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Segarra and Adamowski, the Remix

By Jeff Cohen

March 25, 2011

Last month’s controversy between Mayor Pedro Segarra and the city’s board of education over the selection of a schools superintendent has largely blown over.

But another issue at play at the time was Segarra’s relationship with School Superintendent Steven Adamowski. Segarra questioned the school board’s awarding of roughly $2.7 million in bonuses and wrote Adamowski a letter. Adamowski never wrote a formal reply, responding instead through the press, and that ticked Segarra off good.

Now, a release of emails between Adamowski and his communications director David Medina shed a little light as it opens a small window into the communications strategy of the Hartford Public Schools.

Specifically, the emails show that:

1) Adamowski’s lack of a formal response was intentional;

2) That Medina advised Adamowski to address a letter to Segarra “in the form of a return letter,” but Adamowski declined;

3) That Medina advised Adamowski not to be “confrontational with the mayor at this time”;

4) That Medina advised Adamowski to “show some sympathy for the position he’s facing budgetarily. Stroke him a little.”;

5) And that Medina counseled Adamowski that Segarra was “just looking to save face. I don’ t think he’s our enemy YET.”

The emails also show that Adamowski did in fact write Segarra an email, expressing his hope that the two could, in the future, talk first before sending letters.