JCPS to Consider Three Firms for Superintendent Search

Ray & Associates on Short List !?

This from Toni Konz at C-J:

Despite pleas for the Jefferson County Board of Education to reverse its decision to fire Superintendent Sheldon Berman, the board is moving forward with plans to replace him and will interview three executive search firms next week to aid them in their quest for a new leader.

One of the three firms the board will interview during a special meeting Wednesday is Ray and Associates of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, which helped the Kentucky Board of Education choose Illinois educator Barbara Erwin as the state’s new education commissioner in 2007, only to have her resign three days before she was to start work following revelations about her background, including that parts of her resume were inaccurate...

Kentucky's experience with Ray & Associates was disappointing to say the least. The state board's decision to conduct a secret search prompted alarm from Mark Hebert and caught the interest of bloggers at KSN&C and the Bluegrass Institute. Vetting by the bloggers revealed a series of resume errors and exaggerations. By contrast, the search firm's confidential files, obtained by KSN&C, revealed a process that was more promotional than critical. Much of the firm's effort involved selling candidates to the board. It didn't turn out well. Following a contentious period of suit and counter suit, KDE settled with Ray & Associates for $25,500, about half of the amount the company was demanding. Kentucky was not the only place things with the search firm went wrong.

Once a firm is selected, Imhoff said it will immediately begin working to develop a process for selecting a superintendent, including recruiting candidates, checking their backgrounds and negotiating a contract.

The three firms being considered are well-known across the country, and two have prior connections to Kentucky.

Ray and Associates was hired by the Kentucky Board of Education in 2007, but after Erwin resigned, state board members criticized Ray and Associates for not vetting her more closely and not informing them of them of her troubled reputation in previous school districts, including allegations that she had run roughshod over teachers and administrators when she was a superintendent in Texas, Arizona and Illinois. Ray and Associates countered that the firm did its job, saying they checked everything they were asked to check.

Greenwood/Asher & Associates also has prior experience in Kentucky. The Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education hired the firm in 2008 to help search for its new president, which resulted in the hiring of Robert King.

Greenwood showed weaknesses similar to those of Ray & Associates when it failed to discover to creationist writings of Commissioner finalist Dennis Cheek. The revelations made public by KSN&C about Dennis Cheek should never have been news to the board, or the Greenwood, but they were. Fortunately, by that time, the board of education was listening and Cheek was not selected.

The Kentucky Board of Education also hired the firm in 2009 to search for an education commissioner, which resulted in the hiring of Terry Holliday. And the University of Kentucky recently hired the firm to help find a replacement for president Lee Todd, who is leaving when his contract expires in June.

Imhoff said he’s not sure how much hiring a search firm will cost the district.

“We don’t have a budget on how much to spend,” he said. “Whether we hire a firm will depend on whether we feel they are a good fit and whether their cost is reasonable.”

Thomas Jacobson, the owner and chief executive officer of McPherson and Jacobson, said his firm has aided in more than 400 superintendent and executive searches in the past 20 years, for both small and large school districts.

“There are two things that distinguish us from other firms,” he said. “The first thing is that we believe in a very transparent search process with a high involvement of stakeholders. The other thing is that everyone who works for us has been or is involved with public education.”

Jacobson said his firm prides itself of properly vetting all candidates — both those who are recruited and those who apply for the job independently.

“We have an extensive process of vetting candidates,” he said. “It’s a very important part of the process.”

Calls made Friday to Gary Ray, president of Ray and Associates, and Jan Greenwood, president and chief executive officer of Greenwood/Asher, were not returned.

The lesson from all of this is that search firms can not be trusted to thoroughly vet candidates. Boards may need a firm to handle screening and making arrangements for interviews, etc., but in the end, the board must vet the candidates on their own. The Board can not outsource its responsibility to the public.

New commissioner must play lead role in review of KERA

No love for bloggers, but the school board deserves credit for a much more serious effort at vetting candidates.

This from the Daily Independent:

The choice

...Dr Terry Holliday will assume his new position on Aug. 5 and will receive $225,000 a year, or $20,00 more than he was earning in North Carolina.Members of the state school board had nothing but praise for Holliday.

“Dr. Holliday has built his reputation based upon an emphasis on what is best for kids,” board Chairman Joe Brothers said.

Former state Sen. David Karem, now a member of the state education board, said Holliday also is a likable man with a strong personality. “I think he will sell very well across the state,” he said.

Holliday said he has never been subjected to a more thorough background check than the one he underwent for this job. Such close scrutiny of candidates is a positive school board members had to learn the hard way. Two years ago, the board hired Barbara Erwin as education commissioner, but immediately afterwards, many holes in her resume were found by the media and educators [numerous problems first reported by Kentucky School News and Commentary], forcing Erwin to resign before her first day as commissioner.

If the school board had employed the same type of scrutiny with Erwin that Holliday said he underwent — and if the firm the school board had hired to help it select the best applicants had done it job — the embarrassment over Erwin’s hiring could have been avoided.

“This board went through an arduous process,” said board member Dorie Combs. “I believe we have the right candidate for the right time.”

Let us hope she is right.

The Kentucky Education Reform Act is undergoing its first major review since its enactment almost 20 years ago. As commissioner, Holliday must be a strong defender of keeping and strengthening what is right about KERA while changing where the reform act has fallen short of meeting its ambitions. The goal should be not to abolish KERA but to make it better.

While he has never worked in Kentucky, Holliday is familiar with KERA. The new commissioner said he likes the way the law sets high standards and holds both schools and teachers accountable. He said Kentucky has earned a national reputation for the improvements it has made in the elementary and secondary education, and he wants to be a part of that success story.

We do not know enough about Terry Holliday to pass judgment on him. We only hope he proves to be as good as school board members believe he will be.

Take Their Word for it. KBE Pleased with High Quality Candidates.

KSN&C continues to hear positive news about the number of high quality candidates for the position of Education Commissioner.

This is encouraging.

Unfortunately, it is also reminiscent of the glowing assurances offered by a prior board when Barbara Erwin was selected to the post in early 2007.

But having concluded three days of interviews earlier this week with a dozen semifinalists, members are still tight-lipped about whether the search process will include any opportunity for the public to weigh in on the finalists before a final decision is made.

Maybe that will happen - or maybe not.

The best I can understand; the general sentiment among board members seems to be that the board has been given a sacred trust (my words, not theirs) to act on behalf of the public and they serve the public interest by acting on our behalf. The public should simply trust the board to do what's best.

