The Racine Unified School Board voted unanimously Monday night to increase property taxes about 8 percent.
The district's tax levy next school year will be $75.9 million, up from $70.1 million this school year. The district's property tax rate will increase 8.7 percent to $7.85 per $1,000 of assessed property value. This school year's tax rate was $7.22 per $1,000 of assessed value.
Taxes on the average Racine home, worth about $124,700, will increase about $79.
"It's not as bad as we first thought," said Dave Hazen, Unified's finance officer, who presented the budget to the School Board Monday night.
Reductions in state aid led to the increase in local property taxes. The state budget approved this year reduced aid to Racine Unified by about $900,000. Based on previous state budgets, which had never cut school aid, the district had anticipated about a $6.1 million increase.
The Legislature, facing a multi-billion dollar deficit, voted to cut school aids and pass the costs on to local taxpayers. Unified responded at first by estimating a 12 percent increase in its property tax rate next year. The School Board directed staff to maintain the district's revenue cap authority - meaning, basically, raise as much money as allowed under state law - but lower the amount of money the district needs to raise from property taxpayers.
Staff came back with a plan that saved $5 million and used another $1.5 million from the district's fund balance. The district also benefited from some aid dollars that were higher than anticipated and an unexpected increase in student enrollment.
Unified got a surprising vote of confidence earlier this year when the Racine Taxpayers Association, which usually opposes tax increases, supported a 12 percent property tax increase to keep Unified fully funded.
Despite the increase in the district's tax levy, Racine Unified's tax rate remains lower than neighboring school districts. Oak Creek/Franklin's tax rate is the next closest at $7.98 per $1,000 of assessed value. Kenosha Unified's rate is $8.81 per $1,000, Burlington's is $8.70 per $1,000 and Milwaukee's is $9.70 per $1,000.
Stimulus money, savings on refinancing Unified debt and transportation, and other savings allowed the School Board to reduce the tax increase by about 24 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. Initial estimates back in June suggested the district would increase taxes to $8.09 per $1,000 of assessed property value.
Stimulus money also allowed the school district to move forward with its "data warehouse," which will allow parents, teachers and administrators to track student performance. The district is also spending $3.4 million next year to expand Fratt Elementary School and another $3.9 million of school maintenance.
School Board Member Dennis Wiser thanked Hazen and Unified staff for their work on a "horribly convoluted" budget that included cuts in state aid and an influx of federal stimulus money.
"I feel very comfortable voting for this package tonight," Wiser said.
Next year's budget doesn't get any easier, Hazen told the School Board.
Rough estimates already show a $3 million to $4 million deficit, he said. The state has locked in a roughly 2 percent increase in revenue cap space for the district - $200 for students - but expenses may increase by double that, according to Hazen.
Board Member Don Nielsen piled on with worries about the "cliff" coming in two years when stimulus money disappears.
The district's overall budget, including state and federal aids, is about $267 million.
The district's biggest annual expense - 59 percent of its budget next year - is spent on instruction. Buses and utility costs covered about 14 percent of the budget, followed by 11 percent for instruction and pupil support. Administration made up 5 percent of the budget.
Showing posts with label School Board. Show all posts
Showing posts with label School Board. Show all posts
October 26, 2009
June 2, 2009
Shaw looks to develop leadership within Racine Unified
Racine Unified Superintendent James Shaw met with the Racine Unified School Board on May 28 to review his first nine months as head of the school district. The far-reaching conversation touched on several issues facing our public schools. We're breaking down the meeting by topic and will post stories over the next few days reporting on the meeting. See our first story here.
Superintendent James Shaw is reorganizing Unified's central office to focus on his priorities and to allow top administrators to develop priorities of their own.
Shaw’s plan puts district administrators in charge of different issue areas – such as redistricting, school safety and curriculum – and, by the sound of it, will push them to become the district’s leader on those issues.
It solves a couple of problems at once, Shaw said. First, it gets people working everyday on key problems in the district. Second, it improves leadership within the district and sets a succession plan if any leaves.
“We do want to build a pipeline of people for the future,” Shaw said. “We need three or four internal people assuming higher level positions.”
Part of Shaw’s plan includes hiring a full-time deputy superintendent to replace Jack Parker, whose interim contract expires at the end of June. But Shaw was cautious with the position, which will combine three vacant jobs into one. Following Van Atta’s advice from the business world, he told the School Board he wouldn’t hire someone unless they were a perfect fit.
“If we don’t have the right person, we won’t move,” Shaw said.
School Board Member Dennis Wiser said Unified needs to get away from relying on the superintendent to make improvements.
“We can’t afford to start over every time a superintendent leaves,” he said.
Shaw agreed.
“The big responsibility I have is succession, providing leaders to you, that you can have the flexibility of promoting within,” Shaw said. “You need to have some internal options to take a look at.”
He added: “We should be losing leaders to other school districts. That’s where we should be.”
Plan aside, Shaw said Unified has work to do at simply getting along both internally and with the community.
“The distrust thing is still here,” he told School Board members. “There is still significant distrust with people.”
The antidote, Shaw said, is creating a vision for success that everyone can follow.
Superintendent James Shaw is reorganizing Unified's central office to focus on his priorities and to allow top administrators to develop priorities of their own.
