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.

Farris Named Interim Commissioner, will not be candidate for permanent position

KSN&C report: Breaking

Board decides on National Search

and Search Firm assistance

Whole Board will Screen Candidates

This afternoon the Kentucky Board of Education accepted the resignation of Education Commissioner Jon Draud. Draud's resignation follows a positive evaluation from the Board and was prompted by health-related issues.

He will be replaced in the short term by Deputy Commissioner Elaine Farris, who becomes the first African American woman to serve in that post in Kentucky.

Following a discussion of pros and cons, by consensus, the board agreed to conduct a national search, utilizing a search firm.

Target dates:

• RFP by or before February 10th meeting.
• Discuss role and expectations for the Commish and search firm at the February meeting
• Select firm by March. Possibly moving the March 4th meeting date and adding a day to agenda (10th & 11th)
• New Commish August 1st

The board seemed ready to approve the use of a screening committee process when, after a break, board member Austin Moss made a plea for the board to reconsider. His comments reflected a concern for board unity.

One of the opportunities we have is to always do what's best for children. I think we do that when we are inclusive and working together and all on the same page with the same information.

Moss went on to express his concern over the frequency of commissioner changes and his desire that all members have "equal input into the evaluation of the candidates." He said, "a committee "becomes more divisive, for me."

We've had a hard set of conversations recently relative to leadership (a likely reference to the 3 1/2 hours closed session in December.) and I don't want that to continue as we move forward in selecting this new commissioner.

After another brief discussion Chairman Joe Brothers recanvassed the members who agreed to serve as a committee of the whole. When a quorum of the board meets in committee it carries with it all of the open meetings responsibilities. So expect a number of special meetings of the board this spring, held in closed session, without action.

Chairman Joe Brothers asked the board to discuss the search process the board wished to follow. The board had the option of doing the search themselves or putting it out to bid and they chose to hire a search firm.

Dorie Combs kicked off the discussion saying, "I think we'd want to do a national search." That was followed by members suggesting the board "use a search firm to help us with the process" but that "we need to develop a set of questions for the search firm." One member reminded the board that "We have been burned by that process" (in the past). Combs said, "We do want to make sure that the search firm works for and with us. They do the detail work, but it comes down to our decisions."

Veteran board member, Doug Hubbard, suggested,

"Let's go back to the qualified persons we talked to in the last search and see if we could interest either of them... For those of you who may not have been here, after the lady from Missouri (Barbara Erwin, Illinois), or whatever, departed, I think it was on a Thursday night, the next time we came together, we discussed about approaching three people that we had considered qualified to be commissioner, to see if we could interest any of those three. And, as I recall, one of them at the time had made a commitment to the district with which he was employed, (an apparent reference to Stu Silberman) that he was going to be there for a set number of years. And he chose to honor that.... Keith (Travis) was involved in doing that so I don't know exactly what was done. It was my understanding that passes were made by one or two of these other people. But, anyway, I just suggest that. Those of you who have not gone through a commissioner's search, much less, two commissioner's searchers, might not appreciate the time and stress and expenses (involved). It's something to think about."

Actually, there were three untapped candidates in the "last" search: Richard Hughes, a professor at Morehead State University and former superintendent of the Hardin County school district; Larry Vick, superintendent of the Owensboro Independent school district; and Jim Warford, executive director/CEO of the Florida Association of School Administrators and a former chancellor for Florida’s public schools. But Hubbard was probably referring to the prior search, the one that produced Barbara Erwin. The finalists at that time were Mitchell Chester, who since became Commissioner of Massachusetts, and Richard LaPointe, a former deputy assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Education Office of Vocational and Adult Education.

Steven Neal countered, "It seems to me it's time for a new beginning." he called for a national search and the use of a search firm.

After several more members weighed in, in support of a national search, Hubbard got off the best joke of the day.

"I have absolutely no objection to a wide national search, fifteen search firms, or whatever everybody wants to do." If the issue was whether we tried a year and a half ago - we did try. "Last time we were criticized for not doing a national search... Of course, we only had candidates from 23 states and three froeign countries. ..for a country boy from Bardstown, that was pretty national."

But Combs was cautious offering,

I think it's very important that we do this very carefully; by the book. And while we might do some things that would save us money - in the end, it might not save money. I don't want to cut corners on these important decisions and going through the process.

Members mentioned the need "to do better than we did the last time."

"I don't think this is a process that can be easily rushed," another offered, but "we have the advantage, as laborious as it was, that we have been through this before recently."

"The fact that we've had trouble in the past makes us less desirable," another said.

Then Hubbard offered some historical perspective that was not widely reported.

We're dealing with entirely different circumstances now, than then. 'Cause remember, at that time, we did not know that our chairman was trying to get (the) job. And certainly...if Joe wants to be commissioner, (turning to Brothers) tell us now!

KSN&C Backstory.

Through the Looking Glass with Kentucky's Board of Education members

No plans to resign with so much to do

Kentucky School Boards Association Communications Director Brad Hughes got KBE members on the record about their job performance so far...and what lies ahead. I'm going to chat through this one.

Despite some calls for their resignation, the members of the Kentucky Board of Education say they aren’t going anywhere.

Truer words were never spoken.

Rather than being defiant, most say they understand concerns over the initial search for a new education commissioner but want to complete that and other tasks confronting the state’s K-12 policy-making body.

