Vallas makes emotional exit June 28, 2001 BY GARY WISBY STAFF REPORTER "The Paul and Gery Show" gave way to "The Arne and Michael Show" on Wednesday as the Chicago Public Schools' two new leaders acknowledged they have a tough act to follow. Sitting in on his last School Board meeting, CEO Paul Vallas was so overcome by emotion while thanking his administration colleagues that he had to leave the room. Vallas, ordinarily an unstoppable talker, went silent, raised an index finger and pushed the microphone away. He tried to continue twice before shrugging, standing and making a brief departure. "We had so many, so many great partners," said Vallas, named to his post by Mayor Daley in 1995 and leaving now under pressure from the mayor. Complimenting Daley's choice of Arne Duncan to replace himself and Michael Scott to replace School Board President Gery Chico, Vallas said, "I'm absolutely certain they will hit the ground running." Before resigning and leaving the room with Vallas in tow, Chico said during the reformers' tenure the board had "restored hope, vision and credibility to a system that once was known only for its label as the `worst in the nation.' " Their leadership delivered seven balanced budgets, negotiated two four-year teacher contracts, built 15 new schools and 29 additions, eliminated social promotions, and, in Chico's words, "significantly improved the quality of our teacher corps." Scott, president of the Chicago Park District since 1999, praised the pair as "extraordinary human beings" who made a "Herculean effort." Former Vallas aide Duncan told reporters after the meeting that his boss and Chico "set a fantastic example for me. . . . I was honored to have the chance to learn from Gery and Paul." Duncan will be paid $180,000 a year. That's the salary that board members tried to give Vallas in March, but he agreed to take only $174,000. Neither of the new men said much, leaving the day to their predecessors, who heard their praises sung by several in the audience. In other business, the board approved: * A $4.4 billion budget that will fund 500 new teaching positions while eliminating 400 "noncritical, nonteaching" jobs. The budget is $15.8 million less than this year's but includes a 2.7 percent increase in operating funds. * Closing of Jacob A. Riis Elementary School, 1018 S. Lytle. Although the board has put $400,000 into renovations, officials said too few children attend the school to keep it open. ---------------------------------------------------- This is the CPS Mathematics Teacher Discussion 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/>
