I'm going to chat through today's story by Antoinette Konz of the Courier-Journal: My comments in red italics.
2 push for new school chief
Board's credibility hurt, they contend
At least two state school board members are pushing to quickly name a new interim education commissioner, saying the failed search for an education chief has damaged the board's credibility.
True...but what matters now is that the board responds effectively - and apolitically.
State board member Doug Hubbard of Bardstown acknowledged yesterday that he sought an emergency meeting for tonight to possibly name an interim commissioner. But the attempt failed because there wasn't enough time to notify the public as required by Kentucky's open meetings law.
...[Y]esterday, Hubbard said the board needs to take swift action to counter Friday's sudden resignation of Barbara Erwin as incoming education commissioner.
As many as 7 board members may have had doubts about Erwin going into the May Board meeting, but Hubbard was apparently the only one to speak out about his doubts. The rest appear to have been convinced by Erwin and Travis.
"I believe it is a sense of urgency that we get someone in there as quickly as possible who has an educational background and can help us restore some credibility," Hubbard said. "Kevin Noland has done a great job thus far, but he is our lawyer and we need to get him back into litigation."
OK, but let's not forget 24 hours notice and a quorum...and the interim needs to be someone who will exclude themselves for consideration for the permanent position. Otherwise, it will become a knee jerk decision that scares off other qualified candidates.
Board member David Webb of Brownsville, said he agreed with Hubbard that there is a sense of urgency to name an interim chief.
"We are in a situation where we thought we had a commissioner, and then we didn't have one," Webb said. "We … need to determine where we are."
Webb said he is "very disappointed with a long list of organizations and individuals" regarding the Erwin resignation, although he wouldn't name them.
Oh no! Not again! Is Webb inferring, like Erwin did, that the fault lies with those who reported her problems? Or is the real problem - her problems? What is he disappointed about? Would Webb have us believe that, today, Kentucky would be better off with Barbara Erwin, and an ignorant public? Pulllleeeze. If that's what he believes - he STILL doesn't get it.
Chairman Keith Travis said yesterday he was not in favor of having the emergency meeting because he and several other board members would not be able to make it.
Travis said he has been trying to schedule a meeting where all board members can be present to talk about the interim position.
"Right now, we are looking at July 31," he said.
Good.
Hubbard said he is concerned about the amount of time the board lost while they were pursuing Erwin and waiting for her to start.
"We have wasted the last three months talking to her, and I think we have lost a lot of credibility as a board because of what happened," he said. "We need to move forward and restore our credibility."
True. But that is water over the dam. Get it right next time.
~
It doesn't sound like Mr. Webb, or perhaps some others,
will be interested in my advice...but here it is anyway.
- Focus on doing it right this time.
- Rethink the board's leadership. Either redirect it, or replace it.
- If you're comfortable with your applicants for the interim job by July 31st - say a well-known former Kentucky superintendent (or KDE, OEA honcho) who has the confidence of his or her peers AND who WILL NOT BE a candidate for the permanent position) then pick one.
- Then, take your time with the new search. Get beyond the governor's race. Use a search firm to help you, or don't - but check things out for yourself, too. (Nor Ray & associates, please.)Ask the hard questions. (The kinds of problems Barbara Erwin had were discoverable in a few hours...but only if you looked.)
- If you want to limit your search to Kentucky, OK, but I don't see the advantage. Remember, Erwin's problems had nothing to do with her being from out of state. There may be some Kentucky folks who could do a good job. I just wonder how deep that pool really is.
- Remember, any school leader worth a nickle will have disputes on their record. That's not the problem. Look into the nature of those disputes and check out any patterns of behavior revealed by the data. A leader who takes tough stands, for the benefit of kids, is not a problem - he or she is probably a leader.
- Defend your turf. The board is probably feeling a bit vulnerable right now, so it's extra important to resist being "invaded by another branch of government."
- Announce your finalists and leave a few weeks for the public, legislators and school folks to check them out and respond.
- Listen.
- Try to "get over" whatever residual resentment you may have for those organizations and individuals who criticized that last go-round and enlist them to help.
- Listen some more.
- Share appropriate information with the public through the press.
That's how you will re-establish credibility.
But if the board is not going to do that...
- IF the rumors of a secret meeting between a few state senators and a few board members is true
- IF those senators are trying to eliminate qualified candidates with whom they have had disagreements (or say, lawsuits)
- IF they are in fact trying to chose the next commissioner
THEN
- Do us all a favor and resign
- Because you will only become the pawn of someone else
- You'll never get your credibility back
- You won't deserve to
- And you will only continue to be disappointed in a large number of organizations and individuals
- While those with their hands on the chess pieces sit back and smile.
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