Oh good. They understand. Pay attention to what else they say. There may be a quiz at the end.

"I plan on staying; I took a job and I’m going to do it," said Joe Brothers, the new chairman of the state board. "We’ve been looking at including the ACT and norm-referenced questions in our CATS test and a whole litany of other things all the while we’ve been conducting the search.

OK...here we go...

"Our process has been one of due diligence, attempting to ensure that we are fair and equitable.

Pull the other one.

If there was another single issue that was more obviously lacking in the Barbara Erwin debacle than the board's outsourcing of its responsibilities for due diligence, I don't know what it might be.

The board not only gave it up, but later said it was not their responsibility to check candidate references - this while conducting their most important duty of all; selecting the next education commissioner.

Due diligence is not about being fair and equitable. One must always be fair and equitable. Due diligence is about stewardship of the public trust. It is the board's duty to conduct a reasonable amount of research and analysis before entering into any kind of business transaction. It's how a reasonable person exercises care - to avoid potential harm - to the children.

By and large, I believe people understand," said Brothers, a former Elizabethtown Independent school board member and KSBA president.

No. It would be much more accurate to suggest that by and large the people don't understand - but simply feel powerless to do anything about it ...all things considered.

After controversial candidate Barbara Erwin accepted and then withdrew from the commissioner’s job, Kentucky’s two largest newspapers, The Courier-Journal and Lexington Herald-Leader, published editorials urging Gov. Ernie Fletcher to replace the entire board. The board and its search were criticized in other Kentucky newspapers, radio talk shows and Internet blogs.

Deservedly so. It would have been better if the board had fired her for her application misstatements, rather than her resigning because folks complained about them. If they had, Kentuckians might have believed the board came to its senses. Now, we still have to wait to see how the board actually behaves. Talk is useless now.

"This is about continuity. We’ve changed 10 members in the past three years," said former chairman Keith Travis of Benton.

Is he suggesting there has been continuity - while pointing out evidence to the contrary? Or is he saying that continuity has been so lacking that - even though this board hasn't performed very well - changing members again would be worse?

"(Our) role can be a lightning rod for strong emotions, but sometimes folding the tent through issues such as we’ve faced is the wrong thing to do."

Huh? The role of a board member can be lots of things, including effective. Under this board - not so much. Strong emotions resulted when the public couldn't understand why the board was so completely unable to see the obvious, and then ignored public outcry, while continuing to follow the lead of their search firm. Suggestions that the board should resign came later.

Board member and nominating committee chairman C. B. Akins said the change in the leadership should not be mistaken as a reaction to criticism.

Why not? It's the only thing that softened calls for the whole board to resign.

"Our simple agenda is to do the best we can possibly do for 650,000 kids in Kentucky. Do we care about the opinions of adults? Yes, we do. Are we here to serve adults? Not really," said Akins, of Lexington.

Oh. So, the implication is that you know what's best for kids? Kentucky's adults don't. So you care about Kentuckian's opinions. But not too much because you already know what's best... and that was Barbara Erwin. Is that it? Where's the evidence for that?

"Innuendo and assumptions are designed to cause people to lose focus. We can’t afford to do that," he said.

But the hard facts that the award-winning nominating committee and the school board chose to ignore were designed to keep the board from embarrasing themselves and this state.

When errors were first discovered, the first effort was to contact KDE Communications Director Lisa Gross in an attempt to inform the board of what was discovered and avoid the mess we just went through.

The second call went to the press. Why the second call? Because as CB suggests, the egoes of board members and other adults should be respected, but in the end, it's the kids that matter. Whether these particular adults serve as board members, doesn't matter at all. There are lots of qualified Kentuckians - who arguably might have done better.

"Certainly the change was no reflection on Keith Travis, who has done a dynamic job at great personal sacrifice and all of us owe him a great deal of gratitude for his service."

Oh yes! Stupendous! That 1-10 vote was no reflection on him. Perhaps he should get an award too. That's the ticket.

Dr. Janna Vice, a board member from Richmond, said she and her colleagues are committed to serving "with great concern and competence.

"We have very serious educational issues ahead for the board. I think the board is hoping to bring the commissioner search to fruition quickly so we can get back to task," Vice said. "Our goal is really all about the children of Kentucky."

Great...all except that one word "quickly." Quality is better than speed. And competence would be a nice change.

Disapproval misplaced?
Vice believes some of the heat the state board is taking comes from its decision to step up and take full responsibility for the first round of the commissioner search.

"We decided to take the high road and not use the search firm as a scapegoat," she said, "so we’ve been criticized for the actions of the (consultants)."

Ahhhh. So incompetence is the high road?!

Somebody ought to look up the word "scapegoat." When somebody is not at fault, but they get blamed anyway...that's a scapegoat {an object of irrational hostility}.

But in what way was Ray & Associates NOT at fault?

And if the Board is responsible for the children's best interests, why all this hand-wringing over the reputation of the search firm? They are arguably the only group who faired worse than the board in the whole mess.

As for taking responsibiltiy...I DO think I heard the board express that - once.

But what I hear from the board with much greater frequency are excuses, blaming the press, bloggers and concerned citizens - anyone except themselves...and their precious search firm, who they declined to use a second time.

Doug Hubbard of Bardstown said, "The importance of the problems with the search have been exaggerated somewhat.

