep’s Steve Perry goes on the offensive? appeared first
When illegally clear cutting state forest always carry your “get out of jail free” card…
… Or, at the very least, make sure you have really, really good political connections. Zachary Janowski, the Investigative journalist for the Raising Hale Website, has authored another “must read” article.  This one entitled “Environmental group sues state for going easy on wind-power company that cut down trees in state forest.” According to Janowski; “A […]The post When illegally clear cutting s
Wait, it’s not cheating if the students don’t know you are changing their answers right?
Some Hartford school officials have apparently joined the ranks of those who have engaged in cheating to make their students’ standardized test scores look better. The Hartford Courant has the latest news in a story entitled “Investigators Confirm Test-Tampering At Hartford School.” Major cheating scandals have already rocked Atlanta and Washington, D.C. Hartford is just […]The post Wait, it’s not
Steve Perry Tworking (Tweeting while working) on teachers and unions
State and local laws, ordinances, regulations and work rules prohibit public employees from engaging in politics while at work. Public employees have lost their jobs for violating these policies. Steve Perry is the principal of Capital Preparatory Magnet School in Harford, Connecticut. As a public employee, Perry is collected a six figure, taxpayer funded salary. […]The post Steve Perry Tworking (

NOV 06

Kishimoto’s Agenda: “Process for Identifying Schools for Redesign”
The Hartford Board of Education will be holding a “Workshop Meeting” tonight, November 6, 2013. Before the meeting, parents, teachers and public school advocates will hold a press conference about Kishimoto’s plan to close Clark School and hand it over to Achievement First, Inc. The press conference and rally is in response to the Hartford […]The post Kishimoto’s Agenda: “Process for Identifying S
Capital Prep. Principal Steve Perry: What’s the story about your failure to implement that “corrective action plan” on bullying?
Steve Perry, the principal of Capital Prep Magnet School, managed to show up for work today. Steve Perry’s excessive absences make it hard to determine exactly what is going on at Capital Prep these days.  As a result of his extensive fee-for-speaking travel, Perry has missed at least 20 percent of the school days so […]The post Capital Prep. Principal Steve Perry: What’s the story about your fail
Malloy/Finch/Vallas lose in Bridgeport but questions remain about role of State Democratic Party
As reported in today’s Connecticut Post article, “City school board tips away from Finch,” thanks to broad support from Bridgeport voters, Democrats and Working Family Party members opposed to Bridgeport’s faux superintendent of schools, Paul Vallas, and the corporate education reforms being pushed by Governor Malloy and Mayor Finch have taken a control of Bridgeport’s […]The post Malloy/Finch/Val

NOV 05

CT Post: “School board slips away from Finch”
  Huge victory for the students, parents, teachers and citizens of Bridgeport. Governor Malloy, Education Commissioner Stefan Pyor and Mayor Finch loses control of the Bridgeport Board of Education. Kenneth Moales Jr. will  lose his position as Chairman of the Bridgeport Board of Education And Bridgeport’s Faux superintendent of schools, Paul Vallas, will packing up […]The post CT Post: “School bo
Bridgeport Voters: This is the single best article to read before you vote.
Yohuru Williams: The perils of top-down school reform  Dr. Yohuru Williams is chair and professor of history at Fairfield University. Follow him on Twitter @yohuruwilliams.  This commentary piece was first published in the Connecticut Post on November 1, 2013 The latest debacle involving Bridgeport Superintendent of Schools Paul Vallas is a not-so-subtle reminder of what […]The post Bridgeport Vot
In Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor’s operation – real teaching experience is frowned upon
In a piece entitled, “Stefan Pryor expands his team of charter school advocates,” Wait, What explored the latest move by Stefan Pryor to bring in more inexperienced, out-of-state, education reform advocates to tell Connecticut’s Alliance Districts what to do. The latest addition to Pryor’s inner-circle is Nasir Qadree, who is an Education Pioneer Fellow (Class of […]The post In Education Commissio
Another day at Capital Prep Magnet – And Principal Steve Perry is AWOL – again
No, he isn’t MIA… He is actually on route to Prairie View A & M University just northwest of Houston. EVENT: Prairie View A&M University University’s MSC Auditorium 6:30 speech, reception to follow And while Steve Perry is out gallivanting, courtesy of the taxpayers of Hartford and Connecticut, he is pulling down impressive speaking fees. […]The post Another day at Capital Prep Magnet – An

NOV 04

Bridgeport Board of Education Election makes Salon Magazine
In a story entitled, Michelle Rhee revolution faces massive threat — and new accusations,” Salon Magzine’s Josh Eidelson wries, “In Bridgeport, a quiet bipartisan scheme to protect ed reformers’ favorite school chief is suspected by critics.” The story paints a partial picture of what the Malloy, Finch, Pryor, Vallas cabal are doing to try and […]The post Bridgeport Board of Education Election mak
Bridgeport voters go to the polls tomorrow, proving elected officials dismiss voters at their own peril
Even now, at a time when government and elected officials seem more distant than ever before, the voters of Bridgeport are proving that the power of democracy should never be underestimated. Bridgeport’s voters overwhelming defeated Mayor Bill Finch’s proposal to do away a democratically elected board of education and replace it with one appointed by […]The post Bridgeport voters go to the polls t
Did you make a contribution to the Democratic State Central Committee?
A few days ago, Democratic Party activists received an email from Governor Malloy asking them to help with this year’s local election by donating to the Democratic State Central Committee. In his email, Malloy wrote; “We only have four days left until the polls open. On Tuesday, Connecticut voters will choose local leaders who will […]The post Did you make a contribution to the Democratic State Ce
Capital Prep’s Steve Perry: Here today, gone tomorrow
Apparently Steven Perry, the principal of Capital Preparatory Magnet School, is actually supposed to show up for his job today. Despite being principal of the school, Steve Perry has missed 20 percent of the schools days this year as he jets around the country giving speeches rather than performing his legal duties.  But thanks to […]The post Capital Prep’s Steve Perry: Here today, gone tomorrow a

NOV 03

Will Capital Prep’s Steve Perry show up for work tomorrow
On Friday, Capital Prep’s Principal Steve Perry missed school yet again. In fact, the “no excuses” champion who describes himself as the nation’s “most trusted educator” was in Delaware Friday at part of his never-ending fee-for-service speech making. Students at Capital Prep would be thrown out and sent  back to one of Hartford’s other public […]The post Will Capital Prep’s Steve Perry show up fo
Common Core fails to meet Connecticut constitutional standards
Wendy Lecker, fellow pro-public education advocate and commentator, has a stunningly profound piece in this weekend’s Stamford Advocate and in other Hearst Media newspapers about the new Common Core standards and their inappropriateness for Connecticut. Andrea Conway, a fellow pro-public education warrior here in Connecticut read the piece and observed “This is the absolute BEST […]The post Common