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Norwalk Schools losing another top administrator

May 19, 2015
–
Nancy Guenther Chapman
Chief Financial Officer Rich Rudl.
Norwalk Public Schools Chief Financial Officer Rich Rudl.

NORWALK, Conn. – The Norwalk school system is losing Rich Rudl as its chief financial officer.

The Weston Board of Education on Monday night appointed Rudl to be its new director of finance and operations, according to the Weston Public Schools website. He will replace Jo-Ann Keating, Ed.D., who is leaving Weston to become the director of finance and operations for New Canaan Public Schools, the website states. Rudl will begin work in Weston on July 6, after the close of this fiscal year.

Rudl has been with Norwalk Public Schools since 2012, first serving under then-Chief Operating Officer Elio Longo. His position was expanded in a central office reorganization in early 2014, designed by then-Norwalk Superintendent of Schools Manny Rivera.

“Rich is the person who has developed the new budget system and budget document, he knows it inside out,” Board of Education Chairman Mike Lyons said in April 2013, after Longo resigned.

Rudl’s salary will be $170,000 a year, with an automobile allowance of $3,000 per year, Weston Public Schools Director of Human Resources Lewis Brey said. Rudl earned $154,561 in 2014, according to a salaries list provided by the Norwalk comptroller’s office. His current salary is $154,00 plus a $5,000 annuity, NPS  Communications Director Brenda Wilcox Williams said.

“I’ll be very sorry to see Rich go – he and Elio Longo really shaped up our finances, only to be lured away from us by Westport and Weston,” Lyons said in an email. “Fortunately Rich has set up so many good systems and controls that a new CFO won’t have to start from scratch like he and Elio did.  Also, Rich is staying on until the end of June, so he’ll complete all the budget adjustments we need to make for the ’15-’16 budget before he leaves.”

“It’s another big loss for Norwalk but we will find a replacement,” BoE Vice Chairman Artie Kassimis said. “When Elio was here, he put many new financials systems into operation.  When he left Rich stepped right in and improved on them.  Since most systems are in place, a new CFO can come in and get up to speed in a reasonable amount of time.”

“I know in my short time, Rich clearly demonstrated himself as having explicit knowledge on nearly every facet of the system.  He’s going to be very hard to replace,” BoE member Bryan Meek said in an email.

“We are very excited that Mr. Rudl will be joining the Weston Public Schools team,” Weston Superintendent of Schools Colleen A. Palmer, Ph.D.,  said in the website’s announcement. “He has enjoyed tremendous success in Norwalk, and I am pleased that he is bringing his passion and financial acumen to Weston. As we look to the ongoing fiscal challenges of educational funding, his expertise in long-range financial projections and fiscal management will serve our district well.”

Longo was with Norwalk for about a year and a half. Sources say he left because he would make roughly the same amount of money, would not have to go to night meetings and would not have to deal with Norwalk’s contentious Board of Education nor fight the resistance to change in Norwalk.

“It’ll take a couple of months to find a qualified replacement, so the new superintendent will here before a new CFO comes in (thus the new super will have three big CO positions to fill – chief academic officer, chief business officer, and CFO),” Lyons said. “He will make more money in Weston, and have less stress.”

“Weston made him a great offer, and along with a lot less stress, he decided it was the right move for his career,” Kassimis said. “I wish him all the best in his new position.”

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Comments

20 responses to “Norwalk Schools losing another top administrator”

  1. MarjorieM

    Seems that everyone of importance is jumping ship. There will be no knowledge and no history of what has happened in Norwalk. The RedApples got what they wanted. Now it will be interesting to see if that’s what is best for Norwalk. My guess? Think of a rudderless boat with no one knowing how to move forward.

  2. Bruce Kimmel

    It is common knowledge that the folks associated with Red Apple, like me, strongly supported and defended Drs. Marks and Rivera, as well as Elio Lingo and Rich Rudl. I am surprised that such a gross distortion of the fact was not edited.

  3. rburnett

    Can’t blame him; more money, a car, no night meetings and a much smaller district. Sorry he’s leaving but a no-brainer.