Protecting adult egoes again? C'mon Doug. You're the one member who knew better.

It (hiring the new commissioner) all has to do with reaching proficiency by 2014 and that’s what we need to get back to doing."

That is the reason the board hired a consultant in the first place, according to David Rhodes of Mount Sterling. "We went with a national search firm so the board would have time to continue working with our staff on that goal of proficiency by 2014," he said. "We’re going to continue with that focus along with searching for a new commissioner."

So...remind me...how'd that work out?

David Webb of Brownsville said, "Obviously, some mistakes have been made, but we’re picking up and moving on.

Obviously.

I have confidence in the other board members that we will attack the leadership problem in a very aggressive manner."

Despite the criticisms, Louisville board member Jeanne Ferguson is "delighted everyone is so concerned about education. That’s why we’re staying; that’s the hope of the future."

...springs eternal.

Beyond the search

Several KBE members point out that the state board is working on issues besides the commissioner search – from integrating the ACT test into the CATS school accountability process to setting school funding priorities for consideration in the 2008 legislative session.

"The commissioner search is one of the most important things that we are doing because our decision will leave a legacy for all of the children and students in Kentucky," said Bonnie Lash Freeman, another KBE member from Louisville, "but we do have a lot more to think about (and) a lot more to contribute."

Judy Gibbons, a board member from Lakeside Park, echoed Freeman on the board’s to-do list.

"I’m not sure that people realize the extent of the work that board members put into understanding the issues and focusing on what needs to be done to advance education in Kentucky," she said. "There are some weeks when it’s a full-time job. There is an unbelievable amount of material to understand. We always try to think, ‘Is this the best for all students? Is this fair for all students?’"

Kaye Baird, a former Pikeville Independent board member prior to her state appointment, said she and her colleagues "are ready to move on to other things.

You gotta know that's true.

"We are a group of very conscientious people. We were trying to do the right thing (in hiring Erwin), but things did not unfold in the way we thought they would," Baird said. "We need to get on with the business of the education of children. That’s what we are all about."

And, I'm sure that's true as well.

But as the board goes on with its important business...maybe they might lighten up on the excuses. They don't accept excuses from school personnel. Why should Kentuckians have to listen to excuses from them?
~

Photo: Newly-elected KBE Chairman Joe Brothers (center) and re-elected Vice Chairwoman Bonnie Lash Freeman at the August state board meeting. Interim Education Commissioner Kevin Noland is at left.

C-J dreams a little dream in today's editorial

Today's C-J editorial on the Kentucky school board correctly sees the Travis ouster as atonement for past failures, but not full accountability.

Accountability is a dream of things not to come.

But, somebody had to pay.

And all evidence suggests that Travis deserved what he got.

When information about Commissioner candidate Barbara Erwin came out, and piled up, Travis did his best to ignore it and wish it away. His leadership was to tell the rest of the board to believe the search firm's "sales job" and it would all be OK. As Joe Brothers correctly points out - they all bought it; they all own it.

The whole bunch, with the possible exception of Doug Hubbard, ought to have resigned - or been fired by any governor who valued integrity, competence in public office, and accountability when that competence was proven to be lacking.

Travis lost his leadership spot because somebody had to pay.

All things considered, the board's 10-1 vote probably takes some heat off the rest of the board members. By ousting Travis, maybe folks will quit calling for the rest of the board to quit as the Herald-Leader did recently.

The thing about Ray & Associates

When things go badly, it's good to keep ones head. I can fully understand the board's current notion of running as far away from Ray & Associates as possible. Once burned; twice shy.

But any search requires a lot of grunt work. Advertising. Correspondence. Compiling. Scheduling. Ray & Associates says they have a no refund policy on the botched search - but they guarantee two-years of continued assistance for boards that are unhappy with the results and promise to help "in any way we can to help them find the best candidate for the job."

The board of education needs many of the services a search firm can provide right now, and maybe that's one way Ray & Associates can repay Kentucky.

I think we should use them. I just don't think we should trust them.

Once candidates have been organized, paperwork collected and interviews scheduled...Ray & Associates should be thanked and sent away - while the board conducts a real investigation.

You don't outsource judgment.

A new Commissioner

I love the fact that the Chairman Brothers held discussions of the process and timeline the board would follow in hiring a new commissioner in open session yesterday. That's good leadership and a big step in the right direction. I hope it signals a return to the required public openness on the part of the board.

I'm much less thrilled by the timeline itself.

In the school business there is a hiring season - and this isn't it.

We don't need a commissioner quickly so much as we need a commissioner who is excellent. All of the top folks who were considering moves this past year are presently geared up for the start of the new school year wherever they are. The folks who are ready to change positions in October are largely leftovers. Any superstars who were willing to move have already done so.

In January, the political picture in Kentucky will be a settled issue and there will be a whole new crop of potential candidates who are looking ahead to the next year. To the extent Kentucky's leaders, including the board of education, can convince candidates that Kentucky is still a great place to be, that crop will be improved. That's the time to start anew.

Evidence suggests that the governor will use all of this term to do what he started out doing - placing Republicans in state positions. The thought that his appointees will resign in January - if the polls hold true and Beshear is elected governor - may be what C-J wants, but that's a dream that won't come true. Public accountability is for school folks - not the board of education.

