I’ve been contacted by more than a few Chicago-area reporters and community members who want to know about their incoming schools chief. I’ve prepared this list of what I consider to be revealing and important stories during his tenure.
I’ll let you decipher the running theme. My advice is to fact-check absolutely everything, ask tons of questions and file lots and lots of FOILs.
2009:
RCSD School Officials in Vegas During Testing, Layoffs
RCSD Board to Question Brizard’s Raise
Brizard Hires $100,000-a-Year, Part-Time Special Assistant
RCSD’s Central Kitchen Cited by Health Inspectors
RCSD Issued Hundreds of Credit Cards to Employees
Principals Told to Cut Art, Music, Phys Ed
RCSD Staff Stayed at Luxury Resort During Budget Crisis
2010:
Inside the Rubber Room
Brizard Created Cabinet Positions Without Board Approval
RCSD Cabinet Spending at Record Levels
Brizard Said He Didn't Give Raises to Top Staff, but He Did
State Test Scores Plummet, Erasing Gains
Brizard Spinning Graduation Data
Former Superintendent Blasts Brizard's Interpretation of Grad Rate Data
EEOC Finds Brizard Discriminated Against Official
2011Staff Survey Finds Little Support for Brizard
Fact-Checking Brizard on Cabinet Spending
State: Only 5% of RCSD Grads Ready for College
RCSD Budget Deeply Cuts Arts, Music, Foreign LanguageRachel Barnhart, Anchor/Reporter