Seattle School Board Moves to Install Nyland Permanently
Talk about on the downlow. Talk about shady.
Embedded in the School Board agenda for next Wednesday, Dec.3 - for Intro and Action via Sharon Peaslee and Ron English - is this:
Embedded in the School Board agenda for next Wednesday, Dec.3 - for Intro and Action via Sharon Peaslee and Ron English - is this:
This action will authorize the Board President to negotiate a contract with Dr. Larry Nyland for
the office of Superintendent. Selection of the chief executive officer of the District is a policy
decision by the School Board. Per RCW 28A.330.100, the Board shall have the power to
employ a superintendent of schools of the district.
Wait a minute. If Nyland is so experienced, then the district IS in good hands until we go thru the process of vetting a new superintendent. It doesn't have to cost a lot of money if it stays regional.
If anyone raises the ghost of Enfield -"look how we lost her" - that's also nonsense. She left because she wanted to (and for personal reasons as well). How's Highline doing under the superintendent we lost? Not swimmingly.
To explain, the past two days the Board has met, in Executive Session, over this matter. We were NOT told this was the matter before them; we had to guess.
They were to have an OPEN Committee of the Whole yesterday after the conclusion of day two of their Executive Session; that did NOT happen.
The reasoning? Well, in the Action Item, it's just his resume. NOT a single thing he has done for SPS. He claimed, in his State of the District speech, that he was putting forth a 100-day Communications plan. So where's the beef on that? Nowhere.
The one clear thing he did do? Did not follow Board policy from the get-go and signed a huge Gates Foundation grant NOT related to the core mission of SPS. As Charlie said:
I move that the School Board authorize the Board President:
1) To offer the position of Superintendent to Dr. Larry Nyland;
2) To negotiate an employment contract with Dr. Larry Nyland for the position of Superintendent through June 30, 2017; and
3) To present the completed contract to the School Board for approval at the January 7, 2015 Board meeting.
Immediate action is in the best interest of the District.
What's the alternative?
1) To offer the position of Superintendent to Dr. Larry Nyland;
2) To negotiate an employment contract with Dr. Larry Nyland for the position of Superintendent through June 30, 2017; and
3) To present the completed contract to the School Board for approval at the January 7, 2015 Board meeting.
Immediate action is in the best interest of the District.
What's the alternative?
Do not offer the Superintendent contract to Dr. Nyland. A search for a permanent
superintendent will take several months, and utilize valuable district resources and funds.
Wait a minute. If Nyland is so experienced, then the district IS in good hands until we go thru the process of vetting a new superintendent. It doesn't have to cost a lot of money if it stays regional.
If anyone raises the ghost of Enfield -"look how we lost her" - that's also nonsense. She left because she wanted to (and for personal reasons as well). How's Highline doing under the superintendent we lost? Not swimmingly.
To explain, the past two days the Board has met, in Executive Session, over this matter. We were NOT told this was the matter before them; we had to guess.
They were to have an OPEN Committee of the Whole yesterday after the conclusion of day two of their Executive Session; that did NOT happen.
The reasoning? Well, in the Action Item, it's just his resume. NOT a single thing he has done for SPS. He claimed, in his State of the District speech, that he was putting forth a 100-day Communications plan. So where's the beef on that? Nowhere.
The one clear thing he did do? Did not follow Board policy from the get-go and signed a huge Gates Foundation grant NOT related to the core mission of SPS. As Charlie said:
The Board voted to accept a grant at Mr. Nyland's first Board meeting. The BAR for that motion clearly stated this policy requirement.
Moreover, Mr. Nyland had been superintendent for two months when he signed the Gates grant contract, which was plenty of time for him to read the Board policies, particularly those that describe the scope and limits of his authority.
Sorry folks but I call - and publicly - bullshit. I have NO idea what is going on but to do this with ZERO public notice or discussion under NO emergency situation is nonsense.
The Board MUST hear that this is ridiculous and they must vote no.
Please take the time this weekend to make your voice heard:
sharon.peaslee@seattleschools.org
harium.martin-morris@seattleschools.org
sue.peters@seattleschools.org
marty.mclaren@seattleschools.org
betty.patu@seattleschools.org
sherry.carr@seattleschools.org
stephan.blanford@seattleschools.org
Comments
The public deserves to know whether or not Nyland has signed any papers related to the city and Seattle Public School's prek program before he is hired.
If there is any wrong doing or lack of transparency...Nyland should not be hired.
I know any mention of the Gates Foundation sends many ideologues up the wall but Dr. Nyland actually has a record that suggests that he might be quite good at the job.