I've got an alternative idea. If board members are not going to hold themselves accountable, can the members of the search committee at least give back the plaques they were awarded by Travis in June for the outstanding job they did in selecting Erwin?

The Board of Education at 30,000 feet

A few years ago, every school leadership conversation began with someone saying we had to get the right people "on the bus." This was a theme from Jim Collins' bestselling book, Good to Great. Unfortunately the idea was being used by some folks that weren't even good yet. Too frequently it was the leader that needed to be thrown under the bus. But, I digress.

I was amused by the conversation at the June board of education meeting when one member asserted to the group that he was operating at 30,000 feet. Not having been in required pubic school professional development sessions for a few years, I hadn't heard this one used quite this way before.

But, I get it. State board of education members should look at the big picture. Babysit the process, not the projects (As Harvard Business Review was reporting in 2003). Leave the details to the professionals (in other words, don't bug the staff). It caught my attention because the board chair in St Charles, Illinois (Barbara Erwin's prior school district) was using the same language at the same time. It made me wonder if Barbara Erwin imported this reconstruction.

I chuckled again as the next speaker said she was operating at 35,000 feet.

Uh oh. The competition was on. She talked about big picture issues and assured the group that she was on-board.

A few minutes later a third member came in at 40,000 feet and I laughed out loud.

But the competition ended when a vendor told the board that his view was from 100,000 feet. Smiles faded as members began to realize the newest cliche had just run its course.

Look. The idea of maintaining a leadership perspective that focuses more on process than projects is the right way to go. And if thinking one is in an airplane while doing it helps - fine. But let's not forget the little dots on the ground...the ones we can't quite make out. Those are the students who must be cared for, and that means they must be seen. The mile high club notwithstanding, I don't think love works very well when one loses sight of their beloved.

And the particular sin in the failed commissioner search was the board's steadfast refusal to look into the detailed evidence presented them. That's where the devil was. The business literature argues that management needs to be attentive and flexible, ready to swoop in at the first sign of real trouble.

Somebody forgot that part of the equation.

~

This from the Courier-Journal:

Old faces, new seats

Two things come to mind in the aftermath of the Kentucky Board of Education's vote to sack its chairman, Keith Travis.

First, given that Mr. Travis cast the only vote for his retention in a 10-1 rout, he may not have been any better at assessing his political strength with his colleagues than he was in conducting a search for a new state education commissioner.

That exercise was a debacle from start to finish.

The Iowa search firm retained to screen and recommend candidates, Ray and Associates, failed to examine the record of Illinois educator Barbara Erwin carefully enough to illuminate her troubling and controversial professional background.

That fumble was compounded by the board's unwillingness simply to cut bait.

Instead, it forged ahead and hired Ms. Erwin despite false claims in her résumé and allegations that she ran roughshod over teachers and administrators in three states where she served. The appointment unraveled just three days before she was to start work, after her personnel file mysteriously went missing.

Second, however, the board's decision to put itself under new leadership and to acknowledge how badly it botched the search is better than what might reasonably have been expected.

In other places and at other times, the board's vote could be dismissed as a case of very little, very late. But this is the Frankfort of Gov. Ernie Fletcher, and the board members are his appointees. Gov. Fletcher's administration was investigated for criminal acts in the merit-system scandal, and only a blanket gubernatorial pardon averted multiple prosecutions. Yet, the Governor sees himself as an innocent victim.

Given that context, the school board's action seems a vigorous act of accountability.

That said, Mr. Travis' replacement should make Kentuckians feel slightly better only about the past -- not about what lies ahead.

The board and its new chairman, Joe Brothers of Elizabethtown, are still committed to hiring a new education commissioner.

The Erwin debacle cannot be blamed entirely on Mr. Travis. Other board members could have asserted themselves and reopened the search for a better candidate. Mr. Brothers properly acknowledges that the entire board must take responsibility for voting to bring Ms. Erwin to Kentucky.

It's hard to feel confident that this same group can do a better job the second time around.

A better course would be to recognize that a gubernatorial election looms.

If the voters decide to give Gov. Fletcher a second term, then there can't be serious quarrel with allowing his appointees to choose a new education commissioner. But if his Democratic rival, Steve Beshear, is elected, the new governor should have a major role in filling such a key position.

Such an outcome would require more than just Mr. Beshear's victory. It would also take the resignations of at least a majority of the board, so that Mr. Beshear could replace them.

That would not be Kentucky politics as usual, to be sure. But it would be real accountability -- and it would be an act for the common good.

More on the politics of Joe Brothers KBE Chairmanship

Mark Hebert give the political perspective in his post...

Travis Out, Brothers In
at State Board of Education

In a stunning rebuke to its chairman, the Kentucky Board of Education has replaced Keith Travis as chairman, voting 10-1 for Joe Brothers to take over the chairmanship.

The only vote against Brothers was by Travis who said he wasn't opposing the new leadership, just casting a warning signal for the state school board to maintain its independence from outside interests. That appeared to be a shot at Governor Fletcher, though Travis wouldn't say what interests he was talking about.

Fletcher told reporters he was pulled in to the board's decision to oust Travis by other members of the board who called him "asking if Joe Brothers would be a good chairman." Fletcher told them he would, giving the blessing for his appointees to the board to vote for Brothers instead of Travis.

Fletcher says he didn't campaign for Brothers but would always expect to play some role in such an important decision made by a board filled with his appointees. Brothers was originally appointed by Fletcher. Travis has been on the board 10 years, 3 as chairman, and was originally appointed by Gov. Paul Patton.

