The following is letter acquired by Metrowny which was sent from Carl Paladino to the Buffalo Board Of Education. Metrowny in no way endorses Carl Paladino's, his statements or views.
Carl P. Paladino
June 3, 2011
Buffalo Board Of Education
Room 801
City Hall
Buffalo, New York 14202
Re: Dysfunctional Board
Dear Members of the Board:
Enclosed are copies of my most recent communications with the Board.
On behalf of the children in our City public schools, and their parents, who you are
charged with representing, we implore you to join in an immediate vote of no confidence
and demand for the resignation of James Williams to be effective no later than the end
of this school year.
We no longer care if you must pay him a 6 month termination fee. We've lost
millions in waste and grants that he failed to apply for. Our children can't wait another
year for education improvements. Less than 50% of all students and less than 25% of
black males graduated last year.
It is not your choice or right to equivocate on the issue. You are elected to
implement the will of the people you represent. You have abrogated your right to speak
for and protect the children of Buffalo. You have violated the public trust. Your Board is
and has been a farcical joke with no respect.for the weight of responsibility entrusted to
you. Williams, his cohorts on the Board and Phil Rumore, on whose watch for 30 years
the system has collapsed into the abyss, has dictated to you that his sickly and lame
administration will continue for another year. The collective Board lacks a cogent
understanding of its role and the intestinal fortitude to do the job. Even one more day of
incompetent leadership is an eternity for the children who have been denied an
education and the opportunity for a fulfilling life by a corrupt education cabal.
The Board has failed pathetically to recognize and act deliberately to rid the system
of its arrogant and incompetent Superintendent who, despite his finger pointing, is
primarily responsible for the chaotic state of the system today. Parents, children,
teachers and the community have lost all respect for him.
Your collective, laid back attitude shamefully allowed Williams to fully control and
relegate the Board to the sidelines as spectators while the system denigrated and
stagnated. The extension of Williams' contract shocked the community. Rewarding
failure illustrates gross incompetence. Useless and hollow rhetoric instead of proactive
change have been the mantel of the Williams' administration. Meeting after meeting
you have sat there listening to feel-good presentations unable to connect the violence
on our streets with our school dropout rate.
James Williams in devoid of any real vision, the tools to implement that vision and
most importantly, any real sensitivity to the children of our community. His tenure should
have ended months ago when it was discovered that he withheld from the Board, during
his contract extension deliberations, a material fact, that being a scathing report from
the State pointing out the failures of the system and the Superintendent. His overt lies
to the Board over the Campus West closure, the hiring of 28 administrators many of
whom were unqualified, his out of control absences from Buffalo, especially during such
critical times, his insulting absences from key meetings with State officials and his
denial of information requested by the Board illustrate his disrespect for the Board, the
children, their parents and the citizens of our City.
Two weeks ago Williams agreed that if it was the consensus of the Board that he
leave, he be allowed to resign with dignity effective at the end of the school year and he
would not seek any further compensation. To buy time to further their own agendas
Chris Jacobs and Florence Johnson equivocated and demanded a "proper evaluation
process" to delay a vote of "no confidence" until after Pam Cahill, a supporter of the
discharge of Williams, left the board on May 13, 2011. The delay also gave them and
some inner city ministers time to coerce RoiTaylor and Ruth Kapsiak with threats of
reprisal if they supported discharge. The Board has failed to disclose each and every
evaluation and its particulars which will reveal the complicity of certain Board members
whose evaluations were designed to prop up what would otherwise be a failing grade.
The community demands the release of all information relative to the current
evaluations. We will then connect all the dots.
You have been misled into equivocation by Board members who selfishly have a
political agenda, fear embarrassment because they participated in the hiring of Williams
and are complicit with apparent leaders of inner city constituencies to protect their
control over patronage, assignments and contracting and otherwise feed on the graft
and corruption of $945 million budget. For 20 years Florence Johnson has sought
power only for the sake of power with a total disregard for the children of her own
community. She has no regard for the forgotten children she relegates to a
dysfunctional life.
Florence Johnson does not want Williams' immediate resignation or retirement
because she wants to maintain "Black" leadership instead of the "best" leadership no
matter what the color. She complains that Dr. Ogilvie has no "urban" experience when
in fact he has supervised, investigated and reported on the Buffalo system and has wide
experience in educating challenged children.
The Community demands the immediate resignation or discharge of the Board, the
discharge of James Williams and appointment by the State Board of Regents of a
Special Master to operate the school system for a minimum of 5 years.
The good teachers in the system must send Phil Rumore packing. Enough is
enough. He has recklessly conspired with Florence Johnson and Chris Jacobs to
influence and interfere with Board deliberations and coerce board members. We are
asking the Erie County District Attorney and the U.S. Attorney to investigate. Federal
funds are involved.
Our New York State legislative delegation must approve legislation to empower the
New York State Board of Regents to discharge the Board of Education and the
Superintendent and take over the system. The issue must rise above politics to correct
this travesty. There are only 8 session days left in Albany.
The children of our City demand the right'to an education.
If those copied with this letter agree with the above please respond by return email
or letter with your name and town or city of residence. The names, emails and cell
numbers of Board members are given below in the event you wish to contact them.
Very truly yours,
Carl P Paladino
Chief Executive Officer
cc: Members of the Buffalo Board of Education
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