Robert Bobb
Encyclopedia
Robert C. Bobb is an appointed official who has been the Emergency Financial Manager for the Detroit Public Schools
since 2009. In addition to being employed by the school district, he receives a salary from private foundations that promote school choice
and privatization
, and is the owner of a private/public sector consulting firm.
Bobb's previous position was president of the Washington, D.C.
board of education from 2006 to 2009. Before that he was the longest-serving African-American city manager
in the United States, with a total of 30 years employment in the field.
and grew up on a plantation in southwest Louisiana where his grandmother worked as a maid. He worked his way through college buffing floors during the school year and laboring in sulfur pits during the summers. He received a bachelor's degree in political science from Grambling State University
and an MS
in business studies from Western Michigan University
in 1978. He is also a 2005 graduate of the Broad Foundation's Superintendent Academy, a ten month long course similar to an executive training program.
(1977-1984 ); Santa Ana, California
; Richmond, Virginia
(1986-1997); Oakland, California
(1997-2003); and Washington, D.C.(2003-2006).
During Bobb's tenure at Oakland, California, the city was governed under a new and unique hybrid system which combined a strong, elected mayor
with a full-time professional city manager. Critics had warned of stalemate if the mayor and city manager were to lock horns, but the system appeared to be working for the first two years as the city's bureaucracies were restructured and new policies were adopted. However, in 2003, during a dispute regarding a new stadium for the Oakland Athletics
baseball team, Bobb, who was a major stadium advocate, was dismissed by then-mayor Jerry Brown
, who believed housing should be built on the site instead.
From 2003 until 2006, Bobb held the position of city manager and deputy mayor in Washington, D.C. under Anthony A. Williams
where he managed 20,000 employees and an $8 billion dollar budget. He traveled to China in 2004 to represent Washington at the World Mega Cities Economic and Cultural Development Conference. In 2006, a cabinet level employee was erroneously overpaid $75,000 over a six month period and asked to keep the overpayment. The District, under an obscure rule, can waive collection of an overpayment if it "would be against good conscience and not in the best interests of the District government." Bobb approved the employee's request to keep the $75,000 but was overridden by the personnel office, which said that Bobb lacked the sole authority to make such a decision. Bobb resigned that year to run an ultimately successful campaign for president of the D.C. Board of Education.
appointed Bobb as emergency financial manager for the Detroit Public Schools, which at the time had 172 schools, 85,000 students, and a deficit of $219 million. At the end of Bobb's first year as financial manager, the deficit had increased to $363 million, according to budget documents released by the school district in June 2010.
Bobb said he took on the job because Detroit had the "roughest and the toughest" urban schools and because he understood "the dynamics, the grit, the opportunities that are prevalent in urban America." In addition to his management of the schools' finances, he created master plans for education reforms including standards required to pass to the next grade level, and offered plans for facilities improvement and community involvement. He used $500 million in federal stimulus
money to improve facilities and led a successful enrollment drive resulting in 900 more students than projected. He called for 2,600 volunteers to donate 180 hours each to help students learn to read.
His tenure as emergency manager was beset with controversies related to school closings, job cuts, and the elimination and outsourcing of school services. During his first ten months on the job he closed 29 schools and hired outside consultants to improve 17 schools. When it appeared that consolidation of high schools and large class sizes could cause tension and violence, he rehired 137 guidance counselors he had laid off, and rehired 20 piano teachers so that music education could continue.
Bobb is paid an annual salary of $280,000 by the government and $145,000 by the Kellogg Foundation and the Broad Foundation, a national promoter of school choice and privatization. Bobb is also the owner, president and CEO of the LAPA Group, LLC, a private/public sector consulting firm.
His appointment was to expire on March 1, 2011. At that time, he was given expanded powers by the state legislature, including the powers to modify contracts, terminate collective bargaining agreements with teachers and fire elected officials. He has said he intends to use these powers, and has issued layoff notices to all of the teachers in the school system, which will give him or other managers the power to call back or reassign teachers without having to consider seniority rights. Bobb is also proposing that as many as 41 Detroit Public Schools that he has scheduled for closure be turned instead into privatized charter schools.
for Career Development and four Innovation Awards from the International City Management Association
. He was also given the Marks of Excellence Award by the National Forum of Black Public Administrators, and was named public official of the year by Governing magazine. In 2010, Walsh College, a private business school headquartered in Troy
, Michigan, invited Bobb to give a commencement speech and conferred an honorary Doctor of Laws
degree upon him following the speech.
