The Sun-Times ran an op-ed recently by CPS teacher Timothy Meegan, “CPS starving its schools to justify privatization.” Here’s the op-ed.
It prompted numerous reader comments, including one by the Broad Foundation denying any ties to the SUPES Academy organization. For some technical reason, a post by Cassandre Creswell failed to post.
So, here’s Creswell’s post:
With respect to Stephanie Germeraad of the Broad Center’s comments, in fact the Broad Foundation has numerous ties with SUPES.
First of all, the SUPES site itself lists as its founder Tim Quinn (http://supesacademy.com/about/) and specifically mentions his role at Broad as instrumental in his role at SUPES:
“The SUPES Academy is a national organization created by Gary Solomon and Thomas Vranas, two leading entrepreneurs in the field of K-12 education who are owners of PROACT Search and Synesi Associates. Recognizing that little will change in K-12 education without outstanding leadership at the top of school systems, they decided to create a cutting-edge superintendent preparation program. To assist in this endeavor, they retained the services of Dr. Timothy Quinn and Shelley Keith, two pioneers in the area of alternative programming in superintendent preparation. Dr. Quinn and Ms. Keith created the highly successful Michigan SUPES Academy and were instrumental in the creation, startup, and operation of The Broad Superintendents Academy.”
Quinn was the managing director of the Broad Academy as recently as 2007, and he is reachable by phone at PROACT, an education executive search firm (http://atthechalkface.com/2013/05/06/search-delayed-for-new-memphis-superintendent-until-dirty-work-wrapped-up/). And he’s listed as a reference for them. (http://portal.norwalkps.org/BOE/Documents/2012_2013Supt_Search/ProAct%20Proposal.pdf)
Other SUPES leaders, CEO Gary Solomon, President Thomas Vranas, and COO Steve Kupfer are all on the executive team of PROACT: http://www.proactsearch.com/management-team/
Solomon and Vranas are also part of the consulting firm Synesi Associates (http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/Synesi_Associates_345919_7.pdf), which also happens to be associated with discredited former-CPS CEO Paul Vallas (http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/Synesi_Associates_345919_7.pdf).
PROACT and Synesi have numerous ties to the Broad foundation.
PROACT touts their connection to Broad in their literature: “”Our contacts include individuals within national and state education, political and business leaders, as well as the Broad Academy for Superintendents (non-traditionals). We have a successful record in recruiting a diverse group of candidates.” http://portal.norwalkps.org/BOE/Documents/2012_2013Supt_Search/ProAct%20Proposal.pdf
Read more about the Broad/SUPES/PROACT/Synesi connection in Huntsville AL here:http://www.geekpalaver.com/2011/10/30/eli-broads-return-on-investment/
And of course, Barbara Byrd-Bennet herself is a connection between Broad and PROACT, serving as a senior associate to PROACT as recently as August 2012:http://michaelklonsky.blogspot.com/2013/07/its-supes-to-nuts-with-gary-solomon-in.html
More on the Vallas/Solomon/Vranas/SUPES/Synesi connection can be found in the comments on Klonsky’s post: http://michaelklonsky.blogspot.com/2013/07/its-supes-to-nuts-with-gary-solomon-in.html?showComment=1375396033610&m=1#c504228079705194277 and here: http://thenotebook.org/may-2005/051149/cashing-vallas-model
The kleptocracy running the nation’s urban school systems is actually really not that big even though its reach is quite vast.
The average citizen may not be bankrolled by Eli Broad, but we are in fact able to use Google.
It is truly bizarre that the Broad Foundation thinks that they can deny their influence by sending lackeys to comment on Sun-Times articles.
