Superintendent search: Ann Arbor school board to determine next step
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The Ann Arbor Board of Education meets at 4 p.m. Wednesday to discuss new options for filling the district's vacant superintendent position, and AnnArbor.com will be covering it live.
The board has been forced to regroup and consider some Plan B alternatives, after its first choice for filling the leadership role, South Orange-Maplewood School District Superintendent Brian Osborne, declined the board's job offer Saturday.
Osborne left the board waiting for an answer for a little more than a week, while he weighed the possibility of moving from New Jersey to Ann Arbor with his family. In a statement he released Sunday about his reasons for declining the superintendency, Osborne cited an ailing family member, concerns about moving his young children and a desire to finish what he started at his district in New Jersey.
The meeting, which is being conducted in the Balas Administration Building's Main Conference Room, 2555 S. State St., will get underway shortly. Follow along in the live blog below.
Danielle Arndt covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. Follow her on Twitter @DanielleArndt or email her at daniellearndt@annarbor.com.
Comments
kuriooo
Thu, Aug 1, 2013 : 2:40 a.m.
I don't have a problem with them offering Swift the job. I think that "grit" that was mentioned is going to carry her a long way, and she'll be able to 'get things done' that someone with less motivation will not. I don't think it's a good idea to wait and hire an interim. We need to move the district forward, and it seems that an interim is going to be putting off the painful decisions like re-districting for a later year...
Bill
Thu, Aug 1, 2013 : 1:44 a.m.
Thanks to Danielle for providing this coverage.
A2anon
Thu, Aug 1, 2013 : 12:52 a.m.
Thank you, Danielle. You provide a wonderful, objective live blog. It's fantastic.
David Cahill
Wed, Jul 31, 2013 : 10:18 p.m.
A 4-3 vote offering the position to the second choice is not a good sign.
a2xarob
Wed, Jul 31, 2013 : 10:02 p.m.
The decision to offer Swift the position is made. Let's get behind her and give her the support she needs to do the job. I think Greene did not do well here in part because she never had the full support of some of the board, nor of the community, because of the salary the board saddled her with. I hope the negativity of some does not turn Swift against taking the position too. I agree we need to get a "permanent" super in place asap and start tackling the issues that face us.
a2xarob
Wed, Jul 31, 2013 : 9:55 p.m.
But in response to previous articles, many citizen commenters have said they felt we had two excellent candidates in Osborne and Swift, that they would be comfortable with either of them. And the board had previously said that because we had more than one excellent candidate, they would want to go further down the line if the first candidate turned them down. It seems that the majority four here are simply moving on what had been agreed upon previously.
West Side Mom
Wed, Jul 31, 2013 : 9:53 p.m.
You would think with a decision as important as this one that the President of the BOE would not have cast the vote that hired a SI over the serious concerns of her colleagues of an equal number of her colleagues. This is a decision that only should have been made with unanimous or near unanimous support.
DonBee
Wed, Jul 31, 2013 : 9:53 p.m.
I hope they offer her a 1 year contract with option years or a contract without a zero cost buyout. With a 4-3 vote and the community poll she is going to have a rough time. Then add the fact that her career has focused on curriculum, not the finance side. I hope this does not make Dr. Flye decide to look elsewhere.
West Side Mom
Wed, Jul 31, 2013 : 9:55 p.m.
Sensible suggestion given the 4-3 vote.
West Side Mom
Wed, Jul 31, 2013 : 9:51 p.m.
Swift did not impress. That was clear from the AA.com survey. She and Osborne were no where near close. Thank you Trustee Stead for your willingness to do the hard work of leading. I fear we are in for another around of Dr. Green, only this time we get someone who has zero experience leading a district.
aaparent
Wed, Jul 31, 2013 : 9:47 p.m.
@A2.com - thank you for the live blog. My take on reading this is that this meeting was essentially a done deal before it started. The plan seems to be a set up with Deb Mexicotte, Nelson, Patalan gushing over Swift now. Unlike Osborne, it seems Swift will say yes. She will fit right in. The board process is really a farce. I don't support the recall, but I am really disappointed at the clear push from Mexicotte, Nelson, Patalan and Thomas to just move to Swift and get this over and done with. If Swift says yes, I hope she can succeed and that when she gives some motivational speech at opening day, we don't have our top teachers in the audience forcing themselves to not roll their eyes and gear up for working hard to help kids daily while they have little confidence in the leadership of this district. I commend the three trustees who voted No
Momma G
Wed, Jul 31, 2013 : 10:22 p.m.
I agree but I'm praying she turns the offer down and they begin all over again and not with the "locals" they already voted against. The #1 local is so arrogant and in love with himself, that he should probably reconsider even his current position. There has to be someone out there who really wants to HELP AAPS get back to being the "great" district it was when Bill Wade was the person in charge of financial business. That's what AAPS really needs - a competent financial person to assist the SI.