  4. I Disagree

    I disagree with Marjorie because there are still quite a few people who have a good sense of the “history of what has happened in Norwalk.” Some of these people work in the central office, and many of them are in the schools.

    As for being “rudderless, with no one knowing how to move forward,” I’d say that many of the people she likely credits with having the greatest amount of knowledge of the history of the district are already responsible. They own the failure to progress as quickly and as consistently as our many great staff are capable of moving the district. I readily agree that some knowledge of the history of the organization is important, but those who have been most protective of that history, desperately need to go.

    For the record, my comments are not a reflection on Mr. Rudl. I think that he has done an excellent job for us, and he will be missed.

  5. anonymous

    Well if you really look at the finances he really didnt save money he actually spend more money. If you dont believe me as a tax payer look for yourself you can get the finances. Freedom of information act.i know nancy will probably not post all of this and say its not facts but it actually is. The people in city hall that were recently brought in are union busters thats what they are here for to lie and act like they are saving money with non union workers. Its facts that the privitization ia not working look how many private janitors were removed from the private schools already. For drinking on the job and not doing there work. If you dont believe this CHECK into it its the TRUTH!!!!!

    1. Mark Chapman

      @anonymous

      This has been looked into a reported more than once. Here is one of our stories that speaks to satisfaction with the custodians and has links at the end with actual savings figures.

  6. Lisa Thomson

    Marjorie – What are you talking about? As reformers, just as Bruce Kimmel said, we have WELCOMED the financial acumen of Mr. Rudl and that of his predecessor Elio Longo. Doubtful he is jumping ship – but instead pursuing a new opportunity. That’s what competent people do! I have confidence the fiscal responsibilty and transparency started with Dr. Marks and Dr. Rivera will continue with the next Superintendent chosen by our majority reformer board and the new superintendent will bring in an equally competent CFO. In the meanwhile, I wish Rich Rudl well.

  7. Anonymous taxpayer

    @markchapman

    Ok since you clarified anonymous”s comment answer this comment. How come the contract has never been posted involving the outsourced company’s duties to maintain the schools. If everyone else’s contract is on the nps website why isn’t it public knowledge for taxpayers to know. We were thinking about enrolling our daughter in rowayton next year but after hearing that that school has been privatized and the stories about the private janitors we knew private school is a no brainer

    1. Mark Chapman

      @ A.T.

      I cannot answer that, but I will attempt to get the contract and post it on NoN. Any contract with the city and its schools should be publicly available.

    2. Mark Chapman

      @A.T.

      I believe we linked it some time ago, but I have added the link in this story.

  8. Kevin Di Mauro

    I had been impressed by Rich Rudl’s financial acumen until Joanna Cooper and Interim Superintendent Connelly revealed how far off base he was with the cost for SPED students.

    I say goodbye Rich. I’ll risk violating NON’s editorial policies by saying I think you are a low grade profiteer who has found a market in public school systems. Hopefully your reputation will catch up with you.

    1. Mark Chapman

      @Kevin

      While we have a policy against personal attacks and attacks against other commenters, those who are elected or appointed city officials or are on the taxpayer payroll must endure higher level of scrutiny and comment. Personal attacks are not allowed, but this comment addresses professional performance. As with all comments, the opinion is the writer’s and the writer’s alone

  9. MarjorieM

    First of all, happy people usually stay at the jobs where they are happy. Secondly, I can not, in good conscience, support Marks or Rivera. Good people are jumping a sinking ship, and I firmly believe that. We are facing the loss of the assistant principals from what I have heard ( although no one has mentioned it here), and we have hired PROACT for the superintendent search. PROACT’s CEO is a bigot according to articles that appear all over the Internet (although never mentioned here). Yes, anyone who can get out is doing so. Norwalk is not a happy place for administrators or other staff members. BTW,, where is the transparency we were promised? Where are the lists of consultants and the funds they were paid under Rivera?

  10. Lisa Thomson

    Marj, with your ‘happy’ logic, I guess the Weston CFO was unhappy and jumped ship to go to New Canaan. C’mon good, young people move around. Also, with that logic, Norwalk should be Happy Valley, since most of the gatekeepers in NPS have been here for decades!

