For Buffalo school board member Carl Paladino, the fight over cash and jobs is heating up as one of the highest level officials is pushed out the door.
The South Buffalo board member is no friend of Schools Superintendent Pamela Brown and Board President Barbara Seals Nevergold. He wants State Education Commissioner John King to fire both and plans to bring that up again at Wednesday's board meeting.
The meeting is likely to be filled with his motions as he filed a long list of them for action. He is also seeking more information on the abrupt resignation of chief of strategic alignment and innovation Debra Sykes.
Paladino says Sykes was pushed out the door for complaining about acting deputy superintendent Mary Guinn to Darren Brown, who is now called the talent management director.
"On her inquiry, he took it to the superintendent. The superintendent was upset that she was going after Mary Guinn and the superintendent then told her that she was being discharged for her performance in her job. This all happened within a period of about an hour," Paladino told WBFO.
Paladino says he wants to know who will take over Sykes' duties with the school system. She has held a number of top positions with the school system as it has been reorganized repeatedly over recent years including the most recent re-structuring by Brown.
Guinn has been juggled among several temporary jobs including acting deputy superintendent and is now apparently being considered for that same position after her consultant contract was ended. She may come back to run the school system as deputy.
The district public relations director could not be reached for comment on Sunday.
