Daily Journal of Commerce and the Sutor Group Report
Here's one other piece of this puzzle of a crisis - the tracking of the Sutor Group report.
Back in early 2009, district communications, for whatever reason, had been talking up the Small Business Works program. The Daily Journal of Commerce decided to do a piece on it. But the reporter wasn't going to just do some fluff piece "look at this great program" based on what the district PR put out. He had done a public disclosure request and got the Sutor Group report. Apparently, he called the district with questions and word went out to upper administration from Communications; the Daily Journal of Commerce had the Sutor Group report and may call about findings. All calls were to be referred to Communications.
Now MGJ put this in her daily Friday updates to the Board. Why no one on the
Board thought, "What is this report and why does it have actions and responses that a reporter would call about?"
The Board did not receive the Sutor Group report and were not briefed on the content or gravity of the findings.
The article came out March 3, 2009. The Daily Journal of Commerce isn't the most widely read newspaper in Seattle as it is more boutique newspaper for a certain group of people.
What ended up happening from the Sutor Group Report is that Potter wasn't allowed to make contracts under the Small Works roster BUT kept the ability to give out personal services contracts. He was also told to make sure his employees were trained and to follow Board policies and procedures as well as any laws, check contractors and use good business policies.
Obviously, none of that happened.
Back in early 2009, district communications, for whatever reason, had been talking up the Small Business Works program. The Daily Journal of Commerce decided to do a piece on it. But the reporter wasn't going to just do some fluff piece "look at this great program" based on what the district PR put out. He had done a public disclosure request and got the Sutor Group report. Apparently, he called the district with questions and word went out to upper administration from Communications; the Daily Journal of Commerce had the Sutor Group report and may call about findings. All calls were to be referred to Communications.
Now MGJ put this in her daily Friday updates to the Board. Why no one on the
Board thought, "What is this report and why does it have actions and responses that a reporter would call about?"
The Board did not receive the Sutor Group report and were not briefed on the content or gravity of the findings.
The article came out March 3, 2009. The Daily Journal of Commerce isn't the most widely read newspaper in Seattle as it is more boutique newspaper for a certain group of people.
What ended up happening from the Sutor Group Report is that Potter wasn't allowed to make contracts under the Small Works roster BUT kept the ability to give out personal services contracts. He was also told to make sure his employees were trained and to follow Board policies and procedures as well as any laws, check contractors and use good business policies.
Obviously, none of that happened.
Comments
http://www.dmsattributes.com/stanford/LCM.html
This is what is online:
March 3, 2009
Review finds fault with Seattle Schools' small works roster
■The district says it has made changes called for in the consultant's review.
By BENJAMIN MINNICK
Journal Construction Editor
The Seattle School District has changed the way it operates its small works roster program after a consultant it hired found problems with its contracting practices.
The Sutor Group of Bellevue recommended changes because of deficiencies in the way the program was administered. The state is conducting a separate audit of the district's overall construction operations.
. . .
To read this story in full login or purchase a subscription.
Anyone who could see the Sutor Group report as a public relations problem and not as evidence of serious trouble with contracting, hiring, and internal controls, needs to leave the District immediately.
Who is running against him this year? I'll be first in line with a $1,000 donation. He has got to go. Period.
-tmomma
Dr. Enfield is being proposed as interim.
Cuomo Seeks Cap on School Superintendents’ Pay
“We must wake up to the new economic reality that government must be more efficient and cut the cost of the bureaucracy,” Mr. Cuomo said in a statement on Monday. “Reducing back office overhead, administration, consultants and encouraging consolidations are the best targets to find savings.”
Mr. Cuomo’s proposal drew an immediate rebuke from the New York State Council of School Superintendents, which called the average salary for New York’s superintendents of $163,000 on par with the national average of $160,000.
I'll go with that.
& Enfield may be appointed interim- but not without a fight and only if she agrees not t pursue the job for herself.
Holly Ferguson
John Duggan Harman
Kathy Technow
Lloyd Wallace
Ron English
The District has a duty to parents and teachers towards excellence in teaching and serving the Seattle Children.
-- Ivan Weiss