Shaw’s plan puts district administrators in charge of different issue areas – such as redistricting, school safety and curriculum – and, by the sound of it, will push them to become the district’s leader on those issues.
It solves a couple of problems at once, Shaw said. First, it gets people working everyday on key problems in the district. Second, it improves leadership within the district and sets a succession plan if any leaves.
“We do want to build a pipeline of people for the future,” Shaw said. “We need three or four internal people assuming higher level positions.”
Part of Shaw’s plan includes hiring a full-time deputy superintendent to replace Jack Parker, whose interim contract expires at the end of June. But Shaw was cautious with the position, which will combine three vacant jobs into one. Following Van Atta’s advice from the business world, he told the School Board he wouldn’t hire someone unless they were a perfect fit.
“If we don’t have the right person, we won’t move,” Shaw said.
School Board Member Dennis Wiser said Unified needs to get away from relying on the superintendent to make improvements.
“We can’t afford to start over every time a superintendent leaves,” he said.
Shaw agreed.
“The big responsibility I have is succession, providing leaders to you, that you can have the flexibility of promoting within,” Shaw said. “You need to have some internal options to take a look at.”
He added: “We should be losing leaders to other school districts. That’s where we should be.”
Plan aside, Shaw said Unified has work to do at simply getting along both internally and with the community.
“The distrust thing is still here,” he told School Board members. “There is still significant distrust with people.”
The antidote, Shaw said, is creating a vision for success that everyone can follow.
April 8, 2009
Plache will serve on the Racine Unified School Board
Update: Fourth-place-finisher Stella Young tells the Insider News she wants the School Board seat.
Original: Kim Plache lost the election she was trying to win and won the election she wasn't trying in at all.
The former state senator finished third in the Racine mayoral race behind John Dickert and Bob Turner, leaving her out of the May 5 special election to elect the city's new mayor.
But Plache also finished third Tuesday in the race for Racine Unified School Board. That was good enough to earn her a three-year term on the board along with incumbents Don Nielsen and Gretchen Warner.
Plache said Tuesday she'd accept the School Board seat.
"I'm honored to have been chosen and I will serve," she said.
It's something of a change of heart for Plache, who had declared her candidacy for School Board in January only to switch her focus in February to the mayor's race after Gary Becker was arrested and resigned.
Plache said when she launched her mayoral campaign that she tried to take her name off the School Board ballot, but couldn't.
"If I didn't have to die to get my name off the ballot, I'd take it off," Plache said on Feb. 18. "I'm completely focused on running for mayor."
But now that the votes have shaken out, Plache said she would accept her elected seat on the School Board. She replaces former School Board President Tony Baumgardt, who did not run for re-election.
Stephanie Hayden, director of communications for Unified, said Plache is entitled to the seat. Once she put her name on the ballot, Hayden said, it became the voters' choice.
"If she wants the seat, it's hers," Hayden said.
Plache received 7,747 votes for School Board and outpaced fourth-place finisher Stella Young by about 700 votes.
Plache said Wednesday she's always been committed to public service and supporting public education. Her daughter is a sixth-grader in Racine Unified, which Plache said gives her extra motivation to join the board.
She described the support she received for School Board as "heart warming," if unexpected.
Plache did not campaign for the School Board and publicly declared she was only running for mayor. But Unified voters jumped at her name recognition and experience as a state senator and representative and elected her anyway.
Original: Kim Plache lost the election she was trying to win and won the election she wasn't trying in at all.
The former state senator finished third in the Racine mayoral race behind John Dickert and Bob Turner, leaving her out of the May 5 special election to elect the city's new mayor.But Plache also finished third Tuesday in the race for Racine Unified School Board. That was good enough to earn her a three-year term on the board along with incumbents Don Nielsen and Gretchen Warner.
Plache said Tuesday she'd accept the School Board seat.
"I'm honored to have been chosen and I will serve," she said.
It's something of a change of heart for Plache, who had declared her candidacy for School Board in January only to switch her focus in February to the mayor's race after Gary Becker was arrested and resigned.
Plache said when she launched her mayoral campaign that she tried to take her name off the School Board ballot, but couldn't.
"If I didn't have to die to get my name off the ballot, I'd take it off," Plache said on Feb. 18. "I'm completely focused on running for mayor."
But now that the votes have shaken out, Plache said she would accept her elected seat on the School Board. She replaces former School Board President Tony Baumgardt, who did not run for re-election.
Stephanie Hayden, director of communications for Unified, said Plache is entitled to the seat. Once she put her name on the ballot, Hayden said, it became the voters' choice.
"If she wants the seat, it's hers," Hayden said.
Plache received 7,747 votes for School Board and outpaced fourth-place finisher Stella Young by about 700 votes.
Plache said Wednesday she's always been committed to public service and supporting public education. Her daughter is a sixth-grader in Racine Unified, which Plache said gives her extra motivation to join the board.
She described the support she received for School Board as "heart warming," if unexpected.
Plache did not campaign for the School Board and publicly declared she was only running for mayor. But Unified voters jumped at her name recognition and experience as a state senator and representative and elected her anyway.