    There is ALOT of transition at the top of the NPS administrative pyramid right now, but that also creates an opportunity for new blood and fresh outlooks when the new superintendent arrives. Contrast that against the undermining that Marks and Rivera both experienced during their time here, much of it internal and out of public view, save for some of the antics on the BOE.

    But I’ll take the vastly improved financial accountability systems, new student initiatives like PTECH @ NHS and the IB program @ BMHS and literacy initiatives at the elementary schools that the previous two superintendents brought to the district, even if their tenure was short. From what I’ve seen, the K-5 academic bar is much higher than it was when my kids were that age.

    I have also heard of funding issues with the Asst. Principals but understand it may be due in part to an incident in which two administrators openly fought in front of a foundation funder. There seems to be an internal ‘battle’ going on at the elementary schools as the academic bar is raised and roles and responsibilities of staff change; but openly fighting in front of funders, who help make-up the budget difference of our short changed ECS state funding is unacceptable.

    If there is any upside to all of this transition at the top, it’s that for the first time, in over a decade, a new superintendent will be able to bring in his/her team and maybe there won’t be so much foot dragging.

    Finally, for those who think Norwalk’s challenges are unique – I can attest, they are not. Last month, I attended an education writers conference in Chicago with ~ 600 folks from around the country, representing the media, educators, unions, foundations, think tanks and government agencies. Nearly, 15,000 U.S. school districts are struggling (to varying degrees) to figure out what 21st Century public education should cost and look like. Norwalk is just one of them.

  11. A. DELLACROCE

    This comment has been removed because it violates our sock puppet policy — that is, posting comments under multiple names on the same story so as to give the impression of wider support for one’s opinion.

  12. Steve Colarossi

    Is anyone else concerned that an alleged dispute between administrators is the source of Lisa Thompson’s posting? Isn’t this the sort of thing that is normally discussed between the superintendent and the administrators?
    If BOE members were advised (and I would think they would be if it could implicate funding) why would this information be leaked to a private citizen?

  13. MarjorieM

    Steve, Lisa appears to be privy to everything that is confidential. As for the loss of the Dalio foundation money, I can’t believe an argument between two administrators caused the foundation to pull the money out of Norwalk at the last moment( that will result in the loss of the Assistant Principals in the school system). Something doesn’t sound right about that for sure!

    Also, why hasn’t Nancy on Norwalk reported on the loss of the Dalio Foundation funds? Why hasn’t Nancy on Norwalk reported on our very expensive superintendent search firm’s CEO from PROACT who is being fired from many districts in the country because he has been reported to be a racist? Where are these stories in the news? They seem pretty darn newsworthy to me.

    1. Mark Chapman

      @MarjorieM

      Two people, 87,000 person city with myriad problems. Cant be everywhere. Why don’t people send us an email with story tips when they happen so we can triage and get them working? Why don’t more people go on the record with real names so they have credibility? Seems pretty simple to me.

  14. Mike Lyons

    It’s interesting to hear Marj objecting to Lisa having access to confidential information about the school system, given Marj’s obvious access to administrators who provide her with such confidential information on a regular basis, which she doesn’t hesitate to post here. At least Lisa (unlike Marj) is honest enough to post under her own name (as Steve Colarossi and I do).

    I will not comment on the confidential matters referenced above that are still very much in flux.

    As is typical of Marj, of course, many of her comments don’t have anything to do with the story, but we’re used to that. I will comment on a few statements above that do.

    First, Marj, your lack of support for Marks or Rivera is not surprising. You are the mouthpiece for the status quo old-timers in the Norwalk schools who always man the barricades to try and block reforms and improvements. Much has been accomplished despite their obstructionism, but good people have been lost in the process as well. I am confident that the new superintendent we bring in next month — who is being explicitly hired to “move forward with reforms even in the face of resistance” (from the Profile) — will break through those barricades and assure that the Board’s Strategic Plan is implemented with fidelity.