Brothers appeared to be trying to pull the fractured school board back together in his remarks at today's board meeting. He said his only agenda is helping Kentucky kids. He called Travis "one of my favorite people" and asked the audience to give the outgoing chairman a second round of applause, which they did.

But a couple minutes before that the room was icy as Brothers and Travis got up to switch seats, Brothers taking over the chairmanship. The two didn't shake hands and only spoke briefly to gather their belongings and nameplates.

Travis' tenure as chairman began to unravel after he pushed through the hiring of Barbara Erwin as Kentucky's new school commissioner. Erwin never started her job, withdrawing from the post after questions about her resume, dealings with former school boards and a criminal investigation of her personnel file, which was stolen from her former school district in Illinois. The question now is whether Travis was set up for failure by Fletcher or fellow board members and whether Brothers can do any better to try and restore the school board's lost credibility.
~
An expanded story from the Courier-Journal:

Education board replaces chairman

Action follows failed search for state commissioner

...Several board members acknowledged yesterday that the failed search for a new commissioner played a role in the board's decision to replace Travis.

"We had gone through a very difficult time in which we became divided, and maybe this will give us an opportunity to move forward together easier," said Doug Hubbard, a board member from Bardstown.

Travis said he was "a little surprised" that he did not receive a nomination to return as chairman for a fourth year.

"Obviously, when you go through a challenging period, it has implications," Travis said. "I knew there were some concerns."

Travis and other board members have criticized the search firm involved in the failed attempt to find a new commissioner, but some board members also said that a lack of board leadership was partly to blame.

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

Critics say Ray and Associates, the Iowa search firm the board hired to produce a list of candidates, should have vetted Erwin more closely and targeted problems more quickly.

But they also say that board members failed to do their job, ignoring concerns raised by the media and the public over Erwin's resume, which contained an award she hadn't won and a presentation she never made, and her reputation for running roughshod over teachers and administrators when she was a superintendent in Texas, Arizona and Illinois.

Brothers said he "detected a need for someone to step forward" after Erwin's resignation and expressed an interest in the chairmanship post.

"It was a tough decision for me, because I have the greatest degree of respect for Keith," Brothers said. "But … sometimes you need to make a change (in order) to move on to the future and that is what we are trying to do here."

Asked if Travis was being punished for the failed search, Brothers said no.

"As a board, we all have to take responsibility for voting to bring (Erwin) here," he said...
~

And this from the News-Enterprise.

ELIZABETHTOWN — Joe Brothers says years on the Elizabethtown Independent School’s board will help as he advances to the chairmanship of the Kentucky Board of Education.

Among his new duties is conducting a search for a new education commissioner. “It’s obviously a big responsibility,” Brothers said.

Brothers, who only joined the state board last year, was elected Wednesday as chairman by a 10-1 vote. The only dissent was cast by the displaced chairman, Keith Travis.

Travis, who served on the board for a decade, including the last three years as chairman, said he was “maybe somewhat surprised” by the board’s decision to oust him.

“There’s an end to every leadership activity, so those things happen,” Travis said.

The board is recovering from the controversial hiring and eventual resignation of Barbara Erwin as education commissioner. The Illinois educator quit three days before she was to start after questions arose about her resumé and a police investigation at her former school district.

Gov. Ernie Fletcher said he was “very pleased” with the board’s decision to install Brothers, whom he appointed to the board in February 2006, as chairman. Board members had approached Fletcher with Brothers as a potential candidate, Fletcher said, and he supported him.

“I think I should be involved in that. We appoint the board members, we’re responsible for 58 percent of the budget, at least,” Fletcher said. “Yes, I’m going to have a hand in those decisions, absolutely.”

Board member Doug Hubbard, who publicly was hesitant about hiring Erwin, said he thought that episode factored into the panel’s decision in favor of Brothers.“We had gone through a very clear time in which we had become divided, and I think that maybe this gives us an opportunity to move forward easier together,” Hubbard said.

David L. Webb, a board member from Brownsville, said Brothers is driven by what is best for children.“I have all the confidence that Mr. Brothers will do an outstanding job as chairman,” he said.

Webb said hiring a commissioner is the biggest task facing the board, and he feels Brothers will work with board “aggressively” to do so. In addition to finding a commissioner, Brothers said his other primary goal for the board is to achieve student proficiency in all schools by 2014.

Brothers, whose term runs through 2010, said he decided in the last couple of months, he would be willing to serve as chairman“I had to do a lot of thinking about it,” he said because of the responsibility the position entails.

Brothers is local plant manager for Gates Corp. He was an EIS school board member for about 19 years.Brothers said his years as an EIS board member serve as excellent training for his service on the state board, which develops regulations for public schools and directs the Kentucky Department of Education.Knowing how local boards work, as well as people he has met during his stint on the EIS school board, helps him serve on the state board, he said.

The board has 12 voting members; 11 of whom are appointed by the governor. Seven represent the state Supreme Court districts, four represent the state at large and the president of the Council on Postsecondary Education is a nonvoting member, according to the KDE Web site.

More photos from Ky.gov here.

C-J: Chairman of the Kentucky Board of Education ousted

This from Antoinette Konz at the Courier-Journal.

