n Special Edition – March 26, 2013
E-News Special Report
Board of Education to Continue Superintendent Search
Dear Valued Community Member,
As reported in the Columbus Dispatch, Mayor Michael Coleman recently held a press event wherein he demanded the Columbus Board of Education cease its search for a new superintendent to replace Gene T. Harris, Ph.D., who retires at the end of the current school year. Please know that the Board of Education is committed to fulfilling the responsibilities bestowed upon it by the citizens who democratically elected school board members, including the recruitment and selection of a Superintendent/CEO. For your convenience, I have included a guest editorial submitted by myself and published by the Dispatch that outlines the Board's position on this critically important issue.
While I appreciate the mayor's interest in the education of our District's children, I believe it is critically important that the Superintendent/CEO search process be allowed to proceed unhindered by the political motivations of a select few. From the beginning, the search process has been open and transparent; in fact, the Board never received feedback from the community suggesting that an interim superintendent was preferable to immediately finding a strong, visionary leader to help take Columbus City Schools into the future. Many of the voices now arguing against hiring a Superintendent/CEO are the same as those pushing an agenda through the Columbus Education Commission that would rob you of your right to vote for school board members. Such attempts do not demonstrate a willingness to "stack hands" and work together for the improvement of our children's academic opportunities.
Rather than issuing ultimatums or threats of intimidation, true collaboration and partnership means working together. It is not too late, the search process can still be effective and the Board stands ready to partner with the mayor. Instead of scaring off potential leaders with public posturing, the Mayor and Commission could work with the Board of Education to invite and embrace innovative leaders with an interest in serving our District's students, parents, staff and taxpayers.
Thank you for your continued interest in Columbus City Schools.
Sincerely,
Carol L. Perkins
President, Columbus Board of Education
3/12/13 Carol Perkins commentary: Kids must come first, so search will go on | The Columbus Dispatch www.dispatch.com/content/stories/editorials/2013/03/10/kids-must-come-first-so-search-will-go-on.html 1/2
Carol Perkins commentary: Kids must come first, so search will go on
This has been a difficult time in the Columbus City Schools' history, and a time when we as an organization and as publicly elected leaders have had to confront several internal and external challenges.
Though we will absolutely not allow these challenges to go unchecked or unresolved, we also cannot allow them to distract us from our mission: "To ensure that each student is highly educated, prepared for leadership and service, and empowered for success as a citizen in a global community."
I assure the Columbus community that each of us on the Board of Education takes our responsibility of providing oversight of Columbus City Schools very seriously. We understand and accept without reservation the responsibility that comes with being publicly elected members of this board, and we realize the trust that the voters placed in us when they elected us into this office.
While we as board members have differences in our philosophies, perspectives and approaches to potential solutions, we stand as one body in our commitment to the children of Columbus and to the Columbus community as a whole.
This commitment is the sole reason the board believes we cannot delay the hiring of a new superintendent/CEO. The task of recruiting and selecting a highly qualified, visionary leader to build upon the foundation laid by Gene Harris represents the most important decision the board has to make as we look to the school district's future.
Moving forward with the superintendent search is in no way a "snub" to Mayor Michael B. Coleman or his Education Commission, as a recent Dispatch headline indicated. Attracting and hiring a great superintendent/CEO is our job. To do otherwise would be a snub of our electorate, our students, parents, staff and taxpayers who deserve a sense of stability, the opportunity to heal and a path forward for Columbus City Schools.
While we can appreciate Mayor Coleman and his Education Commission's desire to seek an interim superintendent/CEO rather than a permanent replacement, the board and the school district cannot afford to tread water waiting for an indefinite period of time.
Quite simply, we seek a change agent willing to engage the community, build partnerships and identify innovative and effective methods for managing the district's resources and delivering quality instruction to every student.
Visionary leaders are visionary leaders, regardless of the commission's recommendations or the other political interests at play. Our next superintendent/CEO must be able to collaborate with a wide variety of stakeholders, including the Columbus Education Commission.
Let me be clear: The Columbus Board of Education is greatly appreciative of Mayor Coleman and the Columbus Education Commission. The community conversation and focus on education is critical for the future community conversation and focus on education is critical for the future success of Columbus City Schools. We are willing partners. However, the board is concerned about the commission's interest in the future governance of the school district, as we firmly believe that our voters should determine who will represent their interests.
This is not paranoia; this is the commission's agenda. The Columbus Education Commission is scheduled to discuss the topic at its March 21 meeting.
Standing up for the rights of residents to vote for a democratically elected school board is not "small"; it is fundamental. We look forward to the recommendations of the commission, but make no mistake that any recommendation that takes away the right of our district's residents to elect school-board members to manage the resources and operations of the district is non-negotiable.
Issues such as these serve as a distraction and create discord, negatively affecting both the Board of Education and the Columbus Education Commission. This potential distraction is why the board has sought clarification from the mayor and the commission regarding their desired role in the future governance of our schools. These issues, combined with the ongoing attendance-data investigation, could have a chilling effect on the board's ability to attract the best possible candidates for the next superintendent.
The board, Mayor Coleman and the Columbus Education Commission can take the steps to help potential candidates overcome that uncertainty. If we work together to project excitement and community support for the next superintendent, then we should be able to attract leaders who have the skills, experience, knowledge and vision necessary to manage a district of great complexity — and a district with a great potential for success.
Carol Perkins is president of the Columbus Board of Education
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