Bobb is a past president of National Forum for Black Public Administrators and the City of Oakland Black Chamber of Commerce. He is also a member of Phi Beta Sigma
fraternity, and holds a lifetime membership in the NAACP.
Detroit Public Schools
Detroit Public Schools is a school district that covers all of the city of Detroit, Michigan, United States. The student population of the Detroit Public Schools is about 65,971 , which is down about 9.7% from the previous school year. Detroit Public Charter Schools educate an additional 56,000...
since 2009. In addition to being employed by the school district, he receives a salary from private foundations that promote school choice
School choice
School choice is a term used to describe a wide array of programs aimed at giving families the opportunity to choose the school their children will attend. As a matter of form, school choice does not give preference to one form of schooling or another, rather manifests itself whenever a student...
and privatization
Privatization
Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector or to private non-profit organizations...
, and is the owner of a private/public sector consulting firm.
Bobb's previous position was president of the Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
board of education from 2006 to 2009. Before that he was the longest-serving African-American city manager
City manager
A city manager is an official appointed as the administrative manager of a city, in a council-manager form of city government. Local officials serving in this position are sometimes referred to as the chief executive officer or chief administrative officer in some municipalities...
in the United States, with a total of 30 years employment in the field.
Early life and education
Bobb was born in New Orleans, LouisianaNew Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
and grew up on a plantation in southwest Louisiana where his grandmother worked as a maid. He worked his way through college buffing floors during the school year and laboring in sulfur pits during the summers. He received a bachelor's degree in political science from Grambling State University
Grambling State University
Grambling State University is a historically black , public, coeducational university, located in Grambling, Louisiana. The university is the home of legendary football coach Eddie Robinson and is on the Louisiana African American Heritage Trail.-Academics:Grambling State University provides over...
and an MS
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
in business studies from Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University is a public university located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1903 by Dwight B. Waldo, and as of the Fall 2010 semester, its enrollment is 25,045....
in 1978. He is also a 2005 graduate of the Broad Foundation's Superintendent Academy, a ten month long course similar to an executive training program.
City manager
He acted as a city manager for a total of 30 years for the cities of Kalamazoo, MichiganKalamazoo, Michigan
The area on which the modern city stands was once home to Native Americans of the Hopewell culture, who migrated into the area sometime before the first millennium. Evidence of their early residency remains in the form of a small mound in downtown's Bronson Park. The Hopewell civilization began to...
(1977-1984 ); Santa Ana, California
Santa Ana, California
Santa Ana is the county seat and second most populous city in Orange County, California, and with a population of 324,528 at the 2010 census, Santa Ana is the 57th-most populous city in the United States....
; Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
(1986-1997); Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
(1997-2003); and Washington, D.C.(2003-2006).
During Bobb's tenure at Oakland, California, the city was governed under a new and unique hybrid system which combined a strong, elected mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
with a full-time professional city manager. Critics had warned of stalemate if the mayor and city manager were to lock horns, but the system appeared to be working for the first two years as the city's bureaucracies were restructured and new policies were adopted. However, in 2003, during a dispute regarding a new stadium for the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
baseball team, Bobb, who was a major stadium advocate, was dismissed by then-mayor Jerry Brown
Jerry Brown
Edmund Gerald "Jerry" Brown, Jr. is an American politician. Brown served as the 34th Governor of California , and is currently serving as the 39th California Governor...
, who believed housing should be built on the site instead.
From 2003 until 2006, Bobb held the position of city manager and deputy mayor in Washington, D.C. under Anthony A. Williams
Anthony A. Williams
Anthony Allen "Tony" Williams is an American politician who served as the fifth mayor of the District of Columbia for two terms, from 1999 to 2007. He had previously served as chief financial officer for the District, managing to balance the budget and achieve a surplus within two years of...
where he managed 20,000 employees and an $8 billion dollar budget. He traveled to China in 2004 to represent Washington at the World Mega Cities Economic and Cultural Development Conference. In 2006, a cabinet level employee was erroneously overpaid $75,000 over a six month period and asked to keep the overpayment. The District, under an obscure rule, can waive collection of an overpayment if it "would be against good conscience and not in the best interests of the District government." Bobb approved the employee's request to keep the $75,000 but was overridden by the personnel office, which said that Bobb lacked the sole authority to make such a decision. Bobb resigned that year to run an ultimately successful campaign for president of the D.C. Board of Education.
