| Paul Vallas | |
|---|---|
| 1st C.E.O. of the Chicago Public Schools | |
| In office 1995–2001 |
|
| Appointed by | Richard Daley |
| Preceded by | Office created |
| Succeeded by | Arne Duncan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 10, 1953 Chicago, Illinois |
| Political party | Republican (since February 4, 2009) Democratic (until February 4, 2009) |
| Alma mater | Western Illinois University |
Paul Gust Vallas (born June 10, 1953) is the interim superintendent of the Bridgeport Public Schools and former Superintendent of the Recovery School District of Louisiana, and CEO of Chicago Public Schools and the School District of Philadelphia.
During his tenure as CEO of the Chicago Public Schools from 1995 to 2001, he led an effort to reform the school system, and his work was cited by President Bill Clinton for raising test scores, improving relations with the teachers' union, balancing the budget, and instituting several new programs included mandatory summer school, after school programs, and expanding alternative, charter, and magnet schools.
The position of CEO of the CPS was created by Mayor Richard M. Daley after he successfully convinced the Illinois State Legislature to place CPS under mayoral control. Vallas had previously directed the budget arm of the Illinois State Legislature and served as budget director for Daley.
Controversy plagued Vallas towards the end of his reign as CPS CEO. Following criticism from the mayor, and the election of a union president who ran on an anti-Vallas platform, Vallas resigned in 2001 and ran for Governor of Illinois as a Democrat. Vallas placed second in the Democratic primary, losing narrowly to now-former-Governor Rod Blagojevich while running ahead of former state Attorney General Roland Burris.[1]
Following the election, Vallas was appointed CEO of School District of Philadelphia. In this capacity, he presided over the nation's largest experiment in privatized management of schools, with the management of over 40 schools turned over to outside for-profits, nonprofits, and universities beginning in Fall 2002.
In 2005, Vallas considered challenging Blagojevich again for Illinois governor in the Democratic Primary but decided against it. He then signed a two-year contract (2007–2008) as superintendent of the Recovery School District of Louisiana.
On April 28, 2008 he appeared before the City Club of Chicago and on Chicago news shows discussing a possible run for governor in 2010.[2][3][4] In February 2009, Vallas gave an interview to Carol Marin in the Chicago Sun-Times and stated that he planned to return to Cook County, Illinois in 2009 and run as a Republican for Cook County Board president in 2010.[5]
On June 11, 2009, Vallas announced that he would not be a candidate for President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners in 2010. Vallas stated that he could not "begin a political campaign while trying to finish what he started—rebuild the school system there in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina."[6]
After Haiti's 2010 earthquake, President Preval gave the Inter-American Development Bank the mandate to work with the Education Ministry and the National Commission preparing a major reform of the Education System in a 5-year plan to reconstruct; Mr. Vallas has been working with the bank in this effort.