The Kentucky Board of Education ousted chairman Keith Travis this morning, replacing him with Joe Brothers on a 10-1 vote.

Travis was the only member opposing the change in chairmen.

The vote comes in the wake of the aborted hiring of Illinois educator Barbara Erwin, who quit three days before she was to begin the commissioner's job after a series of revelations about her background.

Travis has criticized the search firm involved in that process, but other board members said that a lack of leadership was partly to blame for the flawed search.

Bonnie Lash Freeman, who led the search committee for a new commissioner, will continue as vice chairman of the board.

The board's nominating committee met at 8 a.m. and went into closed session for about 20 minutes before returning with the recommendations. Board member David Rhodes, who serves on the nominating committee, said there were no other recommendations to consider.

At the beginning of the board's regular meeting at 9 a.m., Brothers took over his new role.

Travis, who had served as chairman for three years, is in his 10th year on the state board of education. He said he was “a little surprised” that he did not receive a nomination to return as chairman for a fourth year.“I did not solicit or poll members,” he said. “So I really didn’t know how they would vote.”

Travis said the failed search for a new commissioner likely played a role in the board’s decision not to re-elect him.

Board member Doug Hubbard has said in previous interviews with The Courier-Journal that he felt a new chairman was needed.

Travis said he accepts responsibility for the “circumstances the board engaged in” with regards to the commissioner search.

Brothers applauded Travis’ work as chairman shortly after he took over the role. “I greatly respect the opportunity to serve,” he said. “I have no agenda, other than the kids of Kentucky.”

In terms of looking for its next commissioner, Brothers said, “This board will leave no stone unturned until we find a commissioner that is worthy of our state.”

Gov. Ernie Fletcher said he supported the board’s decision.“I know Joe Brothers. … He’s got a great reputation of being passionate about education and a good record on leadership,” Fletcher told reporters as he left the Capitol for a speech in Bowling Green.He noted that he had appointed both Brothers and Travis to the board.The governor commended Travis for his service as chairman. Asked if he believed the board wanted a change after Travis’ oversight of the failed search for a commissioner, Fletcher said, “I think the change is a natural progression. You’re going to change the chair every so often.”

The governor said he was contacted recently by some board members and asked if he thought Brothers would be a good chairman.“I said, of course, Joe Brothers could do a good job,” he said.

The race for the Kentucky Board of Education Chair is on

It's Joe Brothers vs. Keith Travis for State Education Chair

Mark Hebert is reporting that Keith Travis has picked up competition in the fight to keep his chairmanship of the Kentucky Board of Education.

"Board member Joe Brothers of Elizabethtown says he's telling fellow board members that he's interested in chairing the board."

The state board is scheduled to elect its officers at a meeting next Wednesday.

The board has been sharply divided since a sloppy commissioner's selection process chose Barbara Erwin who withdrew under pressure. Travis strongly supported the process and the candidate.

Mark says, "Travis expressed an interest in seeking the commissioner's job" but withdrew and "helped push the selection of Barbara Erwin."

Now board member Joe Brothers is trying to round up the votes to unseat Travis, who is seeking reelection to the chair.

But Brothers may have an uphill fight. Members of the nominating committee were all appointed by Travis.

Doug Hubbard, Travis's most vocal critic thinks the board's nominating committee may only present Travis' name to the full board for consideration.

Brothers is a former member of the Elizabethtown school board, and the former president of the Kentucky School Boards Association.

Sounds like it's time for FLASH POLL #2...

Board of education keeps discussion of "options and strategies" secret

The central purpose of the Open Meetings Law is to ensure that all meetings of public agencies where public business is discussed will be open to the public. Lately the board appears to be ignoring the law in favor of a higher priority - saving face.

But it's not working.

Still reeling from the recent flight of Barbara Erwin, their preferred candidate for Education Commissioner - one they defended to an unreasonable extent - the Kentucky Board of Education continues to spend extended time in closed session these days.

If the board actually did something, those actions taken in closed session might become reversable upon complaint. But the fact is, we don't know what the board is talking about, except for when they tell us. Yesterday they were discussing "options and strategies."

By refusing to discuss the selection process in public and by changing their minds on a month-to-month basis, citizens are left to wonder - Does the board really have a plan to move Kentucky forward?

Apparently the board is still trying to figure that out for themselves. Apparently they don't want the public to see their deliberations, or perhaps, their divisions.

Considering human nature, that's understandable.

But is it legal?

Two weeks ago the board voted to keep Kevin Noland as interim commissioner, but with the intention of hiring a new interim person quickly.

"We left that meeting thinking that was the best route to go but we came back today and, after discussing options and strategies, we decided to refocus," board Chairman Keith Travis told the Courier-Journal after yesterday's 2 1/2-hour closed-door meeting.

Discussing "options and strategies" is not listed among the legal exceptions to the Open Meetings Law.

On July 11th the board met in a closed session for about an hour to discuss its expectations of then commissioner-select Barbara Erwin, despite an objection from the Courier-Journal that the private discussion was in violation of the state's Open Meetings Law. "Your objection is noted," Keith Travis said. "There are some things we want to discuss that are personal in nature."

"Personal in nature" is not listed among the legal exceptions to the Open Meetings Law.

But the board chair shrugged it off.

