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Recent Articles By Francisco Alvarado

National Features

Despite the impressive display of authority, Crew's reaction to the Northwestern affair is much like his response to scandals that plagued him in Tacoma and New York: too little too late. One person who escaped punishment is Ronda Vangates, a high-level district administrator who reports directly to Crew. Vangates is a political heavy hitter. In previous jobs, she served as an aide to county Commissioner Barbara Carey-Shuler and chief of staff to Miami Mayor Joe Carollo. Crew hired her in 2005 as an administrative assistant and legislative liaison. A Northwestern alum and a nonpracticing attorney, Vangates was promoted last year to director of the district's Civilian Investigative Unit. She earns an annual $95,000 salary.

According to a June 5 Miami-Dade grand jury report on the Northwestern affair, Vangates "made efforts to halt the criminal investigation" into school employees who had covered up the sex allegations. Vangates sent Northwestern's then-Principal Dwight Bernard and other district employees an e-mail asserting she had directed Miami-Dade School Police to cease their probe.

The grand jury concluded that "this e-mail was profoundly upsetting, troubling, and offensive.... The unthinkable was that non-police personnel could have the audacity and apparent authority to interfere with an otherwise valid criminal investigation."

Vangates has maintained she thought it was a matter for Crew's office, not the police, to probe. The grand jury didn't buy her excuse: "We find it unreasonable and unbelievable that it was not known this was a criminal investigation ... [and it] was halted in its tracks before it was complete, before all statements were taken, before any assessments could be made, and certainly before anyone could be arrested."

Since the scandal broke, only one person has been arrested in the coverup: Principal Bernard, who was charged June 6 with felony official misconduct. He was reassigned to a desk job. Crew fired the school's football coaches and promised to get rid of the Northwestern employees who knew of but failed to report the claim. But he has not taken responsibility for his administration's role in the scandal. This irks school board member Rivas Logan. "If you know a crime was being committed, you report it. And his administration did not report it."

Meanwhile Crew has reassigned Vangates to another post: director of performance management, curriculum, and instruction. So the woman who allegedly hampered a criminal investigation will now hold sway over how teachers instruct their students.

Several hours after the camera crews and Northwestern acolytes left the school board chambers, Crew ran into a buzz saw when members began discussing his annual performance bonus. Board member Evelyn Greer proposed a figure of $41,000. Those present deadlocked.

Then Renier Diaz de la Portilla suggested Crew receive $20,000. That didn't go anywhere either. "A 420 percent increase in the number of F schools is simply not acceptable," said Rivas Logan. Later she added, "Personally I want to put [Crew] on notice. There has to be a consequence."

Responds Crew supporter and board chairman Agustin Barrera: "Sometimes we all get frustrated. I remember just four years ago the district was in disrepair. We had a state oversight board watching us. I think we are going in the right direction. One of our biggest challenges has been leadership in our schools. Dr. Crew addressed that."

While the school board continues to discuss the superintendent's merits, it appears he is looking for a new job.

Of course he is well paid. Under his current package, Crew receives $315,000. And the school district provides a pension and health benefits, reimburses his travel expenses, and even pays a $1200 stipend for his home office, from Internet service to computer equipment. (Back in 2004, to woo the superintendent, millionaire and onetime school board member Paul Cejas gave Crew a $240,000 loan to help pay for his $840,000 three-bedroom house in Coconut Grove.)

He apparently wants even more. According to news reports in Miami and Washington, D.C., Crew was not long ago the leading candidate to replace D.C. Superintendent Clifford Janey. On April 11, former Miami New Times columnist Jim DeFede reported on his WINZ-AM (940) radio program that D.C. was willing to pay Crew between $600,000 and $900,000 to lure him away from Miami-Dade. Crew, a guest on the show, responded, "There are other school districts. Certainly the Washington, D.C. scenario is very real."

Later that evening, during his television segment on CBS 4, DeFede said losing Crew would be bad for the county. "Personally I hope Crew stays," he rhapsodized. "He has done an amazing job, and if the numbskull politics of Miami-Dade ends up running him off, it will be a long time before we attract someone of his quality to take on that job."

Seven days later, a lengthy letter Cejas wrote supporting the superintendent was published in the editorial pages of the Miami Herald. Cejas blared, "Under the stewardship of the school board and the management of Superintendent Rudy Crew, our school system has gone from the brink of being taken over by the state to becoming a model system in our nation."

As it turned out, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty passed on Crew in favor of a local candidate. But that doesn't mean the Miami superintendent isn't still angling for more money. Indeed the school board might take a new vote on his bonus August 1, as this paper goes to print.

Says school board member Rivas Logan: "The contract we gave Rudy is being used to train school boards what not to do. No one is going to pay him what we pay him."

Write Your Comment show comments (8)

  1. Response to "Bad Apple"

    I would like to commend the New Times on their piece about the "Bad Apple" that we adopted from the "Big Apple." Public figures who surround themselves with allies and intimidate their adversaries are becoming more common in todays society. Examples cited of crushed criminal investigations, fired attorney(s) and fired inspector general(s) show that public figures today are more interested in their own agenda and how they are perceived than what is best for the community.

