As CPS prepares to close a record number of schools, the fate of students and communities is in question.
Join the conversation
We encourage our readers to leave comments and engage in dialogue about our stories. But before you do, please check out our "rules of the road."
Recent Notebook Entries
Right Now On Notebook
By:
By:
Subscribe to catalyst-chicago.org by e-mail
Other Blogs
catalyst-chicago.org feeds
Current Issue
Emanuel: Brizard stepping down, Byrd-Bennett next CEO
By: The Staff of Catalyst / October 11, 2012
Just after midnight, Jean-Claude Brizard sent out a statement, confirming that he will leave the helm of Chicago Public Schools. He said he does so with "great sadness."
Brizard's departure was the subject of much speculation for several months. That speculation reached a fever pitch in late August when The Chicago Tribune reported that Emanuel was preparing to usher Brizard out. Emanuel denied the report and pledged his support of Brizard.
During the teacher's strike that followed, Brizard was absent from negotiations. And one bizarre day, his resignation was announced at a rally, spurring Brizard to send out an e-mail, declaring that he was still on the job.
Problems inside Brizard's administration were evident as several high-level hires left during his short tenure. However, some wonder how Emanuel, who seemed to be sending marching orders to Brizard, could blame him for the district's failings.
Brizard reportedly will be replaced by Barbara Byrd-Bennett, former schools leader from Cleveland who is currently the interim Chief Education Officer.
Below is the statement released by Brizard:
"In my 26 year career in education, I have had many different roles with one commitment -- the success of students.
As an educator, I knew for students to be successful here in Chicago we needed to refocus the District to work on the fundamentals of teaching and learning, developing a new framework for teaching. Some have called it a masterpiece. The credit belongs to my hard-working team including many teachers and principals who contributed to the work.
As the district leader, I am proud of the results we achieved in such a short time: graduation rates are up, test scores are improving, a higher percentage of freshman are on track for graduation, we achieved the lowest one-year drop-out rate in the city’s history and we have seen tremendous growth on the ACT – an important college readiness benchmark.
As I move on to the next chapter of my career, my commitment to the success of students and the elimination of inequities within our educational system remains the same.
I have three young children. It is time to focus on their development. We all know the best gift that you can give to a child is time.
I leave this role with great sadness, but with the knowledge that the seeds for true innovation and transformation have been planted. They only need to be cultivated."
Told you
Told you. All flash in the pan, no substance. I've been saying it for years. I was at CPS for over a decade and I saw the poor leadership at various levels in the organization. I know no one is surprised by this development.
Say Goodbye JC
His parting gifts will include a "going away" package worth over 3X my annual salary... Not bad for a guy who couldn't even get his staff to write down the correct website link to his "Children First" strike day-care program...
Interesting
Good point. "Children First"? No one with a wit of common sense really believes that, right? Good. Just checking.
Mutual Agreement...I got a bridge in England I need to sell ya t
NOT SURPRISED AT ALL! Well I thought he'd hold off for four to six months. So it is off to collect my money for those bets he's simply be put out. "Mutual agreement" my arse, he was no good from the start to take the job. Unfortunately Byrd-Bennett will be able to continue her history of failing upward. She screwed over Cleveland and other districts...but Chicago, keep your eye on her too! She is a pitbill with close ties to those wishing to crush unions, teachers, and hope. Barb is a Broad broad.
The sad part is that JC will simply fail up into some other plum position and take a chunk o'cash with him. You see, this is what I'm talking about ---one reform needs to be that when district officers, principals, supes, and the like are fired or quit STOP paying out these crazy financial packages! It would save a lot! Hell if I quit my job tomorrow based on a "mutual agreement" I'd be lucky to get 2 weeks and a box of pens!