A bit paternalistic if you ask me. That attitude wasn't acceptable during the Fletcher administration and it shouldn't be during the Beshear administration. No one doubts that the final decision belongs to the board.

The public should trust - but first, it should verify.

Since some candidates want secrecy, and openness might reduce the pool of candidates for this very public position, one wonders if the personalities of some candidates is what it ought to be.

What is the big downside for one's candidacy being known anyway? As was suggested recently, why wouldn't finalists simply say to their current bosses, “I’m flattered that Kentucky asked me to interview, and I look forward to exchanging ideas with some of the most innovative educators in the country. But I love my current job.”

In fact commissioner applicant, Tom Shelton, already delivered the line:

“If I don’t get the position, I still win. I get to stay in Daviess County, a district I love,” he said. “If I get it, I will be in a position to help the whole state.” The application process itself is a good experience, no matter the outcome, since he gets to share his experiences and ideas with the board, Shelton [told the Messenger-Inquirer].

Are we seeking secretive persons for this very public position? Is the board looking for the kinds of folks who naturally operate in the full light of day? Are our finalists tough enough for the job ahead?

Shelton tells KSN&C that his board understood because he has been open with them and they have been very supportive. He even sought their advice in advance.

My Board has been very supportive and understands why I felt the need to apply. They also know that I did not make my application plans a secret. I talked with many different people and groups about the possibility of me applying to get input and advice. Because of this we knew that it was only a matter of time before the media picked up on my application. I have not received any negative feedback from my Board or anyone else. I only hope that it did not put the State Board into a difficult position as they have a tough job in managing this process and making their selection.

Board Chair Joe Brothers reports,

The Kentucky Board of Education has received 80+ applications for the commissioner of education's position and overall we are pleased at the quality of the candidates. At the June meeting, the board narrowed the field to a group of semifinalists that were interviewed on June 15-16 in Cincinnati. From this group, we will likely choose the finalists to bring in for a second round of interviews. Our hope is to have the new commissioner in place by late summer. Stay tuned for more details as we move through the search process.

KDE spokesperson Lisa Gross tells KSN&C that the board interviewed 12 candidates including some in-state applicants.

The diversity of those candidates is not crystal clear but "board members indicated that they had a diverse pool, and the search firm has said that, of the 80 or so applicants that comprised the larger pool, 46% were either female or minorities," Gross said.

Since race is no longer indicated on job applications, and the question of ethnicity could not be raised during the interviews - it may be inappropriate, difficult or impossible to judge candidates visually - the degree of racial diversity represented among the candidates is not certain.

The board plans to meet again on July 2 to review the reference checks on the 12 semifinalists they interviewed.

Gross adds an encouraging note,

I expect that there will be more information after that meeting. The board has not yet come to a final decision on when and how to release the names of finalists.

One hopes that following the July 2 meeting the board takes some time to conduct their own due diligence - research that goes beyond what references have to say - and that three finalists are announced with a period of a couple of weeks for public input.

Strong candidates and an open process gives the state its best chance to identify a commissioner who commands broad public support and who can effectively lead Kentucky through School Reform 2.0.

Bad Memories: Who's Looking Out for the Public's Interest?

At the end of this morning's Herald-Leader story on the search for a new education commissioner for Kentucky was this one-liner:

[KDE spokesperson Lisa] Gross said it's unclear whether the names of finalists will be made public.

In this morning's Courier-Journal, however, KBE Chair Joe Brother told Toni Konz that the board simply hasn't decided yet.

"I do expect that at some point one or more finalists will be publicly vetted, "he said.

ONE or more?

This is always a tricky issue and the board is wise to protect the identity of persons who apply for such positions - up to a point. It serves no legitimate purpose to cause disharmony in the school districts or other venues from which candidates are derived. Some argue that an open process would constrict the number of candidates who are willing to step up to the challenge of running a large and vitally important public organization.

However, at some point, the public's interest in knowing and having the opportunity to vet and provide input on candidates outweighs any individual candidate's interest in anonymity.

In the board's last search (Jon Draud, late 2007) three finalists were publicly identified and citizens were given a couple of weeks to provide feedback to the board before a final decision was made.

But announcing one finalist only will be seen as a dodge that is sure to give the public the sense that the decision has already been made and the opportunity for public input is insincere.

The Kentucky Board of Education would be wise to name their three finalists, once again.

As a reminder to board members who may actually be flirting with an anonymous search process, lets review how that worked out in early 2007.

• Before the hiring of the previous state school commissioners, Thomas Boysen, Wilmer Cody and Gene Wilhoit, (and later, Jon Draud) the state school board released the names of the finalists so the public and interested groups could weigh in and have a say in the selection process.
• Gene Wilhoit resigned in September 2006 and Ray & Associates was hired to conduct a search that December. Ray & Associates advised the board to keep everything confidential, citing the reasoning mentioned above.
• On April 1, 2008 the Kentucky Board's search committee held its first meeting where they decided to follow Ray's advice.
• As early as April 7 Mark Hebert reported that the Commissioner search was being conducted in secret. Search committee member Bonnie Lash Freeman told Hebert that the board was aware that it was the first time a commissioner would be chosen entirely behind closed doors and that the board hadn't discussed the possibility of backlash from taxpayers. She refused to say whether any of the three finalists had asked that their names be kept secret. KSBA advised the board to name 2, 3 or 4 finalists. KEA advised "more transparency." That's when KSN&C got involved.
• On April 10 KBE said the names of finalists might not be released to the public.
• By April 16th Governor Fletcher involved himself and the process became politically charged. Sources tell KSN&C that Fletcher was posturing; believing that the board was really intending to name finalists all along, but for some reason, thought it best to present a secretive front.
• On April 18th the board named three finalists - and appeared to have lost control of the process in doing so.

Things went pretty much downhill from there.

By the 19th, KSN&C had posted numerous pages of research on the finalists, and by the 24th, advised the board to choose Mitchell Chester, now Commissioner in Massachusetts while expressing concerns about the other finalists, Barbara Erwin and Richard LaPointe.

Public vetting can help the Kentucky Board of Education avoid past problems and make a better decision. But only if they are sincerely listening and remain open-minded until time for the final decision arrives.

Commish Candidates Trimmed to a Dozen

This from H-L:

Education commissioner candidate

interviews begin Sunday

The list of applicants for Kentucky education commissioner has been narrowed to about a dozen names, and the state board of education will start interviewing the candidates this weekend...