The board of education also shrugged off Leon Mooneyhan. After his seduction and abandonment, some wonder if Travis lacked the board's backing when he entered into negotiations on behalf of the board? WHAS TV's Mark Hebert opined, "...it's clear board chairman Travis led Mooneyhan to believe he was getting the interim job. And Travis was either A) powerless to make it happen or B)politically and professionally inept in his dealings with Mooneyhan."

Mooneyhan, currently the chief executive officer of the Ohio Valley Education Cooperative, told the Courier-Journal he was "...concerned about the decision because the board has a tarnished reputation in terms of the feelings of the public," he said. "And I believe it could have acted in a more proactive way."

Mooneyhan told Hebert:

"I've never been subjected to a more unprofessional set of circumstances in all my life." Mooneyhan says the way the board muffed the hiring of Barbara Erwin and fumbled his candidacy "undermines my view of the board's ability to find a good commissioner for the children of Kentucky." And he agreed with a C-J editorial, Mooneyhan saying " the governor may need the board to resign. They are dysfunctional."

Travis said the decision to ask Noland to remain did not result from disagreement among board members about hiring Mooneyhan.

Board member Doug Hubbard told C-J, "What it really came down to is that because we're pressing forward in the search for a permanent commissioner … it might not be best to go to a new interim."

So, where are we now?

• Kevin Noland continues as interim.
• Applications are being accepted for the permanent position.
• There is no ending date to the search process on the KDE posting.
• Travis says the board will be aggressively pursuing a permanent Commissioner.
• The board plans to meet again on August 8.
• At that meeting, the election of new board leadership will be on the agenda.

What else?

• Is the board coasting until August?
• Is there a search committee?
• Is the board acting as a committee of the whole?
• Is there some process that board members understand?
• Is anyone advertising, reviewing applications, checking references and screening candidates for the board?
• Does the board expect so few applicants that they will now be choosing from among a handful of candidates rejected (and perhaps not even interviewed) during the search that produced Erwin?
• Does yesterday's change of direction indicate that the board already knows who they want "to apply?"
• Can this board walk and chew bubble gum at the same time?

The only clues came from Travis's comments to the press: "There's a Web site advertising (the post). And certainly we're going to explore the need to be advertising more heavily," he said. "But obviously … this search has been quite visible probably nationwide."

Unfortunately, the nationwide publicity Kentucky has received lately isn't likely to attract anyone. And because everything is being discussed behind closed doors - it's not clear who on the board, if anyone, is working on it. And Travis's description of what the board is doing is...well...something less than awe-inspiring.

This is no way to reclaim the public trust.

~

On another matter, Martin Cothran would like us to know that he does not always speak for the Family Foundation, and that the Family Foundation has not taken a position on the Penny Sanders nomination. I said as much, and was apparently confused by his vere loqui post: "Penney Sanders for State School Commissioner."

When he speaks for the Foundation, and when he doesn't is a little unclear, so he lets' me off the hook a bit saying, "Although I often post official press releases and other relevant things from The Family Foundation, my blog is not an official organ of the organization. It is my opinion only. I used to have a disclaimer on this blog somewhere, but I guess I have taken it off. Maybe I need to put it back up again."

Heir-apparent Mooneyhan was a contributor to David Williams

Rumors of a secret meeting between Senate President David Williams, Senate Majority Floor Leader Dan Kelly and a select group of Kentucky Board of Education members persist - but have also been denied.

Now it turns out that Leon Mooneyhan was a $500 contributor to David Williams 2005 campaign (11/11/2005), despite the fact that Williams and Mooneyhan live in different districts. This is not to suggest any impropriety. As senate president, Williams's reach is statewide. I'm sure he does lots of good for lots of folks.

The rumor is of a "secret meeting" before the board of education met on Saturday July 14, possibly involving David Webb, David Rhodes, Joe Brothers... All denied.

So...it's still just a rumor and shouldn't be believed. Right?

But immediately, Leon Mooneyhan's name surfaced as the choice for interim commissioner along with the rumor of the secret meeting. He says he was negotiating with Board Chair Keith Travis for the commissioner's job on Tuesday July 17.

On Thursday July 19, Doug Hubbard called for an emergency meeting to sign the deal. Some have suggested the hasty meeting may have been seen as desirable specifically because certain board members wouldn't be able to make it. All rumor, of course. But due to the notification requirements of the Open Meetings Act, that effort failed.

The board is now set to meet on Saturday at 10AM. The agenda calls for a closed session to consider both the interim and the permanent positions.

It is expected that Leon Mooneyhan will be named interim Commish. It is unclear if Mooneyhan will also be under consideration for the permanent post.

And think. Mooneyhan's name sprung to life from a meeting that never took place. I'm sure there's no story here. Just business as usual.

Speaking of business as usual, Mooneyhan indicated to the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance that he was the Executive Director of KSBA at the time - a position he has never held. Brad Hughes, KSBA's Communications Director told Kentucky School News and Commentary that he "...has never been on the KSBA staff in any position..."

Wow! Another successful search. I wonder who will receive awards this time?

Two Kentucky Board of Education members push for new school chief

Look for a larger story in Sunday's Courier-Journal, but it looks like the firing squad has started to form a circle.

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.

Kentucky Education Commissioner: Flawed process undermines confidence

Commentary

We are told the search for a new state education commissioner to replace an excellent Gene Wilhoit has gone according to plan. If so - it must be a strange plan.

