Just Say No, Newark

Thank you to Dora Taylor for the heads up.  Dr. Goodloe-Johnson is one of two finalists for the superintendent job in Newark, New Jersey (the other is a TFA person).  The story is at NJ.com.

Apparently Dr. Goodloe-Johnson wouldn't go on record with the press about what happened here in Seattle but the recorded interview captured this:


"The board terminated my contract without cause," she told the group, immediately bringing up the finance issue "They decided, I think, based on a lot of things — I think politics, reform, union pushback."

Her Broad pal, flack Tom Payzant, says she's one of the best urban superintendents in the country.  The proof of that is nowhere to be seen but apparently he thinks if he says it enough, it will be true.

You know, Maria, it's not a good idea to misrepresent the past but like I say, we all need one good rationalization to get us through the day.  Yours seems to be that you are blameless in everything. Interesting that she didn't even cop to being the person at the top and the buck should stop with her.

As Julia Roberts says in Pretty Woman to the snobby Beverly Hills saleswomen - big mistake. 

Comments

In disbelief said…
Ok, after the initial shock, I have to wonder if the one that shall not be named is there only to provide the illusion of choice, and the other candidate was positioned to be a shoo-in.
Amazing said…
Looks like the interview process began MONTHS ago!

She intended leaving Seattle before Strategic Initiatives didn't pan out!
dan dempsey said…
What is amazing is that MGJ is a top two finalist...... Where do these folks look for candidates? and what process put MGJ in the Top Two?

Is the other candidate going to drop out?

Does anyone ever look for previous success? Or is this interview and background check by press release?
dan dempsey said…
Remember that Chris Christie is the NJ Governor ... Does MGJ meet his criteria for excellence?
rob g said…
I line in NJ and Chris Christie does not care about public education. That's why he hired Chris Cerf (another Broad "graduate") as Comm of Ed (and he *still* hasn't been approved by the state legislature). They'll probably hire GoJo to run the district into the ground and hand everything over to private entities that run charter schools (like the one Chris Cerf used to work for, Edison). Public education is now just another market in this country.
Cap'n Billy Keg said…
If it hasn't already been done, it behooves the owners/contributors of this blog site to send ALL damning material to the Newark, NJ board of education (or whatever title they go by) that will show what a less-than-honest, uncaring, money grubbing person MGJ really is...

Now is your chance for "revenge" and to really make a difference in what a superintendent should really be when it comes to leadership of a huge school district...

Remember, this district was warned by the school district MGJ left in tatters prior to when she was selected to "lead" this school district...

Continue to "raise the red flag" about this person - it can only help; not hurt...

[Nice WV today "holdem"]
Anonymous said…
Who appoints that board?

Isn't the mayor there (Cory ??) the young black man featured on that "Brick City" reality TV show?

If someone can find an email address for him, we should all mount a campaign to truly daylight her leadership traits.
KG said…
Another Reject on the move!!!
What else can be said?
Captain, I do intend to write to the Newark Board of Education (as well as others). But it will have nothing to do with revenge. She didn't do me wrong; she did an entire city and district wrong.

Writing to the education powers in Newark about her is just a civic duty.
Michael H said…
I wonder if a small business program will just pop-up in Newark schools if she gets the job. Wouldn't that be interesting....
Paul said…
Its Cory Booker but I am not yet able to find an emali address for him.

Its not about revenge, its (like Melissa said) a civic duty as now-enlightened members of society.

Those who learn nothing from the past are condemmed to continue repeating the same mistakes.

Might there be a spot there for Ron English?
anonymous said…
Wonder if she'll take Don Kennedy with her if she get the job?
another mom said…
This is not surprising to me one bit. Dr. G-J knew that she needed to move on and was out looking for a new job. She may have been a shoe-in for the Newark position had Pottergate not happened. Don't forget that the Board took great care to fire her without cause and some were quite complimentary of her work. Her firing without cause allows her invent the reasons or cover up the real reasons why she was let go. IMHO the Board knew she was out looking.
Anonymous said…
Nay, that ain't it. If she was seriously looking, than why didn't she resign instead of get terminated? Use the ole' "moving on to great opportunities" line?

Mr. Ed
another mom said…
Can't resign until another job is in the bag. Would love to look at her settlement and wonder if SPS is on the hook for her salary if she lands the Newark position. She was "circling the drain" here and she knew it.
KG said…
Melissa,

If she did the entire city and district wrong, were't you part of it so that, does not mean you were wronged? Just a thought.
lendlees said…
Didn't Mark Zuckerberg of FB fame pledge $1MM to Newark schools? Can't remember all of the details, but it had the 'aroma' of reform agenda to it. Might be why MGJ was in the running...
Anonymous said…
www.nps.k12.nj.us/228610611162437490/site/default.asp

Above is the link to the page for the "Advisory Board". In the left margin is a link for "board members", which opens a list of the nine board members. Each of the profiles of which contains that board member's e-mail address.

