To the editor:
Norwalk Schools Superintendent Manny Rivera has left us. As of Feb. 1, 2015 he will be the New London Schools Superintendent. A truly great loss to the students, teachers and staff of the Norwalk Public Schools. A nationally recognized and highly regarded administrator with strong convictions and vision has decided to leave for “personal reasons.”
Superintendent Rivera is too much of a gentleman, and too professional to state, outright, why he has chosen to leave Norwalk. The answer, despite the spin by several on the Democratic side of the aisle, is that he was frustrated and demoralized by the three constant detractors on the Board of Education, Democrats, all. Their obstructionist approach to all things proposed by the superintendent to move our schools forward was apparent at all times. Their vitriolic, defamatory and uncivil behavior came at the expense of our students. Who, for example, can forget Shirley Mosby’s public comment that she will “tear all the white hairs out of the head” of Chairman Mike Lyons? Thankfully, Mr. Lyons is a gentleman and a true leader who has worked with a bi-partisan group of three Republicans and three Democrats to overcome the constant vicious verbal assaults to work with Superintendent Rivera on sweeping changes that are designed to better educate our children.
The teachers, as some who commented have suggested, bear no blame for Dr. Rivera leaving. The working relationship between Dr. Rivera and the teachers was one of mutual respect with the shared vision of improving the learning environment for our most cherished asset: our children. The unions bear no blame for the loss of Dr. Rivera. Bruce Mellion, president of the Norwalk Federation of Teachers and an often frequent critic of the BoE administration has been quoted by one of Norwalk’s news sources saying: “If this turns out to be true, what a terrible loss of the NPS and the Norwalk community. He has shown outstanding skills and leadership in his time in Norwalk and he will be very hard to replace.”
The spin that has begun to take place is that there are many reasons for Dr. Rivera leaving. But not so. Mayor Rilling is quoted as saying: “I know that family comes first and I certainly appreciate the reasons why Superintendent Rivera will be resigning his position.” Dr. Rivera has not said he is leaving due to family. But by saying so, Mayor Rilling has attempted to deflect the real reasons by creating one. Ed Camacho, the Democratic Town Committee Chairman, took the time to call one of the news outlets, too, and is quoted as saying: “soul searching needs to be done.” And, that it is “systematic and structural problems that led into this.” Again, a deflection and an attempt to get out ahead of the issue by creating a dog wagging the tail excuse for the loss of a great superintendent.
The reason is not systematic and structural. The reason is the actions of the vocal, determined and misguided three on the Board of Education.
There is a real question of leadership that needs to be raised. Where have the leaders of the Democratic Party been throughout this last year? Those same three members of whom I speak arranged to have a demonstration by an outside group of vigilantes trying to equate the Ferguson case with the leadership of Mr. Lyons. They have actually called Mr. Lyons racist. No comment and no defense of his BoE Chairman from the Democratic Mayor or anyone else in a leadership position in the Democratic Party. Why? Because they may be afraid of losing a small voter base that actually buy into the defamatory rhetoric spewed by the malcontents on the BoE? Our Mayor is, in fact, a member of the Board of Education and has the responsibility of providing exactly what he based his entire campaign on: civility. Where was State Sen. Bob Duff, he who took that famous campaign photo with Ms. Mosby encouraging all of us to vote for her? Ask that he stand up for you. Ask your Mayor to step up and to finally start to lead this city instead of bowing down to a small group of activists who have driven not just Dr. Rivera from our city, but other past superintendents as well.
Pete Torrano, Republican Town Committee chairman
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