Commissioner king assigning a "Distinguished Educator" to Buffalo Schools

State Education Commissioner John B. King, Jr. sent a letter to Superintendent James A. Williams on August 9, 2011 besides rejecting the turnaround plans based on the educational partnership organization model (EPO) the district submitted that he was considering possibly assigning a "Distinguished Educator" to the Buffalo Schools.

"...as a means to assist you to develop a plan for reconceptualizing the educational program for students at Lafayette High School and building district capacity for supporting dramatic change in Buffalo’s lowest performing schools." 

Yet, the joint intervention team  report on Lafayette High School had recommended the district close the school or re-open it under an education  management  organization group, an option the district had chosen when it selected an educational partnership organization (EPO) until State Ed folks rejected the plan last week. And the turnaround plans Williams submitted previously to the Board on April 13, had caused an uproar among the teachers at the schools who had to be transferred and re-interviewed for other positions in the district. Then, the turnaround plans changed again before the School Board met on May 9th, while Buffalo Teachers Federation President Phil Rumore would not sign any plans where the teachers had to be reassigned, replaced or transferred out and Williams changed plans again. And finally at its May 5, meeting the School Board accepted the revised turnaround plans that included contracting out with educational partnership organizations to run seven of the schools though in the end three schools chosen in July under this restart model while district decided to wait on the others what had generated an uproar in the community and the wrath of the State Ed folks.