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News :: Miscellaneous |
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Substance |
Current rating: 0 |
by campoCesarChavez
(No verified email address) |
15 Mar 2002
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the dope on gov. candidates |
www.substancenews.com
Chicago teachers, administrators and support staff have long known the truth about Paul Vallas. Paul Vallas is a hoax.
When Paul Vallas was CEO of the Chicago Public Schools they watched with dismay as he lied to the press, abused veteran educators, gave out lucrative no-bid contracts, misused standardized tests and engaged in shocking acts of racial bigotry.
Now with Paul Vallas running for Governor of Illinois, the people who know Paul Vallas the best are speaking out.
Anybody but Vallas.
Anybody but Vallas by Sharon Schmidt — In our past issues, Substance has documented 35 reasons not to vote for Paul Vallas for Governor. The reasons include (1) the failure of Vallas’ erratic bullying management style to improve student learning, (2) the many lucrative no-bid contracts that Vallas has doled out to private firms, while cutting the wages of janitors and other working people, and (3) many others (see for yourself).
The Paul Vallas I Know by Grady Jordan — The overwhelming percentage of school principals removed from their schools by Paul Vallas have been black. Five of them have recently won lawsuits for wrongful dismissal that cost the Chicago Board more than $1,000,000 in damages and attorneys' fees. These court victories reveal the tip of the iceberg in Vallas’ mistreatment of black educators. You may contact Grady Jordan at 773-637-2828.
Vallas Failed to Raise Chicago Test Scores on the Test Most Illinois Students Take by Sharon Schmidt — Vallas has turned many Chicago schools into test-drilling mills — with real teaching and learning out the window. However, the scores of Chicago students are extremely low and have not increased on the ISAT Tests that all Illinois students must take. Scores have only increased on the Iowa Tests, which Vallas can manipulate.
No-Bid Contracts to Arthur Andersen and Other Insiders Increase by More than 400% under Vallas by Tom Sharp — Arthur Andersen has had contracts from the school system exceeding $10 million to do everything from assisting alternative schools to printing documents to auditing the school system’s books. Arthur Andersen developed the same questionable relationship with Paul Vallas that kept Andersen from blowing the whistle at Enron. Yet candidate Vallas has railed against the Enron/Andersen relationship, which so closely parallels his own ties with Andersen.
Lies in Vallas Vitae by Sharon Schmidt — In his press materials, Paul Vallas continues to claim that he was an “Elementary School Teacher 1976-1980.” But when he was under oath in a lawsuit and asked about his work history, Vallas never mentioned any elementary school teaching experience. He has changed his story at least four times about whether and how long he was an elementary school teacher.
Roland Burris Interview by George Schmidt — Burris discusses his extensive government service and his educational plans.
Rod Blagojevich Debunks Vallas Claims by Sharon Schmidt — Blagojevich has outlined his own education plan, which de-emphasizes testing and focuses on early childhood education and increased funding for schools. Blagojevich recently attacked Vallas for (1) cutting the wages, health benefits, and pensions of 2,000 janitors; (2) using $800,00 to pay chauffeurs for himself and his top staff; and (3 paying millions a family friend who was supposed to solve problems with student busing, but failed to do so (see www.realvallasrecord.com).
Chicago Tribune Endorses Vallas While They Sue School System to Obtain Data that Vallas Illegally Withheld by George Schmidt — In endorsing Vallas for Governor, the Tribune praised Vallas for his “vision, honesty, smarts, and diligence.” At the same time, the Tribune was proceeding with a lawsuit to force the school system to give up data about truant students that a court had already decided was illegally withheld from the newspaper by Vallas. Vallas denied hundreds of legitimate freedom of information requests during his reign.
Editorial: Vallas Endorsements a Set-Up by George Schmidt — The Chicago Tribune and Crain's Chicago Business endorsed Paul Vallas because he is the most vulnerable candidate against a fall Republican opponent. Tribune reporters have documented Vallas’ multiple deceptions, which they can “discover” as the general election heats up.
Vallas’ Claims about Providing Eyeglasses for Poor Children Brazenly Rewrite History by Sharon Schmidt — In a highly emotional radio commercial, Vallas claims that he was the first one to notice that some Chicago children might have learning problems because they needed glasses. However, the school system and various charities have tested students’ vision and provided free glasses for generations, and Vallas actually cut the staff available to test the vision and hearing of Chicago’s children.
Costly Move Downtown Called Into Question by Recent Renovations at Pershing Road by Tom Sharp — Vallas called the school system’s Pershing Road a “commercial sinkhole” and spread out the central office staff among eight locations that range from downtown on Clark Street to Julian High School (at a cost of $100 million). But more and more city departments are now making renovations and repopulating the Pershing Road building. Was Vallas’ costly move really necessary?
Board Delays CASE Case Until After Primary Election by George Schmidt — Substance published six of 22 systemwide high school achievement tests (in subjects like English and history) to show what an absurd waste of time and money they were. In response, the Chicago board fired Substance’s editor (teacher George Schmidt) and sued Substance for $1 million. But now, the Board’s attorneys are using every delaying tactic in the book to keep the case from coming to trial.
The Legacy of Vallas' Financial Manipulations: Feast or Famine? by Leo Gorenstein — Vallas is running for Governor based on the claim that he left the school system with a $345 million surplus for the fiscal year that ends this June. Why then did the Chicago board take the unusual step of shifting $49 million from the funds meant for educating children to pay its debt on bonds? And why did all schools receive an urgent memo telling them to plan for a 10% cut in their school’s budget for next school year? Those who don’t understand the school system’s tangled financial history are doomed to repeat it.
Editorial: Bullies and Liars Still Win Praise in the Shadows of Enron Collapse by George Schmidt — “Management by bullying,” the Paul Vallas style, has been praised by some business writers when it has been used to run major corporations. For example, “Chainsaw Al Dunlap” managed Sunbeam Corporation the way Vallas ran the Chicago schools. The problem is that major corporations that mimicked Chainsaw Jack’s methods have typically seen their stock prices plummet. (Sunbeam, for example, recently collapsed.) Does Illinois need “Chainsaw Paul Vallas,” a governor who leads by bullying and lying?
Last Updated March 14, 2002
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