May 2, 2008
Pulliam's successor in Georgia earning $285,000,
double the salary RUSD expects to pay her
Whatever contract Racine Unified offers its choice for superintendent, Barbara Moore Pulliam, it will pale in comparison to that given her successor at the Clayton County Schools in Jonesboro, Ga., a district outside of Atlanta.
Pulliam, who was chosen here last week from a field of three finalists the board winnowed down from 20 candidates presented by its search firm, is expected to be offered a salary in the range of $144,000 a year, plus benefits -- the same paid the district's last superintendent, Thomas Hicks, who was pushed out last August. Negotiations, presumably, are under way.
Meanwhile, Pulliam's successor in Jonesboro, John W. Thomposon, who took office Monday, is getting $285,000 a year.
According to Georgia Senate President pro tem Eric Johnson, quoted Thursday in the Atlanta Journal Constitution: “I was outraged to finally see the contract with Clayton County’s new part-time School Superintendent. Even though he was declared unqualified by the accrediting agency, he will now receive $285,000 and a car and driver for 133 work days a year."
Pulliam resigned as Clayton County superintendent last July, after 3 1/2 years. When she took the job there the district was on probation, but it came off probation under her tenure.
Since she left, however, things haven't gone well. On March 15, the National Accreditation Commission board voted unanimously to revoke the 52,800-student district's accreditation on Sept. 1. And two days ago, two advisors appointed by Gov. Sonny Perdue to help save its accreditation, called the current school board dysfunctional and resigned.
While the selection process was under way here in Racine, there had been reports that the Clayton County board wanted to rehire Pulliam. We don't know whether those reports are true or not -- but why she would have wanted to leave Georgia behind to take on Racine's difficulties becomes more clear.
Pulliam, who was chosen here last week from a field of three finalists the board winnowed down from 20 candidates presented by its search firm, is expected to be offered a salary in the range of $144,000 a year, plus benefits -- the same paid the district's last superintendent, Thomas Hicks, who was pushed out last August. Negotiations, presumably, are under way.
Meanwhile, Pulliam's successor in Jonesboro, John W. Thomposon, who took office Monday, is getting $285,000 a year.
According to Georgia Senate President pro tem Eric Johnson, quoted Thursday in the Atlanta Journal Constitution: “I was outraged to finally see the contract with Clayton County’s new part-time School Superintendent. Even though he was declared unqualified by the accrediting agency, he will now receive $285,000 and a car and driver for 133 work days a year."
Pulliam resigned as Clayton County superintendent last July, after 3 1/2 years. When she took the job there the district was on probation, but it came off probation under her tenure.
Since she left, however, things haven't gone well. On March 15, the National Accreditation Commission board voted unanimously to revoke the 52,800-student district's accreditation on Sept. 1. And two days ago, two advisors appointed by Gov. Sonny Perdue to help save its accreditation, called the current school board dysfunctional and resigned.
While the selection process was under way here in Racine, there had been reports that the Clayton County board wanted to rehire Pulliam. We don't know whether those reports are true or not -- but why she would have wanted to leave Georgia behind to take on Racine's difficulties becomes more clear.
April 29, 2008
Statement by RUSD after naming superintendent
The Racine Unified School Board voted affirmatively this morning to begin contract negotiations with Dr. Barbara Moore Pulliam to become the next Superintendent of Schools for the Racine Unified School District (RUSD). Tony Baumgardt, President of the RUSD School Board, said today, “the majority of the Board and I were impressed with Dr. Pulliam’s tremendous academic background, past successes in urban school districts, and proven collaborative leadership. We believe her well-rounded skill set and background will serve the RUSD students, staff, and community well.”
School board member Bill Van Atta stated, “RUSD is fortunate to have found an experienced Superintendent who has hands-on experience in a large, urban district. Dr. Pulliam believes in building partnerships with the staff and community, and that is an important quality the Racine community told the Board that they needed in the next Superintendent of Schools during our community meetings in January.”
Sue Kutz, who chaired the Search Committee said, “I believe Dr. Pulliam is the right fit for our district. Her experience, her training, and her management style correlates with the direction that this district wants to take. She has over 10 years of experience as a superintendent. She was the Superintendent of the Year, nominated by the Georgia State PTA. Her focus is on doing what is right for students.”
Dr. Pulliam is currently an Assistant Professor at the University of West Georgia in Carrolton,GA, where she teaches graduate level courses in the College of Education, Department of Leadership and Professional Services since January 2008. In addition, she is a Senior Program Associate for School Leadership Services in Greensboro, NC; a position she has held since
August 2007. In this capacity, she provides leadership training programs for school district staff; central office and school site administrators/principals. Her previous professional experience includes more than 30 years working in public education including ten years of superintendent experience.
Most recently, Dr. Pulliam was the Superintendent of the Clayton County Public Schools in Jonesboro, GA. This metropolitan district is just a few miles south of the City of Atlanta and serves 52,400 with an annual operating budget in excess of $550 million. During her tenure, she successfully achieved reinstatement of school district accreditation. She not only began the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program in two high schools, but also established a Dual Language School. She started the “Connect-Ed” school-to-home communication system and centralized the student registration function, in launching a Student Registration Center. Dr. Pulliam implemented a Blue Ribbon Commission on school discipline and began Community Engagement Conversations, among other accomplishments.