Greenwood/Asher & Associates, a Florida-based search firm hired by the board, accumulated an initial list of about 300 applicants for the job, then winnowed that to about 100.

That list has been trimmed to about a dozen, after the search firm conferred with state board members during their regular meeting in Frankfort, which wrapped up Thursday, Kentucky Education Department spokeswoman Lisa Gross said...

At least one Kentuckian has applied — Daviess County Superintendent Tom Shelton. It is not known whether Shelton is still in the running.

Unlike the ill-fated 2007 search that produced Barbara Erwin - who quit the job before starting it, citing media pressure over her numerous resume errors - board members acknowledge they are mindful of the proper role of the search firm and indicate the new (and more expensive) search firm is meeting the board's needs.

The best news could be number and quality of candidates. Board member Dorie Combs told KSN&C that she is "very pleased with the quality of the candidates."

New Search Firm Twice as Expensive ...as that Bad One

The Kentucky Board of Education spent $60,000 searching for Commissioners in 2007. Ray & Associates was hired for the ill-fated search that produced Barbara Erwin and the board conducted its own search before hiring Jon Draud.

Now the board will pay Greenwood/Asher & Associates Inc., a Florida-based consulting firm, $120,000 to guide a new search for another education commissioner, the third since Gene Wilhoit resigned in November 2006. Greenwood/Ashher is the same firm that placed President Lee Todd at UK in 2001, and President Jim Votruba at NKU in 1997. The CPE paid them $130,000 to help search for its new president, Robert King, who was hired in December.

Board of Education chair, Joe Brothers told C-J's Toni Konz he's not frustrated about having to pay more for a new search.

"No, it's not really a frustration," he said. "It's a disappointment in some ways … but that is par for the course."

Greenwood/Asher's President and CEO Jan Greenwood told C-J her firm will recruit potential candidates and place advertisements in statewide and national publications, perform background checks, interview references and help the board conduct interviews.

This is all well and good. But it is no substitute for the board doing some extra digging on their own when it reaches the finalist stage.

KSN&C has had a couple of off-the-record conversations that convince us that board members are plenty sensitive to the errors of the past and are dedicated to a better process this time around. But just in case, and assuming finalists will be named (as we hear they will be) KSN&C will be doing some of its own vetting as well.

This from the State Journal:

Kentucky Board of Education members plan to put an education commissioner in place by Aug. 1, Chairman Joe Brothers said after meeting with the group’s search firm Wednesday.

According to a tentative search schedule, the board could review potential candidates in early June, followed by two rounds of interviews on June 23 and 24, and July 8, 9 or 10....

After the meeting, Brothers told reporters the board doesn’t have a preference for an in-state or out-of-state candidate.

“There’s a preference to get the very best for Kentucky’s kids,” he said.

He said the recent passage of Senate Bill 1, which does away with the state’s Commonwealth Accountability Testing System, shows Kentucky is “stepping up” and could present a good opportunity for the right candidate.

Board members had suggestions Wednesday for what that candidate would look like. Several said they hope he or she has experience in the classroom, but members agreed that the next commissioner could come from outside the education field.

Board member Billy Harper, a western Kentucky businessman, said he hopes to hire an “innovator” like University of Kentucky President Lee Todd.

“He came - not out of the education world - having that dream for UK, willing to do what it takes to move the university forward,” he said. ...

KBE Selects Search Firm... but Doesn't Name It

At its meeting yesteray in Louisville, the Kentucky Board of Education interviewed four firms to handle the search for the next commissioner of education.

After the interviews, the board discussed the qualifications, experience and other attributes of each firm. Based on the members’ consensus scoring, one firm will be contacted and a contract negotiated for the search process.

Because of the restrictions of the Kentucky Model Procurement Code, the name of the top-scoring firm cannot be released until the terms of the contract have been established and entered into.

KSN&C has it on good authority that KDE is not even flirting with Ray & Associates. The board settled a law suit with that firm a couple of months ago, for something around $25 K. Problems surrounding the selection; public rejection; resignation of Education Commissioner candidate Barbara Erwin led to the suit.

The board had one additional agenda item for its meeting, which was held Wednesday and Thursday. The board agreed to waive the requirements relative to the timeline for graduation ceremonies outlined in state regulation (702 KAR 7:125) for the 2008-09 school year. This regulation mandates that graduation ceremonies be scheduled to occur following the completion of the instructional term. Many school districts are experiencing unanticipated hardships in scheduling the ceremonies due to large numbers of days missed because of inclement weather.

Local boards of education may ask for waivers of the regulation, and those will be reviewed by the commissioner of education.

SOURCE: KDE press release

Stop Me if You've Heard This One Before

Kentucky Board of Education Sets Interviews

This from the Herald-Leader:

The state has sent out requests for proposals from national search firms, and a number have responded.

Here we go again.

Kentucky Department of Education spokeswoman Lisa Gross said the state education board plans to interview up to four of those firms at the March 5 meeting.

A couple of meetings ago, in one of several unguarded moments, Doug Hubbard alluded to a certain company that would not get his vote. Since Hubbard failed to mention any names, we are left to guess who he meant.

If things go well, the board probably will name one of the companies later that day to lead the search, she said.

And if things don't go well, the board will rehire Ray & Associates who will advise the board to keep the public uninformed while they sift through potential commissioner candidates from Kentucky and across the country, all the while assuring the board that a paired down list of finalists were fully vetted and the board should feel free to believe anything they have to say. Then, the board will congratulate itself.

But I'm confident that won't happen this time around.

The bigger question is - Who's interested? The biggest question is - Who's interested that can move Kentucky forward?

The board will be operating as a committee of the whole. That's going to slow the process down somewhat - but that's OK if the public is kept informed and the process results in the selection of a high quality candidate.

Just like making changes to the CATS assessment: Take you time. Get it right. Then, try not to change again for a long while.

Draud's exit has board seeking successor

Tomorrow at 1pm, the Kentucky Board of Education is scheduled to take the first official steps toward selecting Kentucky's next education commissioner. The Board must accept Draud's resignation and confirm some actions that have been going on in the background.

One board member told KSN&C that there are "still a few details to work out" but an interim commissioner could be named as early as tomorrow. Substantial speculation is on Elaine Farris to serve as interim - continuing her duties as she has in Jon Draud's absence.