Pens
Glad to know you're not surprised. It is good to know that there are still some of us who did not believe the hype. Don't believe the hype. Don't believe the hype. "Children first" is a joke in this town.... Don't believe the hype. The first step in true reform is not believing the snake oil salesmen.
as song by the who
Meet the new boss..same as the old boss. I
Just more management musical chairs from Rahm
I'm not sure I have the right squares to have won the office pool on Brizard's departure date, but I was close. The next pool will be how long Byrd-Bennett lasts when all hell breaks loose over her "fiscal necessity" nonsense about closings, consolidations and charterizations. Now that Emanuel has admitted that the budget (at City of Chicago at least) is going to do well thanks to the economic recovery, how can the CPS hacks continue to claims that "fiscal crisis" they've been prattling about? Oh, that's right, CPS is on its third "Chief Financial Officer" in three years. Whatever happened to David Watkins, who was recently replaced by What's His Name — that corporate white guy from Diner's Club International.
Management Musical Chairs grinds on like a lap dance orchestrated from the fifth floor of City Hall. Rahm must enjoy such stuff from his servants. But what a price for the city to pay!
Merry Go Round
That's what makes CPS go round the ups and downs like a carousel. Big men (now a woman) in their easy chairs.... That's what makes CPS go round. The ups and downs like a carousel.... You know what would be shocking? If CPS actually hired administrators (there are a FEW administrators who know what they are doing, but I've got to tell you - they are few and far between) who actually knew how to do their jobs. Now THAT would be a stunner. I think I'd have to pick myself up off of the floor.
Duck, Duck...Goose!
What can we expect now from the educational reform planners within CPS that are selected at the pace of a child's game?
Chicago Way Strikes Again
Is anyone in the known universe more obvious than Rahm Emanuel? As soon as things went south for the mayor in the teachers' strike, well-founded rumors began to circulate that Brizard was going to be gone. Then the mayor wastes precious breath saying, Not true...JC's the man!
By booting JC out of town the moment he annoyed him, Emanuel gains the additional perk of serving notice to the City Council that they'd best continue to toe the line.
I hope all the radio shows that hosted happy hour, substanceless, love fests for JC will throw away their souvenir drink umbrellas and reflect on the time lost in their wooing of anyone-but-CTU.
JC and Musical Chairs
Wonder how long his "staff" will stay now that the entire system is nearly in shambles? Will Beth Macetti Miller go back to Rochester where she belongs? Will Cheatham finally "get it together?" - Will this CFO stay more than 10 months? Will the budget office ever get back on track? Children First???? What has been done for the children of Chicago that actually has a proven positive impact on their educational outcomes --- can anyone name just one "innovation" that has a proven record here in Chicago? All the changes and musical chairs at CO isn't what changes what is happening in the classroom. TEACHERS are the change agents for our children.
Mayor
Is thier a "Reach" evaluation for the mayor?? What would his value added score be? What would his "Class Management" score be? I suspect he is close to Unsatisfactory for all???
Big Wig Musical Chairs at CPS. Nothing really changes.
Now that Brizard is gone does anyone seriously believe the problems at CPS are over? Our children are receiving a substandard education while the mayor wastes time with meaningless symbolic gestures. How does the endless game of "big wig musical chairs" change the systemic problems facing CPS? (4 CEO's in 2 years, really?) If heads must roll why not go after the principals who harass teachers and poison the climate at our schools? If mayor Emanuel is serious about fixing the problems at CPS he needs to get rid of the rotten eggs at CPS schools.
Management Skills On Parade
How was Brizard causing a distraction when he was invisible? What kind of professional sends out an announcement at midnight? Oh yeah, maybe he thought the teachers were still in class working because he was so effective in getting a longer school day enacted. Where did he send it from? Is he even in Illinois?
What is concrete is the year's salary he will get from the empty CPS cash register. Way to go Rahm!
Byrd-Bennet's $270,000 plus bonuses in Cleveland ten years ago
While the praises for Barbara Byrd Bennett begin to flow in on orders from Rahm to the city's corporate media cheerleaders of the administration, just about every accurate history of Barbara Byrd-Bennett's work, some published recently at Substancenews.net by Susan Ohanian, shows she is infinitely more corrupt than anyone we have seen in a long while. By the time she was a little ways into "leading" Cleveland, she was making sure her pay was $270,000 a year there — ten years ago! And of course there were all those executive bonuses, plus perks, perks, and more perks.