Goober
Wed, Jul 31, 2013 : 9:46 p.m.
Oh my! Swift has no prior experience in this type of position and is weak on financial experience and depth. Yet, the AA BOE is going t o try to hire her as our next supt.? Go figure!
maizemama
Wed, Jul 31, 2013 : 9:43 p.m.
I hope, if they offer her the job, and she accepts, that people will try to get behind her rather than saddling her with Green's baggage. The board should show some leadership and get out in front telling people that they trust her and are excited about her.
aaparent
Wed, Jul 31, 2013 : 9:38 p.m.
5:36 p.m. Nelson says, let's do it. Let's ask Swift if she will Marry AAPS. 5:36:30 Patalan seconds it. Deb will be the wedding planner. Let's go. 5:37 Baskett says she doesn't agree, based on feedback from voters (the community) but she will support Swift and be a team player.
aaparent
Wed, Jul 31, 2013 : 9:34 p.m.
President Mexicotte -- What does it mean to say Swift is a "value-added proposition" She then goes on to say basically that she just loves Swift. She is high energy. She is good with advocacy. She has energy. She is warm. She doesn't mention that she can cook, but let's give her time. I think I see a marriage proposal coming round the bend!
aaparent
Wed, Jul 31, 2013 : 9:28 p.m.
adding that now re-reading the blog, I am glad Baskett is raising the idea of being careful about who is in the interim position and at least the dialogue as noted between Baskett and Stead about Comsa being an attorney (Baskett says it's a con, which I agree, given his salary and why did he decide to shift his career as a lawyer into Balas?) and Stead saying it's a pro to keep Comsa since he is "local" - which is certainly a stretch as a pro point, but at least Stead is not sharing with us how she feels at an emotional level and stays on a more logical thought progression. Can the trustees stop expressing their emotions or when the mike goes on, is this a pseudo therapy sessions to de-brief?
aaparent
Wed, Jul 31, 2013 : 9:24 p.m.
Donbee's points are dead on. Thank you A2.com for the live blog. Again without this live blog, we would have no idea what the quality of discussion is among our elected board members discussing this important issue So far, I read lip service to the idea of reflecting and learning from flaws in the process from Thomas, Patalan, Nelson and Mexicotte. Reflection involves critical thinking, not reflecting on one's own appearance in the mirror of the mind and saying "dang we look good." Lightfoot and Stead are trying to raise critical points. Good job trying to discuss pros and cons. I hear the majority of trustees saying: Hey the first item we ordered off the menu isn't available? I am hungry and sick of waiting around, let's hire Swift. At this point, the school community needs greater confidence in the selection process. Swift should turn down the offer or forever be viewed, as Lightfoot says, as the second choice.
maizemama
Wed, Jul 31, 2013 : 9:21 p.m.
Swift has shown good character by staying in contact and updating her plan. I am impressed.
aaparent
Wed, Jul 31, 2013 : 9:30 p.m.
I don't know if that is good character or persistence in expressing desire to get the job, the salary and perhaps leave her current job. I believe it shows Swift is eager, which is different than character, but I have no reason to doubt her character at all, only to question the lack of experience she has had in the #1 position and the fact that her background in curriculum is a skill staff says is well matched by our current dep. supt. for instruction Alesia Flye
LivCat
Wed, Jul 31, 2013 : 9:10 p.m.
Outside of a new super, filling positions (CFO) at Balas should be last on the list when there are still teachers on layoff.
GratefulReb
Wed, Jul 31, 2013 : 8:48 p.m.
How about getting a firm "yes" before the negotiations begin. AAPS had ZERO leverage once they told the world that Osborne was the one.
Nicholas Urfe
Wed, Jul 31, 2013 : 9:18 p.m.
Can you name any position, anywhere, where the candidates give a firm "yes" before the negotiations begin? You do realize that the interview process goes both ways? The candidate is just as much interviewing the board and the district. How can a candidate negotiate if they are bound by a firm "yes"? Why would a talented candidate ever constrain their bargaining by agreeing to something that is not yet defined?
DonBee
Wed, Jul 31, 2013 : 8:24 p.m.
Fundamental flaws in the process? 1) The advertisement was about Money, not about requirements. 2) The board built a list of softball questions and did not follow up on non-answers 3) The public survey was rigged to require 10 answers 4) The board did not set a timeline for getting to a contract 5) The board did not agree on a small set of metrics and requirements for the job 6) The board did not take the 60 submissions home and really vet them, rather they relied on Ray&Assoc. While AA.Com made it transparent, if the live blogs had not happened, it would have been non-transparent, since the board moved away from the rooms that have the ability to record and broadcast the meetings. It was only transparent because Ms. Arndt and Ms. Woodhouse made it so. Thank you annarbor.com!