This would likely signal a commissioner search that would not include Farris, but who knows.

It's not always easy to know what the board is going to do and there has been at least one major screw up in the past. Remember the secretive, ill-advised effort to outsource the board's responsibilities during the Barbara Erwin debacle?

There is also reason to believe that Joe Brothers learned much he needed to know during that process.

Next time around the Board did "better" - merely ignoring the governor in the process.

How will the new board proceed with the next selection? Tomorrow should tell.

Board of education sources predict that this board will choose to announce a small number of finalists before final decisions are made - to give the public time to research and react to the finalists before any contract is signed.

The same sources are less certain the board will decide to hire a search firm. Once burned, twice shy.

But using a search firm - in and of itself - was not the problem in the Erwin mess. The problem was hiring the firm, putting blind faith in the the firm and following the firm's tactics - all in the face of contradicting evidence. The board forgot who was responsible to Kentucky's children.

The most critical decision may be which board members are selected to serve on the board's search committee as that decision may drive other decisions. That decision also proved to be a disaster during the Erwin episode.

But I'm optimistic. This time for sure.

Some ideas for the board:

• A national search that does not exclude Kentucky candidates is the way to go.
• Seek a diverse set of candidates and weed out according to merit.
• A search firm can help with the extensive busy work - but don't let them do your thinking for you - they have their own interests.
• Honor the candidate's need for privacy - up to a point - but value Kentucky's interests over any candidates interests.
• Narrow the finalists to three, or so and encourage public input.
• Then, do your own due diligence - verify information on resumes - research public utterances - do your best to know what you're getting.
• Announce your choice, cross your fingers and hold your breath.

This from NKY.com:

FRANKFORT - Education Commissioner Jon Draud's resignation is expected to be officially accepted Wednesday at a special Kentucky Board of Education meeting.

The meeting will also map the course for finding his successor.

Draud, 70, announced last month that he would resign in early February to focus on his health. He suffered a stroke in September that weakened the muscles in his right leg and foot, making it difficult to walk.

He's walking and continues to work a little bit each week, but he said Monday that his physical health is only about 80 percent of what it was before the stroke. He wants to get back to 100 percent.

"I reluctantly resigned - it's the toughest thing I've had to do in my life," Draud said. "But I think maybe God was sending me a message." ...

...The meeting agenda includes "discussion and consideration of a motion to approve the steps to follow in filling the position of commissioner of education" and "consideration of a motion to appoint an interim commissioner." ...

...Lisa Gross, spokeswoman for the education department, said Deputy Commissioner Elaine Farris has been handling some of Draud's duties, such as signing paperwork. Whether Farris will be appointed interim commissioner will be discussed Wednesday....

When you start thinking about dying, it puts everything in perspective

With the end of the semester I've been too busy (with my real job) to keep up with the happenings surrounding the resignation of Commissioner Jon Draud. Students come first.

But KSN&C has heard lots of questions and speculation about what happened...and what's next. Some have expressed surprise at Draud's resignation following the supportive assessment he received from the Kentucky Board of Education at their most recent meeting. But as things often go in politics, what the public sees is just the tip of the iceberg.

Since Draud's first days, some have been less than supportive of his administration. KDE can be a snake pit, and amid the speculation about his health it wasn't always easy to tell if some individuals were rooting for him or against him. Despite a consistent track record of supporting adequate funding for the schools, while in the legislature and as Commish, Draud carried that big R on his chest which may have contributed to the doubt some establishment insiders expressed.

Some KSN&C readers have wanted to know if the governor pushed him out. I have no clue, but doubt it.

The governor is on the record as wanting a national search. Shortly before his inauguration in December, Governor-elect Beshear asked members of the Kentucky Board of Education to delay the appointment of a new education commissioner in order to conduct another national search to the state’s top education leader. The first search had resulted in the disastrous selection of Barbara Erwin, who resigned before her first day as commissioner after discrepancies in her resume were revealed. Within days after requesting the state school board to extend its search for a new commissioner, the board named Draud, a Republican member of the Kentucky House of Representatives.

But when the smoke cleared, their philosophies seemed to match up fairly well and both Draud and Beshear worked to save education from serious cuts. Beshear probably continued to believe that a national search would have been the way to go, but I don't see any evidence that he actually tried to do anything about it.

Was there conversation about his future? You bet.

Within KDE, among educators in the field, and among members of the Kentucky Board of Education there was concern about Draud's vitality. The job requires a lot - and unfortunately, Draud had a stroke.

This from NKY.com:

EDGEWOOD - Jon Draud followed a neurologist's advice and heeded pleas from loved ones when he decided to step away from the career that long ago became a passion.

The longtime educator and former legislator from Edgewood announced Friday that he will resign as Kentucky's commissioner of education in early February.

"It was really a hard decision for me to make after serving in education for about 50 years," Draud said. "I wanted to provide some leadership in a difficult time. But, you know, when you start thinking about dying, then it puts everything in perspective."

The 70-year-old was a unanimous pick a year ago to take over as education commissioner, but he suffered a stroke in September that weakened his leg muscles. Draud has been working in Frankfort about three days a week and undergoing physical therapy the other two days.

He said he is about 80 percent recovered from the stroke.

"I've made a lot of progress, but I want to try and get back to 100 percent," he said. "That job requires 100 percent effort and I'm just not prepared to do that right now." ...

On hearing the news of the retirement, former superintendent Jack Moreland heaped praise on Draud.

"He's one of the absolute finest people that I know," said friend Jack Moreland, who spent 19 years as superintendent of Dayton Independent Schools and led Covington schools for eight years. "He bleeds education. His first thought is education. If you go back and trace his history, even when he was in the General Assembly, his fundamental focus ... was education." ...

What happens next?

Well, already groups are lining up to offer their assistance in the selection of the next commissioner. The last time around, "the K groups" wanted a Kentucky Commissioner. It seems that that desire, having been satisfied, may not burn so brightly this time around, but they still want to participate in the process.

We can count on Governor Beshear reaffirming his belief that a national search should be conducted. And this board will be much better equipped to hear him.

Bob Sexton has said the pretty much the same thing: Consider state- but look national.

Not to be left out, KSN&C would be happy to contribute to the due diligence phase of the selection process - and would hapily give the Board the first peek at anything we discover. Heck, put us on the team and we'll even observe confidentiality. Perhaps the number of board members KSN&C hacked off during the Barbara Erwin affair is now low enough that they would welcome our humble assistance.