She also previously served as Superintendent of the St. Louis Park (MN) Schools, Associate Superintendent of Education and Equity/Interim Associate Superintendent/General Manager of Equity for the Rockford (IL) Public Schools, and Principal for Harper High School, which is part of the Chicago Public School System. Dr. Pulliam received a Ph.D. in School Administration from Vanderbilt University; a M.S. from Eastern Michigan University and a B.S. from Western Michigan University.
Board member, Don Nielsen, who worked for the district for almost 30 years said, “One of the things that struck me about Dr. Pulliam is that she has been a teacher; she has been a principal; she has been an administrator; and she has been a superintendent. She has worked in districts as large as Chicago and smaller districts in Rockford and Minnesota and most recently in Georgia. She is coming from a district that is approximately twice the size of Racine, and so she has vast experience in dealing with the issues of urban school districts.”
Dr. Pulliam’s selection as the district’s new superintendent caps a 5 month national recruitment and selection process which included interviews by students, community and staff; three interviews by the Board of Education and Dr. Jack Parker, Interim Superintendent; and a community forum. Throughout this process, the board was cognizant of a variety of community
concerns and made additional efforts to ensure those concerns were addressed prior to today’s meeting. The process also included extensive background and reference checks. Dr. Gretchen Warner stated today, “I was the member of the board who was asked to do reference checks, and I went way beyond the list that was given to me with Dr. Pulliam’s resume. I went to many, many additional people particularly in the state of Georgia. Overwhelming what I heard was that Dr. Pulliam has incredible leadership skills, communications skills, and collaboration skills.”
The district has been led by Interim Superintendent, Dr. Jack Parker, since early October 2007. Regarding the selection of Dr. Pulliam, Parker said, “I believe that Dr. Pulliam is an excellent fit for Racine Unified and will continue the improvements under way. Her collaborative leadership style and strong credentials will serve her well in her new role and benefit the students of Racine Unified and the Racine community. I look forward to working with and supporting her during the transition.”
Dr. Pulliam will be attending the Panasonic Foundation’s Leadership Associate Program with district staff this weekend in New Orleans, La to begin acclimating herself to the district even though negotiations have not started. She is expected to relocate and begin work full time by July 1. The School Board will plan an official community welcome once she has joined the staff full time.
A video of today’s board meeting will be available on the district’s website by late Tuesday and will also be shown on the district’s educational cable channel (Time Warner Channel 20) during evening broadcasts.
Wiser, McKenna: Why we voted 'no'During Tuesday’s board meeting, school board members also touted that the district currently has a very good foundational block that includes the Quality District Model, strong labor relations, sound finances, and the establishment of professional learning communities that are moving the district forward. The Board felt that the next Superintendent should build upon those foundational blocks, and most felt that Dr. Pulliam could not only build upon but also had the experience that could accelerate the progress. Although, Board Members Julie McKenna and Dennis Wiser did not vote in favor of opening negotiations, both stated that they would support Dr. Pulliam if that was the board’s decision.
School board member Bill Van Atta stated, “RUSD is fortunate to have found an experienced Superintendent who has hands-on experience in a large, urban district. Dr. Pulliam believes in building partnerships with the staff and community, and that is an important quality the Racine community told the Board that they needed in the next Superintendent of Schools during our community meetings in January.”
Sue Kutz, who chaired the Search Committee said, “I believe Dr. Pulliam is the right fit for our district. Her experience, her training, and her management style correlates with the direction that this district wants to take. She has over 10 years of experience as a superintendent. She was the Superintendent of the Year, nominated by the Georgia State PTA. Her focus is on doing what is right for students.”
Dr. Pulliam is currently an Assistant Professor at the University of West Georgia in Carrolton,GA, where she teaches graduate level courses in the College of Education, Department of Leadership and Professional Services since January 2008. In addition, she is a Senior Program Associate for School Leadership Services in Greensboro, NC; a position she has held since
August 2007. In this capacity, she provides leadership training programs for school district staff; central office and school site administrators/principals. Her previous professional experience includes more than 30 years working in public education including ten years of superintendent experience.
Most recently, Dr. Pulliam was the Superintendent of the Clayton County Public Schools in Jonesboro, GA. This metropolitan district is just a few miles south of the City of Atlanta and serves 52,400 with an annual operating budget in excess of $550 million. During her tenure, she successfully achieved reinstatement of school district accreditation. She not only began the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program in two high schools, but also established a Dual Language School. She started the “Connect-Ed” school-to-home communication system and centralized the student registration function, in launching a Student Registration Center. Dr. Pulliam implemented a Blue Ribbon Commission on school discipline and began Community Engagement Conversations, among other accomplishments.
She also previously served as Superintendent of the St. Louis Park (MN) Schools, Associate Superintendent of Education and Equity/Interim Associate Superintendent/General Manager of Equity for the Rockford (IL) Public Schools, and Principal for Harper High School, which is part of the Chicago Public School System. Dr. Pulliam received a Ph.D. in School Administration from Vanderbilt University; a M.S. from Eastern Michigan University and a B.S. from Western Michigan University.
