BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) - To Adrianna Zullich, having state Education Commissioner Dr. Betty Rosa come to Buffalo to hear about the many issues facing the Buffalo Board of Education and school district was just what was needed.
The glitch - Zullich, the school board vice president, and her seven other board members were not invited to the two-hour closed door meeting. Only board President Dr. Kathy Evans-Brown and interim Superintendent Dr. Ebony Prophet-Bullock were among the limited number of people at Wednesday's meeting.
"I only heard about it from reporters," Zullich said.
That aside, Zullich said it was good to have Rosa in town - which came at the urgency of Assemblymen Jon Rivera and Pat Burke along with Mayor Sean Ryan.
At issue: The growing number of concerns and controversies surrounding the school board ranging from a projected $80 million budget deficit to allegations of sexual and personal harassment directed at now-former Superintendent Dr. Pascal Mubenga and Central District board member Muki Hawkins by a female employee in the district.
Rosa's immediate solution was two-fold.
Rosa will be sending a team of education-based advisors to work with Prophet-Bullock and she will be sending a monitor to oversee the school board.
"Both are good first steps," Zullich said. "We should be open to all options."
Rivera agrees.
"We would be shooting ourselves in the foot, if we don't take advantage of every possible tool," Rivera said.
Zullich said all the controversies have become too much of a distraction and the board needs to focus on educational matters.
The district has more than 30,000 enrolled students.
That is paramount, Rosa said.
"The most important issue is to make sure the schools open (in September) and every children's need is addressed," Rosa said.
But, former Buffalo School Board member Larry Quinn thinks Rosa's stop was more about optics than substance.
"Betty Rosa is part of the issue," Quinn said. "She sets the rules. She's as much to blame as anyone else."
Assemblyman Jon Rivera calls it an opportunity
Assemblyman Jon Rivera calls it an opportunity
