The chutzpah of Dr. Barbara Pulliam

In Yiddish there's a word -- chutzpah -- that roughly translates as unmitigated gall, brass balls, selfish insensitivity. The dictionary genteelly defines it as "utter nerve, effrontery."

Well, tonight we have another definition:

Chutzpah = Dr. Barbara Pulliam

Yes, that Barbara Pulliam: the educator chosen on April 29 by the Racine Unified School Board to be its next superintendent, expected to start work on July 1. Except that on June 10, after more than five weeks of contract negotiations, she suddenly called Unified’s attorney Gib Berthelsen, to announce that she had taken another job.

Actually, she didn't even have the class to make that call herself; her attorney called Berthelsen.

Well, that was then, this is now. A week or so ago, we'd heard that things weren't going too well for Dr. Pulliam in Greene County, Georgia, where she hastily became interim superintendent, after the school board there bought out its existing superintendent after just one year of a three-year contract, and interviewed and hired her in the same week.

Actually, we heard two things: One, that she had quickly rescinded her predecessor's controversial plan to put all the district's children in uniforms, and in gender-specific classrooms; no mixing of the sexes. Second, we'd heard -- but didn't bother to verify since we really didn't give a darn and didn't write anything at the time -- that turnover among the school board that hired her is expected to replace her best friend on the board and others who'd supported her appointment. So her job -- paying $155,000 per year -- might be in jeopardy. Karma, we thought; what goes around, comes around.

The first point above we know is true; the second is still hearsay.

But what we now know as fact -- having confirmed it with a member of Unified's School Board -- is this:

Dr. Barbara Pulliam is willing to come to Racine after all!

Don't all stand up and cheer at once.

Yes, about two weeks ago, she called Gib Berthelson to let him know that she was willing to forgive and forget and come to Racine as superintendent; let bygones be bygones as it were. We don't know what went on in Gib's mind -- we can guess -- but we're told he said to Pulliam: "I'll tell the board, but don't make any travel plans."

As far as the board is concerned, "Thanks, but no thanks." LOL.

Meanwhile, the board hasn't yet voted whether to offer the superintendent's job to Dr. James Shaw, the UW-Madison professor who was here this week meeting with teachers, administrators, parents and the public, continuing his interview for the job. But at the same time, almost everyone sees such a vote as a formality; Shaw was very impressive. He's also the board's only candidate.

At least one school board member told me the only question is salary, and Shaw will be given a pay package comparable to superintendents in peer districts, probably about $170,000 plus benefits.

There's also the expectation that Shaw will be his own man, independent in many respects from the school board. For example, he is said to have told them already that the much-vaunted Quality District Model implemented by former Supt. Tom Hicks was OK -- twenty-five years ago!

Breaking News: Dr. Pulliam withdraws application for Unified superintendent

Dr. Pulliam at Golden Rondelle forum in April

Final, final update: The J-S reports the telling detail about Pulliam's decision. The Georgia district -- with just 2,100 students, one-tenth the size of Unified -- is paying her $155,000. Racine Unified started negotiations at $120,000. Could that be why the district is having a hard time attracting candidates? Here's how her hiring was announced in Georgia.

Final Update: The Greene County Board of Education voted unanimously tonight in Greenesboro, GA, to hire Barbara Pulliam as its superintendent, thus snatching her from the Racine Unified School District, whose board made a similar vote in April. She will be joining a district in turmoil, one that fired its superintendent last Wednesday, one year into a three-year contract, in a dispute over a plan to implement gender-separate classes.

She starts work there Monday.

According to a story on OnlineAthens, she interviewed with the board the same night it decided to fire Shawn McCollough last week.

Unified has been negotiating a contract with Pulliam since selecting her from a field of three finalists on April 29.

Not everyone in Greensboro is happy to have Pulliam. A Georgia state legislator, familiar with her previous district in Clayton, GA, "the worst school district in the South," he said, was quoted by the owner of the Greensboro newspaper in the Journal Times, saying: "If the captain of the Titanic had survived, and got another ship, would you like to be a passenger on his next voyage?"

And let us be the first to ask out loud: Does this mean we get our $37,000 back from PROACT Inc., the executive search firm that produced our superintendent candidates? Or just a discount on the next search?

Update: Here's an official statement from Tony Baumgardt:

The Racine Unified school board was notified last night, before its closed door session, by a phone call from Dr. Barbara Pulliam's attorney that she was withdrawing her application for the Superintendent position. The Board had every indication from Dr. Pulliam that she was coming to Racine, and her attorney did not give any reason for her withdrawal. The Board is surprised and disappointed that she will not be our next Superintendent.

The district will proceed immediately with a new search for a superintendent. Dr. Jack Parker, who has served as interim superintendent, will continue to provide leadership at least throughout the summer allowing the board time develop a plan for its next steps. We will keep the staff and community apprised of the process and the progress of the search for a new leader for the district.

Original post: Barbara Pulliam will not be Racine Unified School District's next superintendent. Pulliam withdrew her name for the job, according to an email sent to Unified teachers on Tuesday. She and the board had been negotiating a contract for more than a month, and she had been expected to start work here on July 1.

The school board was notified last night, before its closed door session, by a phone call from Pulliam's attorney.

Unified School Board President Tony Baumgardt said in an interview on WRJN this morning: "Every indication that we had from Dr. Pulliam was that she was coming to Racine. Something's happened and we honestly don't know what it is.

"Basically, the message we got from her attorney is that she's not in a position to call us. I don't know how to read into that. I really don't. I'm unsure.

"I'm actually very surprised and disappointed that she won't be coming to be our superintendent."

(Update: The Journal Times this afternoon quoted her attorney saying she found another superintendent's job that she prefers. “She simply found another offer a better fit for her and she took it,” said Joe Flynn, who represented Pulliam in her negotiations with Unified. “It’s unfortunate, but it is not unusual.”)

Baumgardt indicated the district probably would have to proceed with another interim superintendent. Dr. Jack Parker, who has served as interim superintendent since Dr. Tom Hicks' resignation last fall has said he is not interested in staying on longer. His contract ends June 30.

Pulliam was selected by the Racine Unified School Board to replace Hicks, who resigned under fire for his handling of district finances. The board voted 7-2 on April 29 to hire Pulliam. Dennis Wiser and Julie McKenna voted against her.

Pulliam, the former superintendent of Clayton County Public Schools in Jonesboro, Ga., was one of three finalists for the job. She never reached a contract with the School Board.

Pulliam did not return multiple calls to her cell phone Tuesday morning.

Past stories:

Pulliam's successor making $285,000

Statement by RUSD on hiring Pulliam

Wiser, McKenna: Why we voted 'no'

Grading Unified's superintendent finalists