We asked all the mayoral candidates today for their response to Paul Vallas' departure - and what role they felt the next mayor should play in choosing a successor.
One thing is clear: no matter which man wins in May (and becomes the likely next mayor), that man will not sit on the sidelines as the new schools CEO is chosen, despite the fact that the school district is under the state control of the School Reform Commission.
They want their own say in the choice, and they want the city to have its say.
Dwight Evans said in an interview that "there should be a task force put together - of public and private people - that's broader than just the SRC" to discuss not only who the CEO should be but also what the city wants from ongoing school improvement.
He wants the conversation to focus on "not just the personality that we select, but what our expectations are in terms of a five-year vision for school reform."
Evans, who has a long history of encouraging options beyond traditional public school - including charter schools - pushed for the state takeover as a state representative. Yet he believes the city has a good shot at affecting the choice of a new CEO, thanks in part to who is running the state right now. "There is a Democrat in the Governor's mansion," Evans said with a bit of a chuckle. "And the last time I checked, he lived in East Falls. He is from Philadelphia, and you can talk to him."
Evans compared Vallas to John Timoney, another outsider who shook up a Philadelphia institution, and had a not-long, if memorable, tenure, and who Evans backed. Changing things in Philly is not easy, he implied, and reformers often have a limited life span.
But reforms can stick. Chaka Fattah -- who has been a strong backer of Paul Vallas -- took a moment from our interview to praise Vallas' tenure: "Philadelphia, its children, and the city as a whole have benefitted greatly from ... the significant progress of and public interest in our schools," he said. "I credit Paul Vallas and the SRC for five years of very hard, difficult work."
And, he said, "we have to work to get the focus on the future now," making it clear that he'd be involved in the conversation about the new CEO.
"I would expect if I am the nominee for mayor -- or as a Congressman -- that I am going to be involved substantially in discussions about the future of the district and the leadership of the district," Fattah said. He added that he'd already "reached out to the governor and the SRC" about the replacement of Vallas and the need "to think about school reform."
Fattah said there's plenty of reason to believe the city will have its say, including the history of the district. "The mayor and the former Governor, Mark Schweiker, had substantial involvement in the selection of Paul Vallas," he said. "The original [state] plan was to have Chris Whittle and Edison Schools run the whole district." But the city protested, Edison was given a limited number of schools, and Vallas was hired.
"It's through the efforts of Philadelphians that there was the involvement of the mayor and others," he said, adding that sharing power was one reason the state-city partnership on the SRC "has worked as well as it has worked."
Michael Nutter said in an interview that he believes the schools should be under city control, not state control. But even before that happens, he said the next mayor "should have an enhanced role in choosing who the next CEO should be."
Tom Knox and Bob Brady issued statements: “Tom believes Paul Vallas did an admirable job under the circumstances and wishes him well," the Knox statement read. "But Philadelphia schools still have many problems and there’s obviously room for improvement. Tom would like to conduct a nationwide search for a CEO to find the most qualified candidate possible, because Philadelphia deserves nothing but the best.”
Brady's statement expressed similar thoughts: “Over the years Paul Vallas significantly impacted the Philadelphia School District and its students. We still have a long way to go towards decreasing class sizes, increasing student achievement levels and improving safety in our schools.
"That is why we need to conduct a nation-wide search for a new School District chief executive officer to manage the needs of our 174,000 students. The new CEO should share the same passion for educating our students as Dr. Vallas, along with a clear vision for addressing the district’s finances and pressing safety concerns in our schools."
“Paul Vallas always served with the best interests of our children at heart, and he can be proud of his exemplary record here in Philadelphia," the Brady statement concluded. "I wish him the best of luck, and I hope he will continue to bring his success and energy to his next destination.”
You can read more about education's odd role in this race -- including a comparison of the candidates' plans to date -- on our education page. And don't forget tonight's big candidates forum on education, which got a lot more interesting with Vallas' news today.
Comments (54)
I'm surprised Brady didn't announce that Debbie would be his choice to replace Vallas.
Posted by Anonymous | April 12, 2007 6:42 PM
I recommend that the new school superintendant be someone who has had great success in the past, like an Anthony Alvarado who had the top district in NYC. The superintendant, or his/her top academic person, should understand how important teacher training is and should recognize the sucesses from training in many inner city schools, such as in Newark, NJ. And somehow Philly and the rest of the state new a major campaign to get the State to support our schools the way NY, NJ, MD and others do.
Posted by Elkan Katz | April 13, 2007 2:39 PM
While Vallas was driven around Philadelphia in a chauffeur-driving school district car and enjoying taxpayer-funded catered meals, teachers and teaching assistants were cut from classrooms throughout the city. Teachers had to buy school supplies for their overcrowded classes, because it was more important for Vallas to have chocolate fountains and oversized, flat screen TVs at the opening of the overbudget school district building than to actually direct money and resources to the children of Philadelphia.
I hope the school reform commission hires someone who will devote themselves to the mission of educating children instead of indulging themselves.
Posted by Jamie Roberts | April 13, 2007 10:41 PM
Michael Nutter is being considered for the new CEO position.SHHHH
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