    Doris Kearns Goodwin in her historical analysis "Team of Rivals - the political genius of Abraham Lincoln" shows how Abraham Lincoln surrounded himself with those who disagreed with him. Abraham Lincoln chose to govern our country the difficult way by surrounding himself with people who didn't like him or his policies. Lincoln was smart enough to know that history would judge him and he chose to get a taste of that judgement as events unfolded.

    Todays leaders who take the easy way by squelching investigations and silencing dissonant voices will not be remembered fondly. The trouble is we often don't see the damage until long after they are gone.

    Steve New
    Math Teacher (and Lifelong student of history)

    Comment by Steve New — August 2, 2007 @ 11:17AM

  2. I think he has done the best possible job with what he has had to work with. Compared to the long list of horrible Sups the DCPS has had over the years, I feel the current one may be the best of the worst. In other words, when ya' got lemons - make lemonade. It was the STATE that raised the bar on the FCAT and changed the rules of the game midstream. One more thing, if you will allow another cliche, the "devil you know is better than the devil you don't". When we wish for change, any change even blind change- the danger is inherent.

    ol' timey
    Miamuh, Florida

    Comment by ol' timey — August 2, 2007 @ 01:28PM

  3. There are all sorts of problems with this administration. Last year a new school, Norma Butler Bossard, was built in West Kendall. Due to poor planning it is already over crowded. The school was built too small. Some children that live in the vicinity have to take a bus many miles away to other schools. Across the street Mas Canosa Middle school will be causing havoc when it opens in a few weeks since it will now be taking Hammock Middle students, who live close to Hammocks but now will need to go Mas Canosa miles away. Town hall meetings and attempts by regular citizens to make changes did nothing. In the mean time new homes keep getting built in the area - but MDCPS cannot figure out what to do. Who suffers? The kids having to be herded across town as they pass by their new shiny schools they cannot attend. I hold the entire MDCPS administration responsible for this act of oppression on innocent children.

    Comment by G. Padron — August 3, 2007 @ 11:09AM

  4. The problems in the Miami-Dade county public schools dates back to before Mr. Crew. As a former students from a school in the ghetto, i have not seen much changes in decades. However, in the predominantly hispanic and white schools, there is an over funding which is a result of influences granting all types of funding for these schools. One example is the conversion of these schools into charter schools to receive all kind of fundings, which includes federal government funding, M.D. county public schools funds, as well as M.D. county government funds. I have the application from one of this charter schools, the application is in blank, it was never filled out. however, this school was granted around 4+ million dollars from the federal government just for being a charter school, the whole school board approved this school's application which is in blank. I could go on all day but not even the Miami New Times would get involved in these findings. why?, because they would not put their own kind on the spotlight.

    Comment by Ed — August 3, 2007 @ 07:05PM

  5. I am sick and tired for everyone complaining about Superintendent Rudy Crew. I don't remember any complaints on the last couple of Superintendent and the last one stole money for his own gain. I've heard that things have improved for students. Did the school board members think he could wave a magic wand and bammmmm all the schools in miami dade county are "A" schools. Hell the state of Florida keeps increasing the score of the FCAT, so I say again, dammm what do you want the man to do. And if I see another "outlandish report" on what Superintendent Rudy Crew is not doing...I'm going to SCREAMMMMMM. This is what happens to most A.A. who hold position in Miami-Dade County. Wake up people our kids are still not meeting the mark and some of these students, parents, and teachers need to take some responsiblity and not blame the adminitrator/head of DCPS Superintendent.

    Comment by Dynamic6 — August 8, 2007 @ 02:14AM

  6. Dear Mr. Alvarado,

    As per our conversation yesterday, I'm not clear Y U wrote this article to begin with. Dr. Crew had EVERY right to FIRE Mr. Herbert Cousins, the big guy from Washington who was POLITICALLY CORUPT. His entire department was NOT ehtical, displayed unprofessional conduct, and corruption stemmed all day long from his office.

    Why haven't you mentioned or written about the death threats and the N word allegations directed at Dr. Crew?

    Again, all that glitters is not gold...Herbert Cousins does not deserve to be an employee of MDCPS...I'm happy he got fired....

    An Anonymous MDCPS Employee

    Comment by Sally — August 17, 2007 @ 09:23AM

  7. Dear Mr. Alvarado,

    As per our conversation yesterday, I'm not clear Y U wrote this article to begin with. Dr. Crew had EVERY right to FIRE Mr. Herbert Cousins, the big guy from Washington who was POLITICALLY CORUPT. His entire department was NOT ehtical, displayed unprofessional conduct, and corruption stemmed all day long from his office.

    Why haven't you mentioned or written about the death threats and the N word allegations directed at Dr. Crew?

    Again, all that glitters is not gold...Herbert Cousins does not deserve to be an employee of MDCPS...I'm happy he got fired....

    An Anonymous MDCPS Employee

    Comment by Sally — August 17, 2007 @ 09:23AM

  8. Hey Sally! Do you have proof that Mr. Cousins and the IG office were corrupt? Those are some harsh statements you made. The IG office was instrumental in finding at least one child pornographer within the school system. Thanks to Mr. Cousins and staff, our children are a little safer.

    Comment by Jolene — September 1, 2007 @ 08:37PM

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