Nawwwwww.


Photo by Rachel Stone: Kentucky Education Commissioner Dr. Jon Draud, a graduate of EKU, returned to his alma mater on April 8 to speak to Dr. Richard Day’s Educational Foundations class about current education-related issues in the Commonwealth. While on campus, he also met with President Whitlock and other education leaders to discuss how Eastern can help partner with the Kentucky Department of Education in building education leadership capacity in Kentucky.

Deasy has Resume Errors. Ray & Associates was on the Job.

A big honkin' reminder of Barbara Erwin came out of Prince Georges County MD today.

Superintendent John Deasy - already under scrutiny for the troublesome combination of a $375,000 contract with fallen Dean Robert Felner and the fastest doctorate in memory - now has a "jacked up" resume'. His proximity to Felner, who is under federal investigation, can't help.

And the search firm contracted by Prince Georges County schools to vet the candidates? Ray & Associates.

Southern Maryland Online reports,

Prince George's County Schools Superintendent John E. Deasy has two anomalies on his resume, according to a review of the document by Capital News Service...

..Deasy listed a faculty position in the doctoral program of Educational Leadership and Social Justice at Loyola Marymount University, Calif., from 2003 to present. The university's human resources department could not find him listed as a current or former faculty member.

There also was a date discrepancy on the resume he had on file in the Prince George's Schools office of the superintendent.

It is too bad for Prince Georges County that Ray & Associates - having completed whatever research they were obliged to do for the school district - did not discover the resume errors. But they apparently didn't. As we have seen, these things happen.

U of L investigated U of L and determined that U of L didn't violate accreditation rules when the degree was conferred.

Deasy hasn't been commenting on the matter recently. But he used to be conversant on the subject.

When Deasy was chosen to lead the Prince George's school system, he told the Washington Post, he was "free of ethical taint." "I am proud of all of the credits I earned to achieve my doctorate," Deasy said in the news release.

Kevin Noland Retiring as legal counsel to the Kentucky Board of Education

In Education Commissioner Jon Draud's Weekly Update, for the week of June 23, 2008 was this little item under "jobs posted"

• KBE-KDE Deputy Commissioner

When I first saw it I thought...Elaine?! Huh? So soon? What does that mean?

What I didn't realize, was that in addition to serving as the Kentucky Board of Education's attorney, Kevin Noland does double-duty as a Deputy Commissioner...and he is indeed retiring.

When one is "in the field," one gains certain understandings about the larger bureaucracy: which departments can't help you...and which departments represent the best and most reliable service. In my experience, Kevin Noland's department, including Anne Keating and others, had consistently produced trustworthy counsel. I always found them to be terrific; responsive, accurate, and pleasant to work with.

Noland's departure will leave a large void in "education law" and "institutional knowledge" for Commissioner Draud to fill. If he hasn't been KDE's spiritual leader as well, I'd be surprised.

KDE spokeswoman Lisa Gross says they don't plan a public announcement.

They should reconsider.

An author of House Bill 940 (The Kentucky Education Reform Act) there has been no one more knowledgeable about the the law's intent as expressed in legislation; and no steadier hand than Noland. Through the Kentucky Board of Education's various travails Noland provided cool counsel. He read the law. He understood the law. He followed the law.

Since 1991 when Noland first joined the Kentucky Department of Education, he has served as legal counsel, associate commissioner and deputy commissioner.

But his real value came as three-time interim education commissioner: once after Thomas Boysen (1995)...most recently spanning the gap between Gene Wilhoit and Barbara Erwin - and again Between Erwin and Draud.

Gross says, "He will be sorely missed -- his legal expertise and vast knowledge have been invaluable to the agency."

I know she's right.

Shades of Barbara Erwin: Another Search Firm fails the Vet Test

This story sounds familiar - yet not. The Cincinnati school board apparently listened to a lowly citizen instead of trusting their search firm and avoided a big headache.

This from the Enquirer:

Schools yank contract
Consultant overlooked candidate's settlement

Cincinnati's school board voted Monday night to halt its contract with the search firm that has been helping it find a new superintendent.

It did not appear the board would keep the firm on board.

The $40,000 contract is being "suspended" for performance issues, according to the resolution the board passed unanimously.

"We really believed in the process we're using; we're just disappointed in the lack of
information we received from the firm," board President Eve Bolton said.

The firm, Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates, has been advising the board and a citizen committee since the end of March.

The Glenview, Ill., search firm recently developed a pool of 29 applicants for the job. The firm presented nine recommended candidates to a citizens' advisory committee, which then scored them and recommended five, based on written application materials.

The firm agreed with their list.

Within hours, a tipster Googled the five names and discovered that Earl Watkins, superintendent of Jackson, Miss., public schools, had been sued by an employee for sexual harassment and the district had paid $805,000 to settle the suit.

Several board members expressed frustration with the search firm, which they said was supposed to have vetted the applicants...

That reminds me. Whatever happened to Barbara Erwin? Quiet retirement in Arizona?

Apparently not.

I heard from a long-time trusted source out of Illinois this week that Babs took her resume to Indiana and is now the Executive Director of the Indiana Public School/ University Partnership at IU.

Anybody else wonder what her resume looks like now?

As long as she's back at Indiana, maybe she can explain to the folks at her alma mater how she got her Indiana teaching certificate before she graduated IU. The Indiana Department of Education's Professional Standards Division couldn't figure it out.

0 for 2

This from the Daily Independent:

Governor failed to influence choice of top education leaders

Gov. Steve Beshear is 0 for 2 in his efforts to influence the appointment of Kentucky’s two top education officials: The commissioner of education and the president of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education.


It is indicative of just how little this new governor — elected by a landslide last November — has been able to affect policy during his first months in office.


Shortly before his inauguration in December, Governor-elect Beshear asked members of the Kentucky Board of Education to delay the appointment of a new education commissioner in order to conduct another national search to the state’s top education leader. The first search had resulted in the disastrous selection of Barbara Erwin, who resigned before her first day as commissioner after discrepancies in her resume were revealed.


Within days after requesting the state school board to extend its search for a new commissioner, the board named Jon Draud, a Republican member of the Kentucky House of Representatives and former superintendent of the Ludlow Independent School District, as the state’s fourth education commissioner.


So much for the new governor’s advice.


Just last week, Governor Beshear asked the Council on Postsecondary Education to conduct a national search for a president who will have “an established reputation” in higher education.


