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NORWALK, Conn. – Is Norwalk’s superintendent of schools flying the coop? Some community leaders say yes. Others say they don’t think so. And at least one thinks it’s beside the point – she hasn’t done a great job. The rumors are swirling.
Superintendent Susan Marks released a statement recently saying she may take a leave of absence. But Democratic Common Councilwoman Nora King said she has heard from "reliable sources" that Marks may resign. “I can’t tell you who told me she’s leaving, but I have it from three really good sources right now,” King said. “I can tell you that unless some things change it’s pretty much a done deal, and I think the biggest part of the story is … a lot of people are asking her to not say anything until after the election, which I think is wrong. I think what our focus should be now is getting her to stay.”
Mike Barbis, a Sixth Taxing District commissioner, agreed. “I think there’s a good chance she’s out of here,” said Barbis, a Democratic candidate for the Board of Education in District E. “I think the body language and other issues are telling us she’s not going to be sticking around.”
King and Barbis are mounting a social marketing campaign to persuade Marks to stay, starting with a Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pages/Encourage-Susan-Marks-to-Stay-in-Norwalk-Schools/128887527211559.
But Board of Education Chairman Jack Chiaramonte was emphatic that Marks is worried about personal problems and has not talked about resigning. “I’ve spoken to Susan Marks, I’m the chairman of the board, if she were going to resign she would have come to me,” he said. “She may take some personal time, maybe, she hasn’t decided. But when she does she will let me know, and I will let the community know.”
He expressed his opinion with an Eleanor Roosevelt quote: “Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.” “She has a few private issues,” he said. “I wish people would leave her alone and let her do her job.”
Marks did not return a phone call asking for comment.
“I don’t think we should operate on rumors,” said Bruce Mellion, president of the Norwalk Federation of Teachers. “The whole thing started several weeks ago, that she’s going to resign or going to leave. I don’t really have any direct factual information. I just think that the whole tone and tenor of that topic alone, whether it be resignation or leave, is very disconcerting to the entire community, the district, the employees, the students and so on.”
He said a survey of school system employees has shown overwhelming dissatisfaction with Marks' performance.“I don’t believe at the end of the day that she has been very successful so far in terms of what she’s done,” he said.
But Barbis begged to differ. “She’s done a tremendous job,” he said. “She’s brought all kinds of ideas into the school system, she’s brought in change, she’s brought in new curriculums.” He said his son has started participating in a new math program funded entirely by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
"I'd like Susan Marks to know how many of the parents and families think she's done a tremendous job and really would like her to stay," he added. The effort to tell Marks that she is important and valued has begun on Facebook and will branch out to other mediums.
King believes Marks is leaving. “I think she’s pretty much like 99 percent out the door right now,” she said. “I think it’s a tragedy. I think it goes across party lines, and I’m ashamed of the people in my own party that are involved in it. I ashamed of the Republicans that are involved in it, and I’m ashamed of the union people that are involved with it. I think it’s a bad thing for Norwalk. … This is about education and moving Norwalk in the right direction.”
King, who is running for re-election, said Mayor Richard Moccia knows Marks is leaving and is one of those telling her to wait until after the election. Moccia said he had seen reports that Marks might take a leave for personal matters and said he is “not a mind reader.”
“Certainly I hope she stays and I think the majority of people hope she stays but that’s her decision,” he said. “I don’t know anything about staying to the election or after the election, or anything. My conversation was this: ‘I hope you’re going to stay, but your family has to come first.’”
King and Barbis say Marks hasn't been given the resources and support she needs in central headquarters and has been micro-managed. "Some of these members of Board of Ed need to take a couple of lessons on what their role is," Barbis said. "This is set up kind of like a corporation, where you have a chief executive officer and you have a board that's kind of guiding the executive officer. They're not (supposed to be) micro-managing the executive officer. Some of what has taken place at the Board of Ed meetings recently has been complete micro-management."
King concurred, saying, "I think we need to unite as parents, as taxpayers, as citizens, as politicians, as community leaders and make sure this doesn't happen."
Contact reporter Nancy Chapman at nchapman@thedailynorwalk.com.
Comments (14)
Dr. Marks is an excellent superintendent, Norwalk is lucky to have her.
I happen to like Nora and Mike Barbis. I just don't like how they are trying to use the superintendent's personal problems for political reasons.
They claim to have better information than the BoE Chairman or the Mayor.
Either a confidant of Supt. Marks betrayed her trust and blabbed to them, or they are such great students of body language that they know more than anyone else about the superintendent's future plans. Whichever way you look at it, it's not really the stuff that public officials should use for splashy press releases.
