SUBSCRIPT. BUREAUCRACY WATCH. How many 'press secretaries' does one CPS need?
Barely a news cycle goes by without Chicago being treated to a comment from someone in the CPS Communications Department (usually Press Secretary Becky Carroll) bemoaning the fact that these are tough times, we're all in this together, there is a budget crisis, blah, blah, and blahher. If that be so, some enterprising reporter might ask, then why has CPS been expanding its Communications Department so much — in both cost and people — since the Reign of Rahm began less than a year ago. As fans remember, one year ago, under "Interim CEO" Terry Mazany, CPS had a Communications Chief (Monique Bond) and a couple of assistants working on the 6th floor in the Communications Department. Two years ago, under CEO Ron Huberman, it was roughly the same, with Monique Bond running the "Communications" show and a couple of others running around doing various jobs there. Four years ago, under CEO Arne Duncan, a guy named Peter Cunningham was being paid $120,000 per year by CPS as a media strategist, and Mike Vaughn was in charge of media affairs and the department. Vaughn was paid less than Cunningham.
One thing you can count on from Rahm Emanuel is an expanded press office, and CPS has done it. As of April 2012, according to the CPS website (www.cps.edu) the following people are now atop the CPS Communications Department: Becky Carroll, Chief Communications and Public Engagement Officer, Robyn Ziegler, Director of Media Affairs, Marielle Sainvilus, Press Secretary, Frank Shuftan, Deputy Press Secretary, Jamila Johnson, Deputy Press Secretary, and Katie Hickey, Assistant Press Secretary. Since the Board of Education approved the appointment of Becky Carroll (at the unprecedented annual salary of $160,000 per year) last August, the titles and the prices for the publicity stunt managers has been expanding, while each is expected to read those scripts about "tough times" and "fiscal constraints..." Why nobody has written about this double- and triple-talking from the Emanuel administration except Substance is one of the joys of media watching in Chicago.
By: John Kugler
Theft from Children
as we have reported here at substance. CPS is a criminal enterprise that steals public funds for profit and self-interest. In the era of rahmbo it is clear that non-educators are now the cronies at the public trough.
How can non-residents and non-certified education employees make more than and average teacher or administrator?
simple be a rahm crony