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.

Comments

ArchStanton said…
SPS Administration and the board of directors should have spent some of that money attending this workshop:

http://www.dmsattributes.com/stanford/LCM.html
SP said…
Does anyone have a copy of that article? I tried last week to locate it but you must log in or pay for it.
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.
Meg said…
SP - there's a copy of it in the SAO's supporting documents, page 77.
Charlie Mas said…
This episode, more than any other, is the reason that the superintendent has to go.

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.
Okay, does anyone else see that everything's been bumped off the agenda and the top two items are termination of the Superintendent's and the CFO's employment?!
Guichon said…
I read somewhere that Harium's response to what he was thinking about this entire situation was that he was keeping an open mind. REALLY?!?!?!?!? To me, that sounds as though Harium is not convinced that MGJ and DK did anything wrong.

Who is running against him this year? I'll be first in line with a $1,000 donation. He has got to go. Period.
Anonymous said…
king 5 just announced the motion to terminate.
-tmomma
mirmac1 said…
ARGH, Enfield as interim Supt. Just temporary!
Meg said…
Enfield's appointment to interim Superintendent is to be expected, really. I think Duggan Harman is the probable candidate for interim CFOO.
Maureen said…
Here's the link: Board Agenda.

Dr. Enfield is being proposed as interim.
Maureen said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jet City mom said…
Did you see this in yesterdays NYT?
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.
Sandy Blight said…
The Sup should go and Don be gone with her. Although this sounds like the solution, the corruption in the District does not end until the District gets rid of:

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.
Anonymous said…
I'll go further than that. I'd sack everyone on the payroll who comes from Broad. They should all be pariahs in this city.

-- Ivan Weiss
Seattle DJC said…
The DJC has unlocked the article. It can be found at: www.djc.com/news/co/12003550.html?query=newgent&searchtype=all

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