[Ray76]

Common thread:

Philadelphia - Michael Nutter (D)
Houston - Annise Parker (D)
New York - Bloomberg (until 2001 D, 2001-2007 R, 2007 - present I)
Detroit - Dave Bing (D)
Baltimore - Stephanie Rawlings-Blake (D)
Los Angeles - Antonio R. Villaraigosa (D)
Washington - Vincent C. Gray (D)

[texas booster]

I have seen multiple examples of districts hiring a new superintendent to clean house and make education available to all - primarily in large urban and close in suburban districts.

First, the super gets an impressive pay package, including some benes that never are reported.

Then they hire a posse of lieutenants, all making over $100K. These folks then create a massive bureaucracy, removing competent long term assistants to bring in family members. Nothing ever gets accomplished except a lot of awards for “enlightened” education.

In a few years they all get booted out and the cycle starts all over again.

Google “Lancaster ISD TX Larry Lewis scandal” as one small example of the process.

Much like the federal government bureaucracy, these progressives are like a hive people who never get fully rooted out.