Watch the Superintendent Interviews as Often As You Want
You can watch the videos of the Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson and Dr. Gregory Thornton interviews whenever you want and as often as you want. They are posted on the Seattle Channel website at: http://www.seattlechannel.org/issues/seattlePublicSchools.asp
As you can tell from reading the blog posts and comments, depending upon what people are looking for in a superintendent and what people's own filters/biases are, their reaction is very different to the two candidates.
I'm going to try to watch both interviews again, informed by the comments and reactions of others, to see whether or not my opinions change.
And, as Mel Westbrook mentioned earlier, if you watch the interviews, please fill out the Board survey at http://www.seattleschools.org/area/main/supsearchfeedback.xml.
As you can tell from reading the blog posts and comments, depending upon what people are looking for in a superintendent and what people's own filters/biases are, their reaction is very different to the two candidates.
I'm going to try to watch both interviews again, informed by the comments and reactions of others, to see whether or not my opinions change.
And, as Mel Westbrook mentioned earlier, if you watch the interviews, please fill out the Board survey at http://www.seattleschools.org/area/main/supsearchfeedback.xml.
Comments
I cannot muster the necessary interest or enthusiasm to complete the online survey.
I don't feel at all connected to the Superintendent search, I don't care what they say in the interviews or community meetings, and I don't think any input that I might offer would make any difference.
The Board is going to select whoever they are going to select and that person is going to do whatever he or she is going to do. The new Superintendent won't be under any obligation to do any of the stuff he or she talks about before getting the job and, if the actions of recent Superintendents are any guide, the new Superintendent won't be under any obligation to do the stuff he or she says they will do even after they get the job.
Not that I wouldn't like it if our Superintendents had to keep their word or were held accountable, but the fact is that our School District's governance is such that there are very few - if any - restraints on the Superintendent's authority and no way for the Board to effectively manage their only employee.
So who these candidates pretend to be right now is all but meaningless. This is how they make themselves appear in their personals ad. What is important is who the new Superintendent will actually be and how the new Superintendent will actually act.
Seriously, the point you are making is very important and valid. But, because I believe the selection of the superintendent is crucial for our district, I am interested enough to watch and re-watch (or more accurately listen to) these interviews.
On the other hand, I'm not really under any illusion that my opinion about the choice of candidate will make a difference. So why do I bother? I guess I just can't help myself.
I try not to indulge in either optimism or pessimism, both of which are delusions.
I accept the uncertanties of life and the peculiar uncertanties of human endeavors.
I try my best to work the elements that are within my control, to accept those outside my control, and to calmly distinguish between them.
When I trim away all of the elements of this Superintendent search that are outside my ability to influence, I find nothing.
When I trim away all of the elements of this Superintendent selection that represent bankable commitments, I find nothing.
On the whole, it seems to me that Dr. Thornton would be the better choice because he is a better communicator and politician, which is what the job is really about.
The Superintendent needs to be out selling the District to philanthropists and to families. That's not a job for a bureaucrat.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: I would much rather that the Board were appointed and we voted for the Superintendent than the other way around. The Superintendent is the one with all of the authority. The Board has no real control over the Superintendent. The Board are amateurs and volunteers. They should be limited to an oversight role in which they only confirm that the Superintendent's actions do not violate state or federal laws or a short list of District Policies.