Less than a week later, the council named Brad Cowgill — the former budget director for former Gov. Ernie Fletcher who had served as interim president since last July — as the permanent successor to former President Tom Layzell.


The governor is so upset with the council’s decision to hire Cowgill that he has asked Attorney General Jack Conway to rule on its legality. Beshear contends the council violated state law by failing to conduct a national search for Layzell’s successor. The governor asked the council to wait until Conway rules on the legality of the hiring before signing a contract with Cowgill.


Cowgill has been serving as interim president after the council said its first national search for Layzell’s successor produced no acceptable applicants. Among those unacceptable applicants was Cowgill.


Created by the Higher Education Reform Act of 1997, the president of the Council on Postsecondary Education is the highest ranking higher education official in the state, drawing a higher salary than the presidents of any of the universities or community and technical colleges. However, as a practical matter, the council has never given the president the authority he needs to do his job. Will it be different under Cowgill? We doubt it.


To be fair, the laws establishing both the commissioner of education and the president of the Council on Postsecondary Education give the governor no direct role in their appointments. In order to remove some of the politics from such appointments, that’s by design. However, as the state’s chief executive, the governor should have at least some influence in naming the state’s top educators.


But not Governor Beshear. Jon Draud is the commissioner of education and Brad Cowgill is president of the Council on Postsecondary Education in spite of Steve Beshear, not because of him.

Mountjoy says Board Members Could be Reappointed

The resignation of former Kentucky Board of Education chair Keith Travis brings to five the number of slots Governor Steve Beshear has to fill.

Will the governor replace members, reappoint members, or some combination of the two?

KyPolitics, a partisan blog, has argued that it's too late for the governor to do either. But the governor disagrees and plans to move ahead with appointments.

Dick Brown of the governor's media office recently confirmed to KSN&C that Governor Beshear has not had a change of heart since his earlier stated disappointments with the board and when asked if he plans to replace the four members said, "Yes, he does."

Education Secretary Helen Mountjoy apparently sees it differently.

There is some concern over the loss of experience to a board whose most experienced members will have served only four years. Given the complexity of the work the board is called to do, experience matters - even if it's not the only thing that matters.

Mountjoy told the Courier-Journal that the governor's office has been working on filling those seats -- which could include reappointments.

"We hope that those appointments will come through sooner than later," Mountjoy said, noting that there "certainly are some very challenging issues that need to be dealt with" by the board. Those issues include budget cuts; ongoing testing issues; developing more effective leadership in schools and finding the best interventions for chronically underperforming schools.

"The governor certainly wants to appoint highly qualified, highly committed people to the positions that are available on the state board…so we're going to take the time that is necessary to make sure that we have folks who both have the time and have the willingness to expend it on the issues surrounding elementary and secondary education," Mountjoy said.

Education advocates said yesterday that losing a veteran board member like Travis is troubling."(His) experience and historical knowledge will be missed on the board," said Bob Sexton, executive director of the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence. "He was deeply committed to improving things for Kentucky kids."

Despite his merits, Travis had come under fire for his handling of the failed commissioner search involving Barbara Erwin and lost his leadership position as a result.

Commissioner Jon Draud told C-J that he is not "too concerned" about the loss of experience to the board and expressed confidence in Beshear to find dedicated replacements.

"I am sure he will appoint people who are interested and dedicated in helping us reach our proficiency goals by the year 2014," Draud said.

Current Board Chair Joe Brothers told C-J he hopes that Beshear will reappoint some of the members whose terms expire -- "to continue the progress we have made. …"

The four seats that expire April 14 are at-large seats that can be filled with people from any part of the state. Travis' seat must be filled with someone who lives in Western Kentucky.

Keith Travis Hangs It Up: Beshear to Replace Five

This from Toni Konz at C-J:

Member of state board of education resigns

FRANKFORT, Ky. — The former chairman of the Kentucky Board of Education has submitted a letter of resignation to Gov. Steve Beshear.

Keith Travis, who has served on the board for 10 years, recently sent the letter to Beshear. ...In his letter, Travis said he is resigning because of personal employment obligations

...Travis could not immediately be reached for comment, but has said in previous interviews that he felt he has taken most of the blame from fellow board members for last year’s controversial and short-term hiring of Barbara Erwin as state education commissioner.

Last May, the board voted 10-0 to name Illinois educator Erwin as the state’s next commissioner. But in July, after a series of revelations about her background, Erwin resigned three days before she was to begin the job.

A month later, the board voted not to reappoint Travis as chairman. Several board members acknowledged that the Erwin search and hiring played a role in the board’s decision to replace Travis.

...With Travis’ resignation, Beshear will soon have to replace or reappoint five state board of education members. The terms of four other members — Janna Vice, David Rhodes, David Webb and Bonnie Lash Freeman — will expire on April 14.

KyPolitics, a partisan blog written by Republican strategist Brett Hall , a former Fletcher adviser, recently claimed that

Beshear has failed to make timely appointments to the four positions on the board that have terms expiring in 2008, and now lacks the ability to have any late appointments confirmed in the General Assembly that is now in regular session.

KSN&C contacted the governor's media office and was informed by Dick Brown that according to the governors general counsel, "They're wrong."

KyPolitics responded, "They're wrong."

Brown said, "...we'll probably see those, easily by early summer, if not before hand."

To which they responded Nuh uh.

To which they responded Yah huh.

No NCLB Flexibility for Kentucky

It looks like Kentucky won't be among the first ten states to fix the unreasonable portions of No Child Left Behind. That's too bad.

The time lost to the Barbara Erwin debacle may have cost Kentucky a great opportunity to revise its NCLB benchmarks.

But the way things worked out, Jon Draud had been Commissioner for about five minutes when the US Office of Education issued an invitation for qualifying states to come up with a revised plan. ...and the General Assembly was about to meet.

It is not assured that the feds previous approval of Kentucky's testing system would be enough to qualify, but KDE may not be in a position to respond anyhow.

KDE Communications Director Lisa Gross told Kentucky School News and Commentary there are "no formal plans to apply for this round of flexibility," but state education leaders "will be discussing it."

With only one regular meeting before the deadline," the timeline is likely too short for the Kentucky Board of Education to review and make a decision by May 1," Gross said.

Unfortunately, some of our hardest working teachers will have to wait a little longer for a more reasonable accountability system.

