We don't know who the candidates are - or who the new superintendent will actually be - but Davis has gone all Biblical on us, rallying the troops to get ready for battle. Just what she's fighting for is much less clear.
Does Davis hope for a superintendent who will acknowledge the achievement gap? I'm fairly certain we can find a few thousand candidates who meet that standard.
Or is this the beginning of a quest for a superintendent who has a record of closing all achievement gaps somewhere else? I'm fairly certain we won't find any candidates who meet that standard.
Is Davis really calling for someone who is empathetic enough to reassure the African American community - and in the process allow community leadership to return to its well-deserved rest?
She says her reasons are "selfish" but I'll be darned if I know what they are. It sounds like she just wants to be treated with respect. And if that's it, I agree fully that every member of the community deserves no less. But her supporting rationale paints a confusing picture - to me at least.
One way to read the piece would lead one to believe that...
- Silberman's retirement was shocking and very disappointing because he made the closing the academic achievement gap a priority.
- He hired the "right" people and got rid of the wrong people.
- He enjoyed the support of the the community, businesses and even the local government
- ...was interested in all kids.
- He understood and acknowledged the achievement gap
- ...but he didn't do much to close it and monitoring it is was not a high priority.
- His actions and results were disappointing.
1 comment:
Merlene Davis had done her job. I would not say she did it well, but her testimonial describes the superintendent she thought she had.
The reality ----that he was not the messiah ---is hard for some folks to understand.
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