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* If this guy committed wrongdoing in New Orleans, then it’s a real problem. But no such allegation is made in the story, so I’m not sure what the dealio is because plenty of other people were fine with bringing Synesi here…
When former Chicago Public Schools chief Paul Vallas was recruited to revive the schools in hurricane-battered New Orleans, he asked for help from back home, newly obtained records show.
In a series of letters to Louisiana officials who oversaw the New Orleans district, Vallas vouched for Synesi Associates, an education consulting firm that recently had been started in Chicago by a former high school teacher named Gary Solomon.
“This out-of-state provider has a record of demonstrated effectiveness,” Vallas wrote in 2007, citing the “unique experience” of the firm’s staff.
Synesi landed two no-bid contracts worth nearly $893,000 in New Orleans during Vallas’ time running the Recovery School District from 2007 to 2011, records obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times show.
Now, nearly a decade later, Vallas appears set to be named to a top leadership post at financially troubled Chicago State University.
And Solomon is scheduled to report to federal prison July 11 to begin an 84-month sentence. Solomon was convicted of bribing Barbara Byrd-Bennett, one of Vallas’ successors heading CPS, who arranged for Synesi and another of his companies to land $23 million in business with the Chicago school system.
* Meanwhile…
Former Chicago Public Schools chief Paul Vallas has resigned from the Chicago State University board of trustees to apply for a top leadership position in the university’s administration, the Tribune has learned.
Vallas’ resignation comes ahead of an emergency board meeting Friday where university trustees are expected to fill two top administrative posts with the hope that sweeping change will help turn around the troubled school. The board has said it plans to name a new interim president and interim chief administrative officer, a newly created position.
*** UPDATE *** Sun-Times…
Chicago State University Friday named Paul Vallas as temporary chief administrative officer and voted for its longtime dean of the Arts and Sciences as interim president.
Except for Nikki Zollar, the board vice chair and head of the presidential search committee,, the entire board voted for Rachel Lindsey as interim president.
Zollar also abstained from the Vallas’ vote.
Vallas was Gov. Bruce Rauner’s top pick to run the financially troubled Chicago State University.
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Apr 7, 17 @ 9:18 am
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If you’re in a position of authority and vouch for someone for no-bid contracts who turns out to be crook, you’re lucky if all you get is some bad press.
Comment by wordslinger Friday, Apr 7, 17 @ 9:45 am
So a contractor recommended by Vallas in New Orleans ran afoul of the law five or six years later in a different CPS matter and Vallas deserves to be blamed? This seems to be de minimis as opposed to the gang that has been mismanaging Chicago State University for the past decade.
Comment by Whoa Nelly! Friday, Apr 7, 17 @ 9:53 am
Nelly, don’t inject reason into this, public employee union heads will explode.
Comment by Ron Friday, Apr 7, 17 @ 11:19 am
Ron: Just curious. Are all corruption issues “public employee union head” issues?
Comment by walker Friday, Apr 7, 17 @ 11:42 am
“ran afoul of the law…”
LOL, that sounds like an accident or a misunderstanding, rather than bribery and kickbacks.
Comment by wordslinger Friday, Apr 7, 17 @ 11:47 am
walker, of course not, but we are discussing CSU.
Comment by Ron Friday, Apr 7, 17 @ 12:48 pm
“LOL, that sounds like an accident or a misunderstanding, rather than bribery and kickbacks.”
Sounds like no big deal. Nothing that would have stopped State Senator Jimmy DeLeo.
Comment by How you doin'? Friday, Apr 7, 17 @ 2:17 pm
What is up with Zollar’s votes?
Comment by Knox Siwash Friday, Apr 7, 17 @ 4:24 pm
Hi — I’ve done a whole bunch of reporting on Synesi and found that the Illinois State Board of Education was not at all ok with bringing them here: http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/state-rejected-consulting-company-tied-to-man-at-center-of-cps-criminal-probe/ Happy Friday –
Comment by Lauren FitzPatrick Friday, Apr 7, 17 @ 5:30 pm