State board chairman Keith Travis told the Herald-Leader "When we started the search process the entire board agreed on an entire process to go through” because they wanted to get a large number of qualified applicants while ensuring their confidentiality. But when the state board met in executive session, narrowing its commissioner search down to three individuals they refused to release the names, telling WHAS reporter Mark Hebert that the board only planned to release the name of one finalist, the person the school board planned to hire.

All indications were that the state board was following the Barnhart plan. Everything was hush, hush. But the board of education was not reviewing the resumes of any Billy Ds or Billy Gs. Apparently, no sitting commissioners viewed Kentucky as a better place to go to advance their careers. As the herald-Leader reminds us, Kentucky's first Education Commissioner Thomas Boysen had led the 390,000-student San Diego schools made up of 43 districts. Wilmer Cody had been state superintendent in Louisiana and a local superintendent in Birmingham, Ala., and Montgomery County, Md. Gene Wilhoit had been head of the Arkansas schools and a deputy commissioner in Kentucky.

Perhaps this was to be expected. While there are many in the Commonwealth who continue to sense the energy of reform and work doggedly to build a strong system of schools, save last year, there hasn’t been a financial investment commensurate with Kentucky’s world-class rhetoric; Kentucky has failed to keep pace. Still, Standard & Poor’s reports that given the present level of investment, Kentucky is getting a fairly good return. It appears that Wilhoit left for greener pastures, not a greater challenge. All things considered, what caliber of replacement was Kentucky likely to attract?

Much to his credit, Governor Ernie Fletcher urged the board to name their three finalists publicly so that citizens, and particularly, state lawmakers could offer their opinions. "Public awareness of this important selection promotes dialogue and disclosure that otherwise would be lost, two critical components in assuring the selection of the best candidate," the governor said. Disclosure is particularly important. There have been enough cases, where failure to adhere to the best principles of due diligence have haunted other selection processes, that we should have known better. Public scrutiny can, and does help.

Following the governor’s plea, the board did announce their 3 finalists - claiming unconvincingly, that they planned to do so all along.

I did not know any of the candidates; but I did have some time that week. I researched the press clippings for all three, and using the state board’s input form, submitted a summary of my findings and a reference to Kentucky School News and Commentary, where more information could be found.

KDE Communication Director Lisa Gross confirmed that the board received and discussed all public input. What is less certain is whether the state board really wanted it.

As quickly as possible, the board returned to its original plan and named a single finalist. – Barbara Erwin. Some of Erwin’s "press" generated discussion and concern.

State board chairman Keith Travis told the Courier-Journal he didn't know anything about that history.

Then, in the wake of the MIT scandal, came the issue of whether Erwin had embellished her resume.

So here we are.

The state board is scheduled to finalize their decision this Wednesday in Bowling Green. Board member Doug Hubbard seems to be genuinely concerned and announced that he wanted Erwin to explain. He has since upped the ante, and called for her to withdraw. Others seem to be locked in on her positives while minimizing her negatives; like trying to sell a mansion that just got a bad inspection report. We need a decision based on what’s best for our children and Kentucky’s future economy. We need a commissioner who inspires confidence - not only in their abilities, but also in their judgment, integrity and ability to work harmoniously with others.

It doesn’t help when board members confuse the issue. It was disappointing when Rev. C. B. Akins chastened critics of the selection process last week telling WKYT, "If they know some perfect people who would be candidates for the job, we'd be interested in interviewing them, but until Jesus comes back, I doubt that we're going to find one."

But the issue isn't whether Erwin, or any candidate is perfect. None of the three finalists matched the board's pre-established criteria.

The issue is whether the state board of education outsourced its responsibilities for due diligence to its search firm, Ray & Associates, who seem to have advised secrecy, which resulted in the present situation. Confidentiality is important, but not more important than Kentucky's need to find genuine confidence in the new commissioner, whoever that may be.

This is one time they should have listened to Ernie. Had that occurred, the board would still be evaluating the input, and could approach Wednesday's meeting with confidence and solidarity.

Board Member Hubbard want Erwin to Withdraw

The Courier-Journal reports:

A state board of education member is calling for the leading candidate for Kentucky's top education job to withdraw her name because of growing concerns about her background.

Doug Hubbard of Bardstown said he made a mistake in agreeing to name Barbara Erwin as the leading choice for Kentucky's education commissioner.

"I think she ought to withdraw as a candidate. I feel that there is an issue of credibility," Hubbard said. "The last nine days have been one revelation after another revelation, and I think there is a perception that she cannot overcome."

...Despite Hubbard's concern, school board chairman Keith Travis said yesterday that he still thinks Erwin is the best person for the job.

"I haven't seen any evidence that changes my mind," Travis said. "Every person is entitled to his or her opinion. I don't think any less of him (Hubbard) for voicing his opinion. As far as I know, he is the only one who feels it was a mistake."

"...We are in the process of getting ready to ratify her contract," said Janna Vice, a board member from Richmond. "I appreciate the information being gathered, but I just think it would be inappropriate to talk about it right now."

And from the Herald-Leader.

Hubbard said he has sent an e-mail to superintendents in his district apologizing for his initial support for the controversial candidate.

"Our constituencies are the children of Kentucky," he told a reporter yesterday. "I don't think it's best for the children of Kentucky to have a commissioner who has serious questions about her credibility."

This from the Cincinnati Post.