I have no idea how the Gates Foundation matches up with Dr. Nyland's record but do tell the rest of us what you know.
And fyi, this is underhanded whether you support Dr. Nyland or not.
Do a search. It can't hurt. If the search reveals Nyland really is the best person for the job, great. This is too important to just rubber stamp him after two uneven months - and especially after a very serious financial failure on his part.
IF the rumors are true and SpED Director Z Wiliiams (?) was discharged for contracting violations, then the Board and SPS counsel has handed her and her lawyers a significant cudgel/sword - the understanding and adherence to contracting policies is not an "across the board" policy. No pun intended.
In other words, it's okay if the Interim Supt. does it, but not others - a significant piece of evidence her lawyers can establish inexpensively in depositions or sworn requests for admissions in a month. If SEA, PASS and the other unions have grievances and litigation pending on behalf of their members for policy violations, this will indeed be interesting. Potentially very shortsighted and expensive.
What's the emergency here? What was the Interim Supt's evaluation results (to be done in 45 days according to his contract)?
His contract specifically says he can APPLY for the permanent position.
Public engagement? None.
How does this build trust to the public to pass levies and bonds - funds this district desperately needs.
Transparency, trust, campaign promises?????
We'll see.
Leslie
DistrictWatcher
If Melissa calls bull$hit and uses that word, something’s beyond rotten in Denmark. Gird your loins, folks- $hit is about to get real.
Thank you, Melissa, for once again sounding the alarm.
Now this supposedly 'good' board is pulling a move the Gang of Four didn't dare. At least they did a search.
Might as well have kept the Gang of Four and Enfield and saved us all 2 years of drama if this is the end result. So much for this blog's board recommendations. So disheartened.
I've learned through this blog to count board votes and if Peaslee is introducing the measure this is a done deal.
Longtime watcher
The last item on the agenda: Executive Session: To consider the selection of a site or the acquisition of real
estate – This closed session will begin at the conclusion of the regular Board meeting and last approximately forty-five minutes. The legislative session will not reconvene after the executive session, and no action will be taken as a result of the executive session.
Bidding on the federal building opens on December 5th.
We know Nyland signed an agreement with Gates prior to board approval.
I's say: If Nyland signed an agreement with the city and didn't get board approval, he has to go.
There is no urgency. The reason for introduction and action at one meeting is to diminish public comment.
Let's remember that the reason for introduction of motions at one meeting and action on the motion at a subsequent meeting is to allow for public review, input, and comment. Therefore, in the absence of any real urgency, the only reason to take away that time gap is to suppress public review, input, and comment.
SPS's superintendents since Stanford have run the gamut from decent to incompetent to rule-breaking. Only a few years ago SPS fired its own superintendent over mismanaging funds. Nyland has already...managed to violate major district policy. The Board knew about that. Are they trying to run the district into the ground?
It is hard to discern who EXACTLY would be for this but I suspect the two middle people are Peaslee and McLaren. And I am very disappointed.
If this had at least been an Intro item, maybe. But that it is Intro/Action (which again, is for emergencies and given no press release on the need for this urgency, then no), I feel it is a grave disservice.
I have let other media types know as I'm sure none of them look at the agenda. Let's see the Times spin this one.
Longtime, you're right - I often get fooled by what people say during election time and what they do. That said, I never expected or said any four people would always vote in lockstep.
Enfield? Not doing so great in Highline.
Lynn, in my haste last night, I left out that item. Yes, it appears the district will be bidding on the Federal Reserve building. Again, no dollars so I expect to see some BEX IV project slowed down because of it. I don't know where else they could get the funds unless - gasp! - some downtown entity suddenly felt generous.
"Are they trying to run the district into the ground?"
Some of them are. It helps the Mayor's case.
Liars and hypocrites that they are, they will ignore, as if it had never existed, their constant (and admirable) beating of the drum for openness and transparency in government.
I hate the "Seattle process" as much as the next citizen, but I hate railroad jobs far worse. This is a railroad job, plain and simple, and our message needs to be only this: No railroad jobs.
Demonstrators should pack the Board meeting Wednesday night armed with toy train whistles. Toys R Us stocks them.
-- Ivan Weiss
I hope that there are some wiser minds on the Board who will not let this, as Ivan accurately calls it, "railroad job" move forward.
I have seriously lost all respect for Director Peaslee - talk about co-opted!
reader47
Questionable motives, secret agendas, and ongoing general incompetence continue at the district level. Whether it's changing the Board or school governance as a whole, big changes need to be made. It's not hard to see why all options should be on the table.
Adam
Absolutely shameful.