    Next, Kevin, the SPED overages have NOTHING to do with Rich Rudl and he has NO control over them. PPTs can direct outplacements at any time and unpredictably. Yet despite the large increase in SPED costs because of a rash of outplacements, we won’t have to go back to the City for more taxpayer dollars. You know why? Because Rich ran our budget so well this year (again) that we will generate a big enough surplus to cover the increased SPED costs. Before the improved budgeting and cost-saving measures of the last couple of years, we would have had no reserve and we’d be looking at layoffs. Take Rich out of the picture and the SPED spending issue would be a disaster, rather than the annoyance it is.

    The comments from the custodians above (“anonymous”, “Anonymous taxpayer” and “A. Dellacroce) are more of the same nonsense from this group. Once more, for the record, the savings by going to privatization are real and growing, as has been repeatedly verified in NON; the custodial services at the converted schools have improved, as school principals and staff have confirmed; and I don’t “hate custodial workers” and their families. I have hurt no custodial workers, since NOT ONE OF THEM has lost a job through the privatization initiative. All union custodial workers are grandfathered and CANNOT be laid off (as the commenters above well know). Positions are transferred to the private contractor purely by attrition (quits, retirements, etc.), so NO ONE’s family has been hurt.

    Finally, regarding PROACT, there is indeed a controversy involving 16-year-old racially-charged statements made by the president of its parent company (Gary Solomon). PROACT informed the Board about this weeks ago. Solomon is not involved in the Norwalk superintendent search. Our primary PROACT representative, Michael Hinojosa, is a Latino and former superintendent of the Dallas schools. Steve Kupfer, who worked with us on the Rivera search, is also involved in this one. The candidates brought us by PROACT this time include men and women, white, Latino and African-American. There isn’t the slightest hint of any kind of racial misconduct by Hinojosa or Kupfer, and the multicultural group of candidates they have brought to us attests to that. Obviously confidentiality obligations prevent me from talking any more about those candidates, but no one on the Board wanted to sever our relationship with Mr. Hinojosa, who is doing an outstanding job for us, because of emails sent by his parent company’s president 16 years ago, long before PROACT even existed. We are at the very last stages of a critically important superintendent search, and are not going to disrupt that because of news articles reporting on ancient emails that have nothing to do with the PROACT people we’re actually working with.

    So, while Marj is ranting, what else is happening? The first big steps to high school reform, including approval of block scheduling for 2016, have been approved. Approval of new Common Core curricula for foreign languages and social studies is two weeks away. Salvaging of the Norwalk Early Childcare Center project for 2016 to improve Pre-K special education has been achieved. Brien McMahon got accepted for the prestigious International Baccalaureate program. A new school bus contract was signed that will provide us with new busses AND save us over $1 million. Opening of the After the Bell program for underprivileged students in South Norwalk was successfully completed. There is steady movement forward in the search for a new superintendent. The Facilities Utilization Study is nearing completion. Over $2 million of security improvements are being installed. I could go on. But I’d bore Marj, who has no interest in such things. Hopefully your other readers do.

  15. anonymous

    Ok mike lyons so what i say is non-sense right? I see what goes on everyday you dont. you dont pick up throw up and fecal matter everyday to feed your family. I know its what i chose to do and im not ashamed of it. But to say what i say is non-sense it wrong!! Also i dont post my name because im scared of retaliations (even though im sure nancy or mark will give you my info) which i have gone threw in this system.i would love to meet with you mr.lyons and argue the facts because i know what im saying is right. But as far as you hating custodians i feel 100% you do if you didnt you wouldent of changed peoples lives around moving them all over at schools that doesnt make sense for them to be at. You have no clue about the day to day operations. Inatead of privitizing they could of hired a bunch of floaters that if they are used right could save tons of money. Floaters get no benefits, no sick time,no vacations,and can be used up to 40 hours a week so if you only needed them for 20 or 30 you can use them thalongy. The only thing is they are in our bargaining unit. But you guys turned us down when we came to you with that. And by the way since privitization i know schools that have been doing overtime all year long. So how could you save money if you got rid of no custodians but are paying for a private company.

    Editor’s note: This site has never revealed anyone’s real name or information. We have, however, blocked commenters who continually make up “facts” and harass the writers and/or fellow commenters. We already had to remove one of your comments for violating the comment policy. We ask that you continue to comment within the guidelines.

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