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Norwalk: PriceWaterhouse Coopers On School Management


by turfgrrl


May 5th, 2007 · 9 Comments

In a word, it sucked in 2000. There were pages and pages of reasons. I don’t see the point on highlighting here, because they would all represent low lights, so I urge you to read the source document.

The general theme though, which has not been adequately improved under the Sal Corda administration are is a consistent lack of written management plans, inadequate management controls, performance evaluation and financial oversight. This is a classic problem with organizations, not unique to Norwalk, but I find it shocking that even Corda would be so dismissive of this report.

So without much more comment:

PriceWaterhouse Coopers On School Management

Tags: Education · Norwalk

9 Responses so far ↓ “Norwalk: PriceWaterhouse Coopers On School Management”



  • 1 NWLK taxpayer // May 5, 2007 at 2:44 pm

    This report is very well articulated and strait to the point when it comes the dismissive attitude that Sal Corda shows on every level. Anyone who can read can see that there is much amiss at the BOE. Taxpayers need to look at, and dissect this report that Mr. corda sp casually casts off as unimportant. Lets take a couple pages out of this report for starters.

    4.1 Board of Education Goals…………………………………………………………………………………… 7
    4.2 Overview Summary of Recommendations…………………………………………………………… 8
    4.3 Summary of Potential Savings and Costs…………………………………………………………… 30

    There are huge eye openers here and when most of the report states that areas of concern are UNACCEPTABLE its high time the taxpayers sit up and take notice.

  • 2 Watchdog // May 5, 2007 at 3:03 pm

    It is curious that Dr. Corda WOULD dismiss this report. Is this truly the case? Am I in error, or is the status of this report reflective of the school system as he inherited it? To Dr. Corda’s credit, would it not be more advantageous to work with the proposed goals and suggestions listed by PWC? After all, this is a very extensive, thorough report by a highly reputable and world reknown professional service organization that cost the city BIG bucks. I find this puzzling.

  • 3 NWLK taxpayer // May 5, 2007 at 3:32 pm

    Watchdog, Sal Corda has dismissed this report in the past and deems it frivolous and unnecessary. If you print it out like I did and didisect the information within its entirety, you will find some pretty interesting assessments. Most of which I might add, our current council and BET used in their arguments whensetting the cap. If the city deemed it necessary to conduct such an extensive report from a company such as PWC would it not be to the benefit of all for Mr. Corda and the BOE to go over this with a fine tooth comb? Are we as taxpayers going to let this go by and let this destructive behavior by the highest paid city official to run rampant another year at the taxpayer and students expense?

  • 4 Mike Lyons // May 5, 2007 at 4:18 pm

    Corda was quoted in The Advocate yesterday about the PWC audit saying “That was something that was done five years ago that cost the city a half-million dollars and at time there was nothing we could implement,” Corda said. “But we’ll go take a look at it, we’ll dig it out.” Of course, there is no indication that the BoE ever even READ the massive report. PWC met with the BoE in February, 2002, to report on their audit. The BoE has done nothing with the audit in the 5-plus years since then. As I mentioned in another post, a graphic reminder can be found on the BoE web site. If you go to the Minutes section (www.norwalkpublicschools.org/show/announcement?Category=Minutes), and search (upper left side of page) for PriceWaterhouseCoopers, the last MENTION of PriceWaterhouseCoopers in any set of Board minutes was in the minutes of February 5, 2002 — the day BEFORE the PWC report was released. The Board hasn’t even MENTIONED it at a meeting since then, all the way to now, in the spring of 2007. It stretches one’s credulity to the breaking point to believe that Corda and the BoE couldn’t find ONE thing in this $450,000 audit analysis that they could implement.

  • 5 NWLK taxpayer // May 5, 2007 at 4:32 pm

    The great wizard knows all! Sal Corda should take a look at what was behind that curtain. A very small man in a very big world who was nothing more than a voice in a microphone. The Norwalk taxpayers are the voice of reason and sal is nothing more than an employees who can be eliminated just as quickly as he was hired at an exhorbitant salary with carte blanche to run amuck with taxpayers dollars and to add levels of bearocracy.

  • 6 Publius // May 5, 2007 at 7:35 pm

    Bravo to everyone on this thread! To paraphrase the late Sen. Wm. Proxmire, “1/2 a million here and 1/2 a million there, and pretty soon, you’re into real money!”

    The schools are the number one budget item and the temperature check on our town. This vital sign shows us running a temperature.

    We’ve been running down ever since Dr. Sloan left. Herbert and his pirates came in, sheeesh. No more local teachers or administrators promoted from within. A raft of carpetbaggers who never taught a day here or had any investment of toil in this town were hired. Then, outside hiring became a requirement. Never mind a lifetime of proven dedication to the people and children of Norwalk. Never mind commitment as a resident. We’ll burn tax dollars flipping through resumes.

    Good Lord, We’re paying people that don’t even work here! I don’t know about anyone else, but this morass gets me fighting mad!

  • 7 Vet Park Junkie // May 7, 2007 at 3:49 pm

    Anyone have pointers to where Volumes 2 and 3 of the PWC report are? My PC with these beloved reports bit the dust some time ago…

  • 8 turfgrrl // May 7, 2007 at 3:51 pm

    Vet Park Junkie: Volumes 2 and 3 will be posted shortly. I have them and just wanted to space out the BOE content. I am also planning to flesh out sections on the site for all the downloads to be available all the time in an easy to use area. The day job gets a higher priority though.

  • 9 Vet Park Junkie // May 7, 2007 at 4:01 pm

    Bless you turfgrrl. I’ve cruised the city site in search of the files several times but, like you said, “The day job gets a higher priority.”

    Thanks. BTW, a download spot is a great idea.