A Blog from Charleston about the Superintendent
This is a link to a blog that appears in the Post-Courier in Charleston.
Tuesday Open Thread
The speaker list is up for the Board meeting tomorrow; not as packed as I thought with just four people on the waitlist. The majority of the speakers are speaking on high school boundaries (with several wanting to talk about Ballard High). There are only three of us speaking about the Green Dot resolution asking the City to not grant the zoning departures that Green Dot has requested. It's me, long-time watchdog, Chris Jackins, and the head of the Washington State Charter Schools Association, Patrick D'Amelio. (I knew Mr. D'Amelio when he headed the Alliance for Education and Big Brothers and Big Sisters; he's a stand-up guy.)
Comments
I haven't seen or heard anything that hasn't made me feel like we haven't jumped from the frying pan to the fire.
Another superintendent given an expensive contract by an outgoing board?
from your link
Just catching up on the amazing number of posts on this blog. I have to say about Dr. G-J, as a person who lived in Corpus Christi, Texas AND Charleston, SC during her tenures in BOTH cities...
Seattle: My heart weeps for thee.
from the Charlestong blog.
Are we counting our chickens too soon? The meeting to discuss Goodloe-Johnson's replacement today was canceled. It seems contract negotiations with her future employers in Seattle have stalled over details. Nancy Cook as CCSD board chairman reported in today's P&C that Goodloe-Johnson hasn't even submitted a formal resignation letter yet! Oh, crap!
I only hope there's something in it that allows the Board to actually manage the Superintendent. I doubt it, but I can hope.
There's no shortage of opinion or criticism about her style and performance. Goodloe-Johnson says she's more concerned about kids and not about adults and their "adult" problems.
What does it mean to be more concerned about kids- than adults?
Does this mean that she is going wangle with the union?
Does this mean she is going to limit parent choice and participation in schools?
I just find it hard to believe she can be so standoffish/not a good team player with parents and get this far in her career. Something just doesn't add up.
First, it isn't recognized as a valuable skill.
Second, it is misinterpreted as resolve, when it is often just pigheadedness.
Third, Boards and other administrators like people who "stand up to the public" as if the public were some special interest. They are regarded as decisive.
What I read from that (and her other comments) is that whenever she wants to get out of sticky situation she references working for the kids rather than addressing the issue at hand. (You might remember that this "it's for the kids" attitude is what, according to the Moss-Adams report, got us into financial trouble as staff used it as a excuse to not follow rules and protocol for spending.)
Also, Dr. Goodloe-Johnson can't count on people going away just because she doesn't agree with them. I thought that an odd statement for someone who is going to have to deal with many types of people with differing interests, some of which she might not share but would need to acknowledge as valid issues.