Emergency financial manager
In March 2009, Michigan governor Jennifer GranholmJennifer Granholm
Jennifer Mulhern Granholm is a Canadian-born American politician, educator, and author who served as Attorney General and 47th Governor of the U.S. state of Michigan. A member of the Democratic Party, Granholm became Michigan's first female governor on January 1, 2003, when she succeeded Governor...
appointed Bobb as emergency financial manager for the Detroit Public Schools, which at the time had 172 schools, 85,000 students, and a deficit of $219 million. At the end of Bobb's first year as financial manager, the deficit had increased to $363 million, according to budget documents released by the school district in June 2010.
Bobb said he took on the job because Detroit had the "roughest and the toughest" urban schools and because he understood "the dynamics, the grit, the opportunities that are prevalent in urban America." In addition to his management of the schools' finances, he created master plans for education reforms including standards required to pass to the next grade level, and offered plans for facilities improvement and community involvement. He used $500 million in federal stimulus
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, abbreviated ARRA and commonly referred to as the Stimulus or The Recovery Act, is an economic stimulus package enacted by the 111th United States Congress in February 2009 and signed into law on February 17, 2009, by President Barack Obama.To...
money to improve facilities and led a successful enrollment drive resulting in 900 more students than projected. He called for 2,600 volunteers to donate 180 hours each to help students learn to read.
His tenure as emergency manager was beset with controversies related to school closings, job cuts, and the elimination and outsourcing of school services. During his first ten months on the job he closed 29 schools and hired outside consultants to improve 17 schools. When it appeared that consolidation of high schools and large class sizes could cause tension and violence, he rehired 137 guidance counselors he had laid off, and rehired 20 piano teachers so that music education could continue.
Bobb is paid an annual salary of $280,000 by the government and $145,000 by the Kellogg Foundation and the Broad Foundation, a national promoter of school choice and privatization. Bobb is also the owner, president and CEO of the LAPA Group, LLC, a private/public sector consulting firm.
His appointment was to expire on March 1, 2011. At that time, he was given expanded powers by the state legislature, including the powers to modify contracts, terminate collective bargaining agreements with teachers and fire elected officials. He has said he intends to use these powers, and has issued layoff notices to all of the teachers in the school system, which will give him or other managers the power to call back or reassign teachers without having to consider seniority rights. Bobb is also proposing that as many as 41 Detroit Public Schools that he has scheduled for closure be turned instead into privatized charter schools.
Awards and civic activities
Bobb has received the L.P. Cookingham AwardLaurie Perry Cookingham
Laurie Perry Cookingham, more commonly known as L.P. Cookingham or L. Perry Cookingham, was a noted public administrator in the United States having served as City Manager of Kansas City, Missouri for 19 years, a tenure longer than anyone else had served as city manager in any city in the United...
for Career Development and four Innovation Awards from the International City Management Association
International City/County Management Association
ICMA is an association representing professionals in local government management. It is based in Washington, D.C., USA....
. He was also given the Marks of Excellence Award by the National Forum of Black Public Administrators, and was named public official of the year by Governing magazine. In 2010, Walsh College, a private business school headquartered in Troy
Troy, Michigan
Troy is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan, and is a suburb of Detroit. The population was 80,980 at the 2010 census, making it the 11th-largest city in Michigan by population, and the largest city in Oakland County...
, Michigan, invited Bobb to give a commencement speech and conferred an honorary Doctor of Laws
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
degree upon him following the speech.
Bobb is a past president of National Forum for Black Public Administrators and the City of Oakland Black Chamber of Commerce. He is also a member of Phi Beta Sigma
Phi Beta Sigma
Phi Beta Sigma is a predominantly African-American fraternity which was founded at Howard University in Washington, D.C. on January 9, 1914, by three young African-American male students. The founders A. Langston Taylor, Leonard F. Morse, and Charles I...
fraternity, and holds a lifetime membership in the NAACP.