Board member, Don Nielsen, who worked for the district for almost 30 years said, “One of the things that struck me about Dr. Pulliam is that she has been a teacher; she has been a principal; she has been an administrator; and she has been a superintendent. She has worked in districts as large as Chicago and smaller districts in Rockford and Minnesota and most recently in Georgia. She is coming from a district that is approximately twice the size of Racine, and so she has vast experience in dealing with the issues of urban school districts.”
Dr. Pulliam’s selection as the district’s new superintendent caps a 5 month national recruitment and selection process which included interviews by students, community and staff; three interviews by the Board of Education and Dr. Jack Parker, Interim Superintendent; and a community forum. Throughout this process, the board was cognizant of a variety of community
concerns and made additional efforts to ensure those concerns were addressed prior to today’s meeting. The process also included extensive background and reference checks. Dr. Gretchen Warner stated today, “I was the member of the board who was asked to do reference checks, and I went way beyond the list that was given to me with Dr. Pulliam’s resume. I went to many, many additional people particularly in the state of Georgia. Overwhelming what I heard was that Dr. Pulliam has incredible leadership skills, communications skills, and collaboration skills.”
The district has been led by Interim Superintendent, Dr. Jack Parker, since early October 2007. Regarding the selection of Dr. Pulliam, Parker said, “I believe that Dr. Pulliam is an excellent fit for Racine Unified and will continue the improvements under way. Her collaborative leadership style and strong credentials will serve her well in her new role and benefit the students of Racine Unified and the Racine community. I look forward to working with and supporting her during the transition.”
Dr. Pulliam will be attending the Panasonic Foundation’s Leadership Associate Program with district staff this weekend in New Orleans, La to begin acclimating herself to the district even though negotiations have not started. She is expected to relocate and begin work full time by July 1. The School Board will plan an official community welcome once she has joined the staff full time.
A video of today’s board meeting will be available on the district’s website by late Tuesday and will also be shown on the district’s educational cable channel (Time Warner Channel 20) during evening broadcasts.
Wiser, McKenna opposed RUSD superintendent pick
It wasn't unanimous this morning, but the Racine Unified School Board voted to offer the superintendent's job to Barbara Moore Pulliam.
The vote was 7-2. Opposed were Dennis Wiser and Julie McKenna.
Wiser voted no, he said, because "the community isn't totally comfortable with the process or the candidates, and the search would be better if we reopened it, so a thorough search could be done."
"One argument" raised in Pulliam's favor, he said, "is that the district is terribly dysfunctional. Well, that should make it easy for fixes."
McKenna, who was a member of RUSD's search committee, said, "Sometimes you have to listen to the people. I heard from a lot of people in the community, it was 2 - 1, sometimes closer to 1 - 1, that people wanted us to keep the search open. They weren't happy with the candidates we had, and the fact they had been bought out of their contracts in their past jobs."
McKenna said the three finalists "had a lot of accomplishments, and I was kind of surprised by their all having been bought out. I felt I should honor the people." She noted that RUSD has bought out almost all of its past superintendents: "I didn't want that repeated. The district hasn't had a good track record of bringing in superintendents from elsewhere. I wanted more local."
Finally, she noted, "I wanted more support for the superintendent. I will do everything I can to help her, but it's possible you can get the right candidate that people will accept."
Wiser, one of two board members who just took office Monday night (the other is Pamela Handrow), also said he will support whoever the board brings in as superintendent on July 1.
The board is just starting contract negotiations with Pulliam and expects to offer her a contract comparable with that former Supt. Tom Hicks had: a salary of $144,000 plus benefits. "She knows the range," Wiser said. "The quicker, the better."
Our coverage of the candidates began HERE.
The vote was 7-2. Opposed were Dennis Wiser and Julie McKenna.
Wiser voted no, he said, because "the community isn't totally comfortable with the process or the candidates, and the search would be better if we reopened it, so a thorough search could be done."Board statement HERE.In addition, he checked the test scores in Pulliam's former district, Clayton County, GA, and was not happy with what he found: "There are 50 different tests by the state of Georgia, and 36 of them went down in Clayton County over the last six years." Pulliam was superintendent for three years.
"One argument" raised in Pulliam's favor, he said, "is that the district is terribly dysfunctional. Well, that should make it easy for fixes."
McKenna, who was a member of RUSD's search committee, said, "Sometimes you have to listen to the people. I heard from a lot of people in the community, it was 2 - 1, sometimes closer to 1 - 1, that people wanted us to keep the search open. They weren't happy with the candidates we had, and the fact they had been bought out of their contracts in their past jobs."
McKenna said the three finalists "had a lot of accomplishments, and I was kind of surprised by their all having been bought out. I felt I should honor the people." She noted that RUSD has bought out almost all of its past superintendents: "I didn't want that repeated. The district hasn't had a good track record of bringing in superintendents from elsewhere. I wanted more local."
Finally, she noted, "I wanted more support for the superintendent. I will do everything I can to help her, but it's possible you can get the right candidate that people will accept."
Wiser, one of two board members who just took office Monday night (the other is Pamela Handrow), also said he will support whoever the board brings in as superintendent on July 1.
The board is just starting contract negotiations with Pulliam and expects to offer her a contract comparable with that former Supt. Tom Hicks had: a salary of $144,000 plus benefits. "She knows the range," Wiser said. "The quicker, the better."
Our coverage of the candidates began HERE.