Have fun, folks!
someone said…
Mr. Booker's email address appears to be bookerc@ci.newark.nj.us

and wow - just totally wow - does beg the question if someone on the board knew she was thinking of leaving - did I mention wow?
someone said…
Oh and yes - Zuckerberg pledged $100 million to the district - they are due to get the first million for "five new alternative high schools" this month - see for more info:

Newark Schools to Receive First $1 Million of Zuckerberg Gift
http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/news/story.jhtml?id=335500009
Anonymous said…
In October 2010, there was a Council of Great City Schools Conference - there's a joint presentation from Newark Public Schools and Seattle Public Schools in conjunction with UW College of Education.

How weird that wv says "mated."
suep. said…
Here's the contact info for the New Jersey Advisory School Board (and my latest post on this: Seattle’s Fired Superintendent, Maria Goodloe-Johnson, on the short list for Newark School District’s top spot: Seattle says Huh??? — and Heads-up!)

The Goodloe-Zuckerberg combo does indeed sound like a recipe for sabotage for poor Newark.

-- Sue p.

Mr. Shavar Jeffries

Advisory Board Chairperson

SJeffries@nps.k12.nj.us

Ms. Barbara King

Advisory Board Vice-Chairperson

baking@nps.k12.nj.us

Mr. Ivan Lamourt

Advisory Board Member

ILamourt@nps.k12.nj.us

Mr. Marques-Aquil Lewis

Advisory Board Member

MALewis@nps.k12.nj.us

Ms. Eliana Pintor

Advisory Board Member

EPintor@nps.k12.nj.us

Mr. Juan Rivera

Advisory Board Member

JRivera@nps.k12.nj.us

Ms. Arelis Romero

Advisory Board Member

ARomero@nps.k12.nj.us

Ms. Shanique L. Davis-Speight

Advisory Board Member

sldavis@nps.k12.nj.us

Ms. Nakia J. White

Advisory Board Member

NJWhite@nps.k12.nj.us

Suliat Oyinda Olusyana

Student Board Member

(Suliat doesn’t have a contact e-mail, but what a great idea to have a student representative on the school board! Something Seattle should consider.)
Cap'n Billy Keg said…
Good for you, Melissa (and Paul) - please note that revenge was in quotes, so you can take it for what it's worth... Really doesn't matter what it's called, just as long as the word is put out there...

In addition to getting the word out, I hear there are some people looking for good people to run for board positions - what say ye...?

From the intellect swashbuckled around on this blog, I'd say there are probably more than a few of ye who would qualify for a board position...
Noam said…
Oh to be a fly on Fred Stephens' wall when this deal was cooked up, huh?

The surprising thing is that although I disagree with him on everything else, that Governor Christie has capped local school superintendent salaries which is what we need here. She would only go there on her way (way) down the food chain.

Here in places like Seattle, we furlough k-12 employees and lay them off just to cover the severence pay for our mistakes.

Go figure.

And we're progressive?

Maybe for the likes of MGJ/DK.
seattle citizen said…
Someone needs to find out when she started talking to Newark, and who on the board knew she was not long for this (Seattle) world because she was out looking for other work.

If she gets hired there, she would draw that salary while at the same time deprive Seattle of three teachers for one year by drawing a year's salary from here, too.

Nice work if you can get it.
Wouldn't it be nice said…
Superintendents usually vest in pension plans soon after hiring.

At this point, MGJ will probably get pension from S. Carolina and Seattle.

This argument is often used to explain why Superintendents don't stick around.
Anonymous said…
http://dilbert.com/strips/comic/2000-04-17/

It is too bad that MGJ is en route to fulfilling this famous Dilbert cartoon I recalled from years ago.

Get fired enough times with great severance packages and can retire.
In disbelief said…
A recent article from Huffington Post:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/22/newarks-underperforming-schools-new-leader_n_852733.html

In White Bradley’s eyes [founder and head of Newark Legacy Charter School], an ideal superintendent would be simultaneously reform-minded and politically savvy -- and care about the city.
dan dempsey said…
Here is an NJ Blog....

New Jersey Left Behind

Ya'll might wish to leave a comment
Anonymous said…
A write-up of Jean-Claude Brizard (Broad graduate, Newark contender, and now taking position in Chicago), sounds eerily like MGJ.

http://www.susanohanian.org/show_outrages.php?id=9665

Can Rochester, N.Y., superintendent Jean-Claude Brizard (left) pad a payroll? Skirt the rules? Spend frivolously? Distort statistics to make himself look good? Infuriate his constituents with a high-handed style?

Check, check, check, check and check.

...And best — or worst, according to his critics — he played fast and loose with the high-school graduation data that some are touting as his major credential.

...Rochester has seen teacher dissatisfaction with Brizard polling at around 90 percent in surveys.

..."He fell on his face," said Jacobs when I asked him for a summation. "He lacks people skills."

Brizard "didn't listen to parents and didn't like being challenged," said Hilary Appelman, who has two students in the Rochester schools and runs the Flower City Parents Network


Sound familiar? Well, if that's what they're looking for in Newark...

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