Dennis Schapiro wrote: > Here's another link: > http://www.komotv.com/stories/27634.htm
> That article (about a week after the link Mr. Mork noted) describes > how the the third of four finalists pulled out of Seattle > superintendent search, in all probability because of the process. All > four finalists were publicly flailed by a citzens advisory group. > > Perhaps $50 to $80k spent on a search with no result other than a > reputation that will make it hard to get others to apply if the search > is reopened. (New Superintendent Raj Manhas got only a short-term > contract, as I understand it, and was never part of a public search > process.) > > Manhas, by the way, is a non-educator (a former banker, I believe). > > There is obviously lots of room to debate about where on the continuum > from "elected representatives deciding independently" to a "community > plebiscite" the superintendent decision should fall. I expect we'll > have that debate in coming weeks. > > Seattle may come out fine, but the process doesn't look like a perfect > model to me. So? Is this an argument for not having a public process and community input? As a number of people have inferred about Mr. Jennings: If you can't stand the heat, don't step into the fire. It's not going to be all that different of a situation than standing by the reforms that need to be made (of course the Board isn't interested in making any real reforms anyway). Besides, there's no way for us to know what the inside politics of these processes are. The other candidates in Seattle could of dropped out because they determined that Board was leaning towards a particular person. Here in Minneapolis we'll never know if you asked Mr. Jennings to step down or if he made the decision on his own. What we do know is that you and other Board members should have anticipated the opposition and taken steps to minimize the public outcry. Appointing the Board's only Black member to negotiate a contract was not sufficient. I think that this fiasco says a lot about the ability of this School Board to oversee the Public Schools in Minneapolis. Michael Atherton Prospect Park REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