April 17, 2008
Dey quits RUSD superintendent search, won't vote
Update: REA endorses; Van Atta snaps at Dey
UPDATE, 4/17, 4 p.m.: First, the Racine Education Association and the Racine Educational Assistants Association have endorsed one of Unified's three finalists: Barbara Moore Pulliam, a professor now and the former superintendent in Jonesboro, GA, a suburban Atlanta district with 52,400 students. Pete Knotek, REA president, wrote the board that Pulliam "demonstrated in her interview that she has the skills to reach out to the community, both inside the district and out, about how to move the district forward.”
Whether that endorsement is the kiss of death remains to be seen; it's likely to be so. In any case, after the public forum Monday night, Dr. Carlinda Purcell, former superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools, Montgomery, AL, was the consensus choice of those I spoke to, including at least one school board member.
Second, shortly after 7 p.m., School Board member Bill Van Atta responded via e-mail to Brian Dey's 3 p.m. statement (below). We're not sure whether Van Atta meant his response to go to everyone Dey sent his withdrawal statement to -- media and other RUSD members -- but it did. Here's Van Atta's note:
"But now we're talking about an indecisive board trying to rush a decision."
FURTHER UPDATE, 4/18/08, 5:21 a.m.: Dey responded to Van Atta's note with this:
Until today. Here's the statement Dey released this afternoon:
Effective immediately, I will be officially withdrawing my name from the Search Committee for the Superintendent of the Racine Unified School District. To be clear, I did not attend past meetings, including the first interviews with the eight finalists, nor was I involved with the selection of the three finalists. I have previously discussed with Board President Tony Baumgardt that I felt the process, as it was proceeding should have the newly elected Board members involvement as they would be the ones ultimately working with the new Superintendent. I was unable to attend last night's meeting and discussed with Tony, following adjournment, the events that took place. (The Board released this statement after that meeting.)
I agreed that more needed to be done. However, comments that were made with regards to how the Board came to this decision troubled me. Certain criteria have risen to the top of qualifications, namely "collaboration." While in part I would agree, but total collaboration may not be practical in achieving the communities’ desire for raising academic achievement, and I fear a candidate that for all other reasons would make an excellent Superintendent, may be discarded without merit.
I also fear that the Board may fall back to one of the remaining two, and that is concerning as well. In part, this may be related to comments made by a few of the stakeholders, which were very influential in the hiring of Dr. Thomas Hicks.
To conclude, it is my belief that the new members (should) be a part of this process, and that the exiting Board members stay out of the way. I will continue to follow the events leading up to the hire as a private citizen and will abstain my vote should a vote arise on this matter prior to my departure.
Two other board members did not run for re-election in April. One of them, Randy Bangs, resigned last fall, and was replaced by Melvin Hargrove. Hargrove won election to a full term on April 1 and is participating in the superintendent search. The other departing member is Russ Carlsen, who is also serving on the selection panel. The two new board members who will take office April 28, but until then have no vote in the superintendent search are Pamela Handrow and Dennis Wiser. Both were given the opportunity to meet with the three finalists.
Meanwhile, the board is checking references of its preferred candidate, doing the kind of background checks and due diligence that one would have expected its search firm to have already done for its $37,000 in fees and expenses. Or: as the Journal Times graphically described the process...
Whether that endorsement is the kiss of death remains to be seen; it's likely to be so. In any case, after the public forum Monday night, Dr. Carlinda Purcell, former superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools, Montgomery, AL, was the consensus choice of those I spoke to, including at least one school board member.
Second, shortly after 7 p.m., School Board member Bill Van Atta responded via e-mail to Brian Dey's 3 p.m. statement (below). We're not sure whether Van Atta meant his response to go to everyone Dey sent his withdrawal statement to -- media and other RUSD members -- but it did. Here's Van Atta's note:
Dey's objections to the current board's making the superintendent decision have been known for some while. Dey says he was willing to go along with the current board's picking the new superintendent back in December and January, "when it appeared we could get this wrapped up by April. But when we saw that the board was not meeting deadlines, that was the point that I and Carlsen should have bowed out. There's no rush, (Interim Supt. Jack) Parker is willing to stay through August.Brian,
The lack of integrity demonstrated by this note is simply breathtaking!
Regards,
Bill
"But now we're talking about an indecisive board trying to rush a decision."
FURTHER UPDATE, 4/18/08, 5:21 a.m.: Dey responded to Van Atta's note with this:
ORIGINAL POST: Brian Dey, a member of the Racine Unified School Board since 2005, did not run for re-election this year (choosing instead to run for the County Board, a race he lost). Nonetheless, until the new board members are sworn in on April 28, he is still a member of the board, and its superintendent search committee.Bill,
While I owe you no explanation, I do owe the public that elected me. Hence, the public notice of my withdrawal. This Board has worried more about its image with staff, than the public it represents. It's about time someone publicly scrutinizes the actions of this Board and its ineptness. There is a clear difference between you and I. You owe your allegiances to the special interests that put you there, i.e. RAMAC, Johnsons. I owe mine to the general public.