Of course, the trail of Byrd-Bennett's clout leads back to the "Billionaire Boys [and girls] Club" that Diane Ravitch wrote so entertainingly about in "The Death and Life of the Great American School System," and which I have a hunch Diane will be updating with joy Monday when she is in Chicago (the CTU event is at Lane Tech at 4:00 p.m.). The Barbara Byrd-Bennett of 2012 is a product of the Broad Foundation, vetted locally by Penny Pritzker, a proven privatizer and corporate shill. Anyone who had been to Detroit to see the ruins of public education there can view her most recent work as an "educational administrator."
If anyone thought that Rahm Emanuel had even considered a truce after his stunning defeat in the recent Chicago Teachers Strike of 2012, the truth is clear. Rahm is simply continuing the teacher bashing, union busting, and privatization juggernaut that he began even before he was inaugurated in May 2011, and the appointment of one of the most corrupt public school officials in the USA to follow Jean Claude Brizard tells all of us that the gloves are still off and the fight still on.
One of the funnest moments in this will be to read and collate the adulatory nonsense that passes for journalism now that Byrd-Bennett is in the driver's seat at CPS. One thing is certain:
By the time the Chicago Board of Education meets again on October 24 (or perhaps even before when the budget lies are unveiled again this week), more than heck will be breaking loose. Rahm wants it, crazy as he is, and so Chicago is going to get it.
New CEO fatigue
I think I have new CEO fatigue. We are going through so many new CEOs that it is all becoming a blur. As a wise principal told me when Ted Kimbrough, the superintendent of Chicago Public Schools from 1990 to 1993 proposed one or another education plan. This too shall pass.
So as far back in Kimbrough days the message is if you drag your feet and wait for the CEO's or superintendent's latest plan for change, transformation, or whatever to fade with their rule you probably have saved yourself some work. The next new leader will surely have yet a new plan.
Rod Estvan
"New" plan, new leader...
At times it is not really a new plan that follows along with the new leader. It can merely be a change of wind that allows the same plan but with a new name to continue on. I do not anticipate the Mayor will be changing any of his designs and plans now.
Yeah, just think about the
Yeah, just think about the number of 3% salary increases for Teachers that can be granted with his yearly salary!
Rahm
Rahm can't surprise anyone anymore and if he gets re-elected, I will never be surprised by anything again. Rahm's mother must be very proud of her union busting son, NOT! Her father was a union organizer. Brizard was nothing more than a scape goat from the beginning and bringing in another union busting lackey is not the answer. Parents and their lack of involvement are the major problem in CPS. No one wants to take responsibility for the kids who disrupt the educational process, consequently all but the very brightest fail to thrive.
Rahm has been quoted as saying he will not waste any more money on kids who are going to fail anyway. Children who fail end up in jail. It is so much cheaper to find a way to educate them. If they can't learn in the traditional classroom, then find a nontraditional space to work with them. Valparaiso Indiana has a great alternative school to work with troubled students that actually taught the students how to succeed. We often know in kindergarten which kids will have problems and could head it off there. The heads of our cities and school really need to look at the overall cost to the communities when they don't address those who fail. The resulting crime and consequential imprisonment of offenders cost far more than effective education.
CEO is not the issue, duh!
You idiots! Wake up Chicago, don't blame JC, it's your mayor that's clearly an idiot! JC is am amazing leader but CPS is too stuck in their old ways that's why no matter who is CEO will work. Get out if your bubble and open your eyes! CPS just lost the best guy for the job, too bad. Get rid if your mayor! Duh! For being such smart educators , I'd say your pretty dumb if you can't user stand the true problem. And to the guy who posted about JC sending an email and midnight, clearly your not in the business world, because most hard working CEOS do their emails at night. Hard workers don't end their day at 3:00 when school gets out. Duh! Clearly the person who posted that comment must be one of those deadbeat 7-3 teachers making 6 figures.
Add your comment