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Greenwich Public Schools Superintendent Toni Jones is in the spotlight yet again.
This time she's under fire from the Greenwich Republicans over a recent hire she made in the district.
"Did Superintendent Jones Not See These Red Flags?" said the newsletter before alleging "there is so much wrong" with Eduardo Calderón.
But Superintendent Jones gushed about Mr. Calderón, who was just hired as principal of Julian Curtiss Elementary School.
“Mr. Calderón’s educational experience is impressive, while demonstrating strong, critical, and dynamic leadership at schools on the elementary and middle school levels,” she said.
Dr. Jones further said, "the interview committee, consisting of GPS senior administrators, teachers, and parents recognized Mr. Calderón as a great fit for JC from an impressive and diverse pool of high-quality candidates across the region."
It turns out Mr. Calderón was disciplined for ethics violations by his former employer, the Cornerstone Academy for Social Action Middle School (CASA) in the Bronx, a position he's held since 2020.
"Since 2021, Mr. Calderón had also held another position: undisclosed live-in romantic partner of his direct supervisor, Deputy Superintendent of New York Public Schools District 11, Dr. Daniel Russo," said the newsletter.
Both Mr. Calderón and Dr. Russo were fined by the New York City Conflicts of Interest Board.
“I acknowledge that, by living with, sharing a bank account with, and purchasing a house with Calderón while I was his supervisor, I entered into a financial relationship with my subordinate in violation of City Charter § 2604(b)(14),” said Russo's disposition which was dated April 18, 2024.
But here's the kicker.
It turns out that almost a year ago, Superintendent Jones appointed Dr. Russo as Principal of the New Lebanon Elementary School in Greenwich according to a May 10, 2023, announcement!
“Dr. Daniel Russo has an impressive body of work as a highly knowledgeable, analytical, dedicated, instructional school leader who knows how to work collaboratively for the best interest of all children, while also being a creative problem solver. He is extremely impressive and will be an amazing addition to the New Lebanon Community,” Dr. Jones said.
“The interview committee, consisting of GPS teachers, parents, and senior administrators, recognized Dr. Russo as a great fit for the truly amazing New Lebanon community and he was selected from an applicant pool exceeding 50 high-quality candidates from across the region," she continued.
Russo's Linked In profile says he has been "recognized for building strong, inclusive, people-oriented cultures and high-performing, diverse teams by implementing policies to support a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and anti-racist (DEIA) workforce."
Coincidentally, the founding principal of CASA was Jamaal Anthony Bowman, the infamous squad member who recently pled guilty to a misdemeanor for pulling a fire alarm to prevent a vote from taking place in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Calderón was Bowman's replacement.
"With her latest appointment of Calderón, we now have both halves of this ethically challenged couple overseeing the education of Greenwich’s youngest, most impressionable children," said the Greenwich Republicans newsletter.
"We object to our superintendent hiring multiple school leaders out of the same shallow, dirty, politicized pool. We object to Toni Jones’s principals without principles!" said the Republicans.
The next meeting of the Greenwich Board of Education is Thursday, May 16th.
Members of the public may sign up to offer public comments until noon on Thursday.