Regards,
Brian
Until today. Here's the statement Dey released this afternoon:
Effective immediately, I will be officially withdrawing my name from the Search Committee for the Superintendent of the Racine Unified School District. To be clear, I did not attend past meetings, including the first interviews with the eight finalists, nor was I involved with the selection of the three finalists. I have previously discussed with Board President Tony Baumgardt that I felt the process, as it was proceeding should have the newly elected Board members involvement as they would be the ones ultimately working with the new Superintendent. I was unable to attend last night's meeting and discussed with Tony, following adjournment, the events that took place. (The Board released this statement after that meeting.)
I agreed that more needed to be done. However, comments that were made with regards to how the Board came to this decision troubled me. Certain criteria have risen to the top of qualifications, namely "collaboration." While in part I would agree, but total collaboration may not be practical in achieving the communities’ desire for raising academic achievement, and I fear a candidate that for all other reasons would make an excellent Superintendent, may be discarded without merit.
I also fear that the Board may fall back to one of the remaining two, and that is concerning as well. In part, this may be related to comments made by a few of the stakeholders, which were very influential in the hiring of Dr. Thomas Hicks.
To conclude, it is my belief that the new members (should) be a part of this process, and that the exiting Board members stay out of the way. I will continue to follow the events leading up to the hire as a private citizen and will abstain my vote should a vote arise on this matter prior to my departure.
Two other board members did not run for re-election in April. One of them, Randy Bangs, resigned last fall, and was replaced by Melvin Hargrove. Hargrove won election to a full term on April 1 and is participating in the superintendent search. The other departing member is Russ Carlsen, who is also serving on the selection panel. The two new board members who will take office April 28, but until then have no vote in the superintendent search are Pamela Handrow and Dennis Wiser. Both were given the opportunity to meet with the three finalists.
Meanwhile, the board is checking references of its preferred candidate, doing the kind of background checks and due diligence that one would have expected its search firm to have already done for its $37,000 in fees and expenses. Or: as the Journal Times graphically described the process...
April 14, 2008
Grading Racine's three superintendent finalists
Sue Kutz and Bill Van Atta sort questions for the finalistsEveryone was well-behaved (although Bill Krummel, picketing outside, carried a sign charging the "pillars" of Unified with complicity to a murder), and all the candidates received polite applause, but when it was over there was a clear consensus.
Here's how I'd grade the three, based mostly on their appearance Monday night:
Dr. Craig Bangtson: F (because that's the lowest grade I'm allowed to give)One school board member put them in the same order after the presentation, with Purcell clearly the front-runner. When I teased a Unified principal that Bangtson would be her new boss, she said, "Don't even joke about it."
Dr. Barbara Moore Pulliam: B
Dr. Carlinda Purcell: A
The school board will meet individually with each of the candidates Tuesday morning for formal interviews and answers to the tough questions that have arisen about their departures from previous superintendency's, and then take a few days to review community feedback (and hopefully verify the information submitted by the candidates, something not done prior to their visit, as proven by the Bangtson resume fiasco. "I'm without words on that one," said Don Nielsen.) Tony Baumgardt, board president, said he hoped the board could make a decision by Thursday or Friday.
About Dr. Craig Bangtson, the less said, the better. His presentation was flat, his jokes were lame ("I don't want to shock you, but we don't educate anyone at the central office.") and his explanation of previously revealed resume enhancements didn't touch on the more serious infraction (allegedly writing his own reference letters for Antigo, WI). He called the other , which listed a one-year tenure as three, "a typo." "I've only known one perfect person," he said at one point, "and that person was crucified." One businessman who had lunched with Bangtson, told me his rambling presentation Monday night was far better than earlier in the day. And I won't even mention the observation that his argyle socks worn at lunch were inside-out...Finally, Bangtson did himself in by stating, "I don't need the money. I'm independently well off." He's 58, and said he would expect to stay until he receives Social Security, four to six years, "shorter if I don't get results."
At odds with the other candidates was Bangtson's observation that "there needs to be more of a partnership between the business community and the schools." Others seemed to think that already exists.
Dr. Barbara Moore Pulliam, 60, made a better impression, and trotted out her Midwest roots -- having worked in Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota. She said she learned to ski in Wisconsin and was eager to come here because Racine "is right on the lake and I'm a fisherperson, eager to go out for crappie." Unfortunately, she said crappie, only catching herself and re-pronouncing it croppie when many in the audience laughed. That, moderator Bryan Albrecht, president of Gateway Technical College, noted, was a "teachable moment."In response to a question about gifted students, Pulliam described opening a K-5 school for the gifted and also noted that schools "are teaching children today who ten years from now we don't know what they'll be doing. We need to teach them how to learn. They have to be smart enough to learn on their own." She also took a shot at No Child Left Behind when she said, "We are really looking for a change in leadership in Washington."
She dealt directly with a question about her leaving the superintendent's job in Clayton County, GA, pointing out that she took a district that was on probation and got its accreditation back, only to feel that new members on the school board "had a different agenda than student achievement." Since leaving, she's been teaching, and "it's been most fulfilling." There have been reports the current board would like her to come back.
Asked about raising students' test scores, she said trained teachers and proper support were crucial. Also, "We've got to make sure they are taught what they need before the test -- curriculum alignment."
As for solving the dropout problem, she said, "We know by the time they are in middle school" the set of behaviors -- behind in reading, poor performance generally, attendance issues -- that lead to dropouts. "It takes almost missionary work of reaching out."