The last thing we need on the BoE is a press hound.
To Barbis and Chapman: the plural of curriculum is curricula, not curriculums, and the plural of medium is media, not mediums.
Shameful that between the two politicians there's not a shred of decency or common sense.
How do they have information that the BoE chairman doesn't have. Last I checked, he was a very big supporter of Susan Marks.
It sounds like a case of two people trying to seem a lot more important and connected than they are.
First, Susan Marks has never publicly criticized the BOE. If she had an issue she'd say something, right? So, do King and Barbis want us to believe that she is so weak that she wouldn't say a word?
Second, if they are the big fans they claim to be, why wouldn't they respect the woman's privacy? Guess fantastic political gains are more important.
Third, what specific complaint do they have with the BoE? Are they unhappy Marks' contract was extended? Unhappy that every single appointment Marks has made has been approved?
I know, I know, maybe they're peeved that the Rowayton School construction project is going forward even though their campaign supporters Lisa Thompson and Sue Haynie spoke out against it incessantly?
I think Dr. Marks has done a great job so far. If she has a personal problem that she needs to contend with, then she should do just that. Enough of all the "he said, she said" BS. Leave the poor woman alone. The politics in this city have really gone way overboard to the point where I don't even want to cast a vote anymore!
Amazing that Mike Barbis thinks that the Board of Ed micromanaged when they REFUSED to go along with Susan Marks' (and Sue Haynie's) plans to increase class size, fire all intervention aides and close school libraries just to save a couple of administrator jobs in the Central Office.
I guess Mike Barbis also believes that the Board of Ed was "micromanaging" when they insisted that Supt. Marks have the FUNDING in place before she filled her new director's job.
He'll certainly bring a fresh perspective to the Board of Education-- people making over $130,000/year in the Central Office deserve to have someone representing their interests. Fortunately, the people who have been fighting for our students will still be on the BoE.
Spreading rumors is not leadership. We expect more.
We heard from Nora out in West Norwalk...the hatred this woman breathes is unbelievable. If she is your totally reliable source for anything, you have some serious issues. To do this sort of thing is a cheap election stunt. If I were the superintendent, I would issue a statement denouncing this action for what it is.
CORRECTION: Nora King is seeking reelection. Mistake made while burning the midnight oil. I apologize.
It is hard to know what is going on with Dr Marks, but the people who are trying to let her know she is appreciated are doing a good thing. I expect it will not be enough to convince her to stay, given the childish micro-managing of some key people on the Board of Ed. Nora King is a totally reliable source and too honorable to reveal her sources. I wonder how she puts up with the rude public treatment from the mayor.
None of us should have any trouble believing Dr Marks has been asked to hold off until after the election as, regardless of her reasons, a resignation now will look bad for the incumbent administration.
If there is a sick child who needs her, then nothing should delay whatever she is going to do and it was wrong for the mayor to ask, if he did. TIME FOR A CHANGE
let her go
Even though it's no one's business, if Dr. Marks would acknowledge what the personal problem is then I have no doubt she'd have the community behind her. I know how difficult it is to manage ones' life and the care of a loved one, in additon to the emotional toll it takes. The sad thing is that very few people have the resources to take advantage of the FMLA. Not knowing Dr. Marks, I would assume she's struggling with the decision since work often provides a haven from home problems and leaving work could strain financial resources thereby adding even more grief to the situation.
I don't know Dr. Marks and while overwhelmingly concerned about the state of education in Norwalk don't think the superintendent really has that much ability to change things (I'm in education), but I think the community should support her in this very difficult time.
I fully agree with Lisa R on the 'rumor mongering". But I believe the biggest rumor monger is the Daily Norwalk. The fact that this article has been released is mind boggling to me...as Lisa said, "Where are the facts?" The quote from the article, "And at least one thinks it’s beside the point – she hasn’t done a great job." is possibly the most unbelievable to me. I thought this was the news...not the opinion section. Where is the proof that Marks has not done a great job? I have heard quite the contrary personally from students, teachers, and the report that the board of education released. I remember the report saying she had been doing a fine job for the most part and had received high marks in most categories. If Susan Marks were to leave the district, it would be a great loss for Norwalk.
I for one am certainly glad that Nora King isn't seeking re-election. She has been the biggest example of nasty nasty partisan politics. All I have seen her do is scream and carry on about issues that affect her personally.
Once again she is engaging in rumor mongering here. Where are the facts? There is only one reliable source, Dr. Marks. She has a daughter with cancer...do you really think she cares about this job one iota right now? Yet, here we have 2 politicians trying make hay out of it...blaming Republicans? That entire board has been a circus for quite a while.