This from the Associated Press:

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Bush administration is trying to address one of the most common complaints about the No Child Left Behind education law: It treats schools the same, regardless of whether they fail to meet annual benchmarks by a little or a lot.

Education Secretary Margaret Spellings plans to announce Tuesday that she wants states to submit proposals for assigning different consequences to schools based on the degree to which they miss annual progress goals.

...Educators have complained that the consequences for failing to hit yearly progress goals are the same for schools in which one group of students misses the mark as it is for schools in which many groups or many grades fail to hit targets.... ...The new initiative will allow states to distinguish between "on-fire schools and those with a smolder," Spellings said in an interview Monday.

...Only a limited number of states — 10 in all — will be able to participate at first. Spellings said states must submit proposals by May and that only carefully thought-out plans would get a green light. "Not every state will meet the core principles that are required," she said. "This is complicated stuff that requires sound data systems, good reporting systems." ...

...The six-year-old education law is up for renewal in Congress, but lawmakers trying to advance it haven't gained much traction. Without congressional action, the existing law remains in place. Spellings said she didn't think her efforts to improve the law through administrative action would further stymie efforts on Capitol Hill. "Plan A continues to be getting a good law done as soon as possible," she said.

Yet Another Unsatisfied Ray and Associates Customer

Now, stop me if you've heard this one before...

...but there is yet another school board out there feeling just a little burned by the advice they received from Ray & Associates - the same search firm whose assurances lead Kentucky's Board of Education down the primrose path with Barbara Erwin. The same firm being sued by the state of Kentucky. (Backstory)

In Loveland Colorado Board member Marcia Venzke said Ray and Associates asked the members “to have a straw vote right off the bat,” which she did not favor.

On Wednesday, Venzke said, “It wasn’t really a straw vote. It was a forced matrix ... you compared one person to the other, like No. 1 compared to No. 2 — would you pick 1 or 2?”

Ray and Associates asked board members to do that for the semifinalists and finalists, Venzke said.

Following that advice did at least two things: It divided the board members and it broke Colorado's Open Meetings law. Now attorney's and the public are pouring over 12 hours of audio tape. (available at the Reporter-Herald)

“It became obvious how we voted,” Venzke said. “When people are advocating for who they believe will be the best candidate, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to count up where people are.”

Any discussion behind closed doors of a specific vote, a straw poll, or a concensus would be illegal under the Colorado Open Meetings Law.

This from the Reporter-Herald:

[School District Board of Education member Karen Stockley] and several other board members said that although they did not want to make a scapegoat out of the national executive search firm they hired, they do believe some of the problems sprang from the way the firm handled the interview and decision process.

“I personally feel we were misled” by Ray and Associates, the Iowa-based search firm, Stockley said. “We put a lot of trust in them. ... We were following the process they put in front of us, and I would assume they’ve been doing this for many years. I can’t imagine the laws are that much different from Colorado’s.”

Board treasurer Lola Johnson said that at the start of the superintendent search, board members felt the only way they could do a successful search was to hire an outside company because no one on the board had any experience in hiring a superintendent.

“There were times when (Ray and Associates) led us down the wrong path,” Johnson said.

“They told us some things had to be confidential because candidates had not told their employers they were applying. ... I was uncomfortable and questioned it all along. It’s gotten us into a situation we didn’t expect, and we all feel badly.”

Stockley agreed. “It’s frustrating that we are accused of doing illegal things when we spent so many hours away from our lives and our families to do something we thought was great for the district,” she said...

And this:

...The tapes reveal that board members or representatives of Ray and Associates may have contacted Cabrera and Zila by phone more than once before the Feb. 24 meeting to discuss the logistics of their split vote. Of concern was whether either candidate would take the position, knowing that several board members would be voting against him.

“We were trying to determine if the candidates knew not everyone was in favor of them,” Steiner said Wednesday. “We worked with Ray and Associates, and followed a process that I don’t know was the best process.”

Platt said that legally, any discussion regarding applicants for public employment needs to be held in public session.

“Discussions regarding applicants for public employment are not among those permitted to be held in executive session,” Platt said. “As a result, this discussion and these phone calls needed to occur in open session.” ...

Budgetary and Legislative Complexities Confound Solutions for Kentucky Schools.

I was just wondering. Is No Child Left Behind "just what you get" when liberals and neocons agree on something? ...a big-hearted, empty-headed power trip?

Maybe it was just the one thing Ted Kennedy and George W. Bush could agree on.

It's the right idea, (insisting on a quality education for every child) warped by a wrong idea (that student achievement can be coerced "on the cheap.") where the end is supposed to justify the means.

As a result, Kentucky schools, which were already examining the performance of all subgroups of students under Senate Bill 168, saw its attempt to build a performance-based, school-centered assessment system disheveled by the combination of NCLB's bad method and unrealistic targets.

And, none dare oppose.

The Climate of Reform

The most prominent strategy employed in the schools under NCLB has involved a climate of coercion; the assumption being that students weren't doing better because of racist (or perhaps, classist) teachers. To some unmeasurable extent, this must surely have been true. But in my experience, for the vast majority of teachers it clearly was not.

The situation called for leadership. What it got was top-down management.

A lot of good teachers got the implicit (sometimes explicit) message that if a student failed, it was their fault. Period. No excuses.

A (brief?) philosophical interlude

It used to be that if a student came into a teacher's classroom and was unprepared, unwashed, unfed, and undisciplined and uncooperative - it was a parent's or student's responsibility.

Theoretically, the school provided equal opportunity. It was up to the student to take full advantage of what the system had to offer and pull themselves up by their own bootstraps. The problem with this philosophy was that it produced a system of "good schools" and "bad schools" and it put little pressure on teachers to work harder to reach "difficult" students. There was genuine effort but inadequate funding and no system-wide "stick."

In NCLB, President Bush found a piece of hickory; and he did not spare the rod.

Under the new logic, all children can learn - and if one does not, it is because the teacher hasn't done enough. Any teacher perceived to NOT be "on the bus" is said to be "making excuses" - proof of one's lack of dedication...or racism...or classism...you name it. It's what some school administrators call motivation.

The philosophical shift from equality of educational opportunity to equity of student achievement outcomes is about twelve years old. Is it also on its last legs?

Results (writ large) fall short

What about the results? Well, most of the results of a quality education are unmeasurable. But using what does get measured, three different 2007 studies ranked Kentucky's student achievement at 34th or better. Not the penthouse, but out of the basement. Today's goals are skyhigh and not only include overall growth, but growth and excellence for every subgroup of students.