But the best impression of the night was made by Dr. Carlinda Purcell, 58, with her energetic presentation, her knowledge of Racine school issues and her statements that "there are no better assets than the children I met today. We have a responsibility to every single student... I was really impressed by the students."Asked about improving parent involvement, she noted, "There may be models that work somewhere else, and one of the things you have to do is fit the models to Racine." Her masters' thesis was on the effectiveness of parental involvement.
Asked how she would deal with Racine's high dropout rate, she described a "drop-in day" she created at a previous district, to bring back students who had dropped out. "We asked the kids if there was anything we could do to bring them back... sometimes it was just a change of teachers."
How long would she expect to stay here if given the job of superintendent? "I would want to stay a long time. It takes at least three years to accomplish anything... then longer to reap the benefits."
Like Pulliam, she looks forward to changes in No Child Left Behind. "It is my hope that something will be done in the next administration," she said, to ease NCLB's "stringent" provisions. Still, she noted, "I'm not a gung-ho testing person, but it is the yardstick we are measured by."
As for dropouts, she said: "I think the student who has decided to drop out has decided in the third grade. I would not wait until high school" to do intervention programs."
She also won the audience over when she said, in answer to a question about budget shortfalls, "I'm not a sports person, but a high school without a football team, a basketball team, a band is pretty sad. It's a question of pride. Tough choices have to be made."
Journal Times reporter Paul Sloth followed the candidates around all day. Here's his report.
Least surprising, funniest story of the day: Search firm happy with finalists
April 13, 2008
Another RUSD finalist got $279,000 to go away
(plus, the district bought her house for $327,000)
Let's put this in perspective:
When Tom Hicks, Racine Unified School District superintendent, was eased out last fall, he took with him about $200,000 in salary and benefits just for going away. The district paid the final year of his contract without Hicks having to work for it.
That's chicken feed compared to the payout received in 2006 by one of RUSD's three superintendent finalists when she was forced to resign. She got $279,000 -- a year's salary of more than $155,000, another $56,000 for benefits earned but not taken, and an extra $68,000. Plus, the board agreed to buy her $327,000 home.
Dr. Carlinda Purcell was superintendent of the Montgomery County Public Schools in Montgomery, AL, from 2004 to 2006, according to her resume. A story on the website of Montgomery TV station WSFA -- which doesn't make clear why Purcell and the board parted ways -- indicated only that the resignation "was controversial and came about three weeks after several board members sent a letter to Purcell asking her to resign." The board voted 5-2 to negotiate termination of her four-year contract. The newsletter American Renaissance says, "At least 200 members of the black community met Monday night at a rally filled with racial overtones" in her support.
Unlike the case of finalist Dr. Craig Bangtson's resume issues, RUSD was aware of all this. Sue Kutz, chairman of RUSD's search committee, said when contacted this afternoon, "she had issues with the school board. The school board was put on probation because of this ... it was a case of a badly-behaved school board."
A story in the Montgomery Advertiser quoted board member Beverly Ross, one of two who wanted Purcell to stay, saying "I think she (Purcell) is the best superintendent this school system has ever had. I do not want her to leave. She is what's best for the children in this community." Dr. Purcell was Montgomery's first female, and first African-American superintendent.
PROACT Inc.'s president, Dr. Nancy Noeske, who headed up RUSD's search, was also aware: she is quoted in a Jan. 22, 2007, Toledo Blade story about a search she headed there -- in which four of the seven applicants to be interviewed for the superintendent's job came to the district with what the story called " baggage" -- being forced out of previous jobs.
Two of those candidates are now on Racine's short-list: Dr. Bangtson and Dr. Purcell.
Dr. Noeske was quoted about another of Dr. Purcell's departures -- she left her job as superintendent in Warren County, NC, a year before her contract expired. Dr. Purcell said she left, according to the story, to spend time with her ailing mother, who had a stroke. "The wonderful time I had in Warren county...It was a success story," she said. But the story then went on to quote Dr. Noeske, saying "there was some tension between Ms. Purcell and the school board."
All three finalists were bought out of last contracts. JT's story HERE.
Our earlier story on RUSD's finalists HERE.
When Tom Hicks, Racine Unified School District superintendent, was eased out last fall, he took with him about $200,000 in salary and benefits just for going away. The district paid the final year of his contract without Hicks having to work for it.
That's chicken feed compared to the payout received in 2006 by one of RUSD's three superintendent finalists when she was forced to resign. She got $279,000 -- a year's salary of more than $155,000, another $56,000 for benefits earned but not taken, and an extra $68,000. Plus, the board agreed to buy her $327,000 home.
Dr. Carlinda Purcell was superintendent of the Montgomery County Public Schools in Montgomery, AL, from 2004 to 2006, according to her resume. A story on the website of Montgomery TV station WSFA -- which doesn't make clear why Purcell and the board parted ways -- indicated only that the resignation "was controversial and came about three weeks after several board members sent a letter to Purcell asking her to resign." The board voted 5-2 to negotiate termination of her four-year contract. The newsletter American Renaissance says, "At least 200 members of the black community met Monday night at a rally filled with racial overtones" in her support.Unlike the case of finalist Dr. Craig