I agree. There must be an investigation around this issue. It does NOT make sense that an experienced superintendent would sign a grant for $750K without board approval. We need to know whether or not Nyland had legal counsel on this issue, too. Who was in the room with Nyland and what advice did he receive?
The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior and this issue must be explored before hiring Nyland.
Let's just move on.
How much difference does he/a super really make anyways? At best, they are irrelevant... like Banda was. Banda's contribution to our kids for the all the cash we forked over to him? Nothing, unless you count the damage done to SpEd programs through neglect, and, the capacity crisis that worsened on his watch. "And the band played on" comes to mind.
Nyland is bad news. He'll treat the Board/Us as an 'after thought'; witness preschool (umh, mandate?), witness signing a grant without approval to do so (oops, his mae culpa, "who knew", umh, you should, dude; you've been at this for 20 years), witness the play for the $53 million downtown property without any analysis. Scary.
I would rather have Phil Brockman back. He knows and cares about kids. Yeah, "kids", the widgets in the system. He already gets Seattle and what the worst problems are and who the players are (the good, the bad, and the ugly -- he would clean house, and, put the $ back into the schools, not the fiefdom of the JSCEE).
This is so wrong. Hiring Nyland after 3 major mistakes in 2 months? Peaslee wants him because she is confident she can control him.
SCARED and SCARRED
HalfFull
Interesting article in the Seattle Times.
Article indicates that Nyland wants to "change course" with special ed. What does this mean?
http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2025118070_nylandpermanentxml.html
"Board President Sharon Peaslee declined to comment Thursday on whether the proposal to hire Nyland has the support of a majority of the board, saying, “I would never venture to predict how my colleagues are going to vote.”
She would not discuss how the idea of hiring Nyland as the permanent superintendent came about, because, she said, those conversations took place in executive session."
Odd.
In fact, the committee meeting I was sitting in, the discussion was very detailed so I don't think it was for show.
I think something has changed and marching orders have been given.
AnneS
It is almost December, and she hasn't held a single community meeting for the 2014-15 school year. It doesn't surprise me that she would attempt to pull off something like this, an intro/action item, with no community input.
Parents are pleading for more transparency in SPS. If Dr. Nyland had simply directed his staff to resume the posting of monthly enrollment data, then I would think we were headed in the right direction with him at the helm. Instead, we have continued secrecy when it comes to enrollment numbers, contracts being signed in advance of Board votes, apparent favoritism when it comes to school staffing/funding, and underhanded moves like this one coming from Director Peaslee.
The Board should do a search, even if just a regional one. If Dr. Nyland emerges as the best candidate, then great! The only downfside would be Director Peaslee's inevitable "I told you so" smugness, and a lecture during Board Comments, where she chastises the greater SPS community for wasting the Board's time and SPS resources on a search.
- reality check
I suspect this will be Nyland's guiding document; a report from OSPI to the governor:
http://www.governor.wa.gov/oeo/reports/SpecialEdTaskForce%20Report_Nov2014.pdf
Peaslee's leadership is horrendous- at best. Did she make a deal to push bell times in exchange for a ram through hiring of the superintendent?
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20140810/NEWS01/140819955
--Michael
I wish we could get her recalled, it's does seem like she has been getting preferential placements for her own add in refusing to meet with her own constituents is grounds for a recall.
I would recommend other members distant themselves from her "Peters" are you reading this.
--Michael
So can this takeover be stopped or was follow themoney correct by writing it's a done deal?
CT
Done deal? No, it's not a done deal. But if you don't want it to happen, you can't sit on your hands.
Why would anyone complain about a city that at least attempts to hear from as broad a spectrum of people as possible when it comes to public policy decisions.
What are you missing? Speed? Hyperactivity? Closed door proceedings? "Efficiency"? Or do you just like to criticize whatever appears to be the dominant way of doing things, no matter where you currently live?
Or are you one of those people who just assumes that if it's "the government", then it MUST "be wrong!"
I think that's called reactionary.
So what's your recommended alternative, people to the supposedly ubiquitous and highly dislikable "Seattle Process?" Fascism?
I come from a part of the country where the so-called "Seattle Process" never enters the minds of the criminally corrupt, cynical and "connected" crooks crush communities completely.
You don't know what you've got, people, until you lose it.
What IS most troubling about this is the lack of public notice and input. And if you want to see less of this behavior in high places, in the future, demand more of that so-called "Seattle Process".
I only wish the "Seattle Process" was spoken of with pride and solid support instead of dismissed with such sardonic words and gestures.
My ONLY problem with what some folks have called the "Seattle Process" is that I wish it were as widespread and prevalent as some people claim.
If I have any complaints, it's that I wish we could see a lot more of it...here in Seattle.