KSN&C reported in March,

This year, Kentucky Department of Education officials told the [state] board that fewer than 40 percent of the state's public schools are on target to meet those goals.

So what have Kentucky's educational leaders said about it?

Board members said the state needs to develop a "sense of urgency" to find a solution. "I think it's a doable task," [former state board Chair, Keith] Travis said. "That will be the main objective of whoever the new commissioner will be."

[Almost Commissioner Barbara] Erwin - drinking deeply from the Kool-aide - said she [thought] it [was] possible for every child to be proficient by 2014. "Absolutely," she said. "I believe it is our moral and ethical responsibility (to see) that all children can reach those goals."

A More Rational Approach Meets a Deteriorating Budget

Jon Draud, most recently named the commonwealth's education commissioner, took a more reasoned approach that acknowledged both the possibilities and the realities.

Draud's top priority is to assure that Kentucky students meet proficiency standards by 2014, as NCLB requires. "But that must become a goal for more than educators if it is to be reached," Draud told H-L.

"We have to create a sense of urgency, to have people concerned about this again, like they were in 1990 for Kentucky's education reform. The business community has to lead the way," said Draud."Most research says for education reform to work, the business community has to be involved. It takes collaboration and cooperation. Without getting all the stakeholders involved, we're not going to reach proficiency," he said.

Those comments were made at the time Governor Fletcher was touting a much rosier fiscal outlook. Now the state is predicting a tepid 2.4 percent growth in revenue for the first year of the next biennial budget. That's a sharp decline from revenue growth of more than 9 percent in 2005 and 2006.

The budget crisis throws a major shadow over future prospects. Having neglected education funding in the mid to late 1990s, when there was no crisis, the legislature now finds itself in a box.

The Casino Gambling Solution

Will casino gambling solve the problem? No, but it sure will help - if we're all very patient. Assuming Kentucky voters approve such a measure, it will take several years to realize the $500 million in annual fiscal support Governor Steve Beshear estimates.

What happens until then?

President Lee Todd informed the UK campus by Email Friday,

We will continue to make the case as strongly as we can that the state must support the UK Business Plan as the mechanism for achieving our statutory mandate to become a Top 20 public research institution and for making the gains we all want in education, health care and economic development for Kentucky.

Todd's laser-like focus on quality is commendable - and the only "right" position a top-notch university president can take. But if the state coffers are empty, and there is no retreat from the pursuit of excellence, then the only remaining option includes large tuition increases.

But tuition increases pose affordability problems for many Kentucky students who are operating in the same economic climate as the schools, and will keep the goal of doubling the number of college graduates out of reach.

Surely by next year - with the budgetary shortfall estimated at $525 million - cuts will bite into P-12 education, which has largely escaped, so far. But P-12 won't be raising tuition.

How deep will the P-12 cuts be? ...and for how many years? If NCLB goes down (while I don't advocate it, that's OK by me) and Kentucky reduces its financial commitment to reform, and the hickory stick is put away, how many more schools will fail to meet their 2014 targets?

Will poor fiscal stewardship at the state level spell the end of real education reform in Kentucky?

What now?

What happens in the long run depends on the people of Kentucky. It seems clear that Frankfort politicians advocating tax hikes will be as rare as hen's teeth. But clearly, some kind of taxation has to be a part of any real long-term solution. The alternative is the abandonment of reform - which would galvanize Kentucky into the bottom realms of state economies for decades to come.

Only a strong push to continue improving the quality of Kentucky's schools and workforce from the grassroots citizenry will provide the motivation our state leaders need to do right by our children. ...all of our children.

Building that support will require persistent leadership over time. Citizens need to be informed about the successes our schools have produced, the looming budget crisis and its likely impact on our future economy. Teachers need to wake up. Kentucky needs champions who will tirelessly dedicate the time it takes to travel the state and regenerate the kind of support for reform we saw in the late 1980s.

Draud has the right approach in mind. Drawing support from the business community is critical. Going community to community is critical. Building alliances is critical. Spending time is critical. His plan is reminescent of earlier State Superintendents Robert J Breckinridge and John Grant Crabbe who used the bully pulpit to rally support we need. It's what a champion does.

The people of Kentucky need an education on the value of investing in education.

The ultimate constitutional responsibility lies with the legislature. But in the end, Kentuckians will get the schools they support; the schools they insist upon. In that sense, Kentucians will get the schools they deserve.

Larry Webster is sweet on Penney Sanders. Who Knew?

At the end of his regular highland rant in today's Herald-Leader, mountain lawyer Larry Webster took a break from his on-going conversation with Tie-Rod to spend a few paragraphs waxing rhapsodic about the good ole days of education when Penney Sanders stalked the hills; kicking butt and taking names.

Democrats return in blaze of mediocrity

Only 23 chopping days left for Gov. Ernie Fletcher, and then the mediocrats ride their newspaper-fueled political machines into Frankfort with plastic banners sticking up from the side windows proclaiming their righteousness.

Mediocrats are the fusion of Democrats and their old ally mediocrity. Mediocrity is demanded by Kentucky voters, and the Democrats have always delivered it, knowing full well that the media will lavish it with praise...

...In the past when the merit system rules weren't necessary because only members of one party got hired, Democrats and their newspapers treated intramural crime in that party like those nuns who stole the distributor cap so the Nazis couldn't catch the Von Trapps, something sort of cute and justified because of the obvious moral superiority of Democrats...

...As the governor ponders yet another career turn in his varied life, he may want to consider newspaper arson, but whatever he does, he is likely to dwell in the high country, and we ain't talking Gatewood Galbraith here, but the uplands of society where doctors and congressmen dwell and where likability is something you buy from an ad agency...

...Those Von Trapps got me to thinking about Penney Sanders. Every day that goes by without her as commissioner of education is a bad day.

The education system of Eastern Kentucky, providing mediocre students for our mediocre colleges, is crookeder than a shepherd's stick. But there was one bright time and that was when Sanders watchdogged the schools.

She made school administrators follow the rules, something amazing and encouraging to the country people up here. School officials had not obeyed the law before her and haven't since she left.

For this recommendation the state Board of Education owes me $50,000, and Sanders can just knit me something.

I think the board ought to pay the search firm that found Barbara Erwin. She was starting to look pretty good to some of us, but then Republicans are known to harbor crooks.