Daley salutes Vallas June 8, 2001 BY FRAN SPIELMAN STAFF REPORTER Like a conquering hero being summoned home, Chicago Schools CEO Paul Vallas gave up the job he adored Thursday to applause from Mayor Daley, who had hastened his departure. Daley praised Vallas as "quite simply the best chief executive in the history of the Chicago Public Schools," but the tensions below the surface at a packed City Hall news conference contradicted the mayor's carefully scripted words. In dumping an extraordinarily popular superintendent, who has spent six years working tirelessly to turn around city schools, Daley knows he is venturing into politically treacherous territory. He is also making the job of Vallas' yet-to-be-announced successor all the more difficult. That's apparently why the mayor testily denied what has been an open secret around City Hall for months: Daley forced the issue with both Vallas and his uneasy partner, outgoing School Board President Gery Chico, because he wanted to make a clean break with the past and reinvigorate school reform. "I've always been strong in my endorsement of Paul. I've said that repeatedly," the mayor said. "You've asked me a thousand questions every day about it to try to get Paul and myself to fight. We wouldn't take the bait. That's what you want to see: personalities and people fighting. No. This is Paul's decision, not my decision." And what about the political risks for Daley if Act II of his school takeover turns out to be a flop? The mayor said sarcastically, "What is this--a wake?" Vallas, who has endured months of City Hall sniping amid speculation about his future, thanked the mayor for what he called "the greatest opportunity anyone could ever have" to turn around the schools. "I like to think we have started an education revolution that spread across the country," Vallas said. He said the decision to leave was his alone, even though he told reporters just last week that he had both the ideas and the energy to carry on for at least another year. "When you asked me, `Do you think I can get things to the next level?' Just out of vanity, I'm gonna tell you I sure can," Vallas said. "That's like saying: Are you old and are you ready for the home." "Sure, I have another year. But, you have another year and you find yourself in Holy Name Cathedral or, in my case, in St. Constantine and Helen" Greek Orthodox Church. "Six years is a long time. They measure superintendent years in cat years. So, I figure six times seven--you get the drift. It's not so much the age as it ends up being the mileage." Speculation about Vallas' future has been swirling for months--ever since Daley used his annual State of the City address to light a fire under his handpicked school team on the pivotal subject of reading. The rumors grew to a fever pitch two weeks ago, when Chico announced his resignation as school board president. Daley has settled on Chicago Park District Board President Michael Scott as Chico's replacement. But the mayor decided to postpone Thursday's scheduled announcement of the Scott appointment in order to let Vallas have the stage all to himself. Vallas took full advantage of the spotlight, then walked out of City Hall and down La Salle Street as horns honked and pedestrians shouted, "You did a good job." He gave no hint of his plans, nor would he say whether he would resurrect a plan to run for governor. "Please, one headline at a time," Vallas said. Speculation about Vallas' successor centers on Library Commissioner Mary Dempsey; former Park District Superintendent and two-time mayoral chief of staff Forrest Claypool, and Paula Wolff, a longtime Daley favorite who resigned in 1999 as president of Governors State University. Arnie Duncan, Vallas' deputy chief of staff, could be a dark-horse candidate. Dempsey has been reluctant to take the job because of the long hours. But, Vallas said, "The next person doesn't have to work the hours that I've worked or be as accessible as I am. I go to extremes. It's just my personality. I'm gonna work 12 hours, whatever I do. That's just the way I am. That's my father. That's our work ethic." -- This is the CPS Science Teacher List. To unsubscribe, send a message to <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For more information: <http://home.sprintmail.com/~mikelach/subscribe.html>. To search the archives: <http://www.mail-archive.com/science%40lists.csi.cps.k12.il.us/>
