Former Mayor Lang Rebukes State Education Commissioner

NEW BEDFORD — Former Mayor Scott W. Lang this week issued a searing rebuke of state Education Commissioner Mitchell Chester, characterizing the commissioner as someone more interested in generating negative headlines than in working with school districts.

Lang’s letter comes a week after Chester criticized the city’s school district for its failure to complete an acceptable district turnaround plan despite substantial resources, six months of work and three drafts.

“(I)t is obvious that the (state education department) made a decision not to work with the New Bedford public school system, superintendent and administrative staff to resolve issues with the plan,” wrote Lang in a letter sent to state Education Secretary Paul Reville and copied to numerous local, state and federal officials.

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