Mamie Till Mobley

"There was an important mission for me, to shape so many...young minds as a teacher. God took away one child but...(gave) me thousands. And I have been grateful for the blessing." Mamie Till Mobley

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Chickens coming home to roost: School board member Jacobs and Superintendent Williams on the outs

Politics on the Buffalo Board of Education makes for strange bedfellows as Board Member at-large, Christopher Jacobs and Superintendent James Williams  sparred about the issue of exempt employees, the non-union administrators former GOP gubernatorial candidate and businessman Carl  Paladino mentioned when he spoke before the Board of Education committee meeting on Wednesday.
When Jacobs  asked  Williams about  these exempt employees, he referred him to look at the budget,  saying: "We have less administrators than we had when I came here. But we have more exempt employees."
Superintendent Williams told Jacobs he's "sick of his craziness" and called Paladino "ignorant" and "stupid." And he told  Jacobs and other committee members they..."all cater to that stupid stuff. I'm fed up with it. I'm through with him (Paladino). I'm not going there."
Jacobs  frustrated with Williams picks up his things and walks out of the Board  Education committee meeting.
Interestingly Jacobs is vice-president for executive affairs  and chairs the executive affairs committee on the School Board,  where   these "exempt" administrative appointments discussed or was he politically grandstanding?
The Buffalo News education blogger speculated  Jacobs has political aspirations,  he's "...playing to the preferences of some of the most powerful forces Buffalo's business community," such as Carl Paladino.
The question is, what happens now to the former friends now foes?  Williams allegedly told reporters on Wednesday he would leave the district if the salary cap  Governor Andrew Cuomo proposed for superintendents based on enrollments implemented.
Christopher Jacobs has been one of Williams staunchest supporters on the School Board, voting with the faction that extended his controversial contract three times since July 2005.

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Whitney Tilson (3rd background)

Whitney Tilson (3rd background)
"Let’s be honest: we need a lot more well-off, well-educated white folks with a personal stake in both charter schools and education reform in general if we’re going to take reform to the next level, both politically and operationally.Whitney Tilson, hedge fund manager and major funding angel for the school privatizing Democrats for Education Reform, thinks there’s not enough rich, educated white folks.( Preaprez) click photo to his blog.

Arne Duncan

Arne Duncan
U.S. Secretary of Education, click photo