Court sides with Vallas on superintendent certification

Connecticut’s state supreme court on Thursday overturned a lower court’s ruling that Bridgeport, Conn. school superintendent Paul Vallas — Pat Quinn’s new Lt. Gov pick — didn’t meet state requirements to hold his job.

The point of whether Vallas was properly certified to act as superintendent is moot, given that Vallas has formally announced he would act as Quinn’s running mate in the 2014 gubernatorial election in Illinois. But it does put to rest one of the greater criticism that dogged Vallas during his two-year tenure in Bridgeport. Vallas faced a legal challenge to his certification in Bridgeport with claims that he improperly received a waiver of state certification requirements for school superintendents.

A lower court previously ruled that the waiver wasn’t adequate and that Vallas should be ousted from the post he assumed in January 2012. That was stayed pending appeal. Vallas lawyer Steven Ecker told the Connecticut AP: “All kinds of licensing decisions get made, and if every one of them was open to attack in a courtroom by anyone who didn’t like it, there would be chaos.” On Thursday, the group that vehemently opposed Vallas’ position said essentially they’re just happy he’s out.

“On November 5th, Bridgeport voters sent a message that Paul Vallas was taking their schools in the wrong direction,” Working Families Party Executive Director Lindsay Farrell said in a statement. “Parents, teachers and communities stood up to take back their schools from the corporate reform agenda. Vallas was on his way out one way or another, but we’re pleased that it was the voters of Bridgeport that turned the tide at the polls and elected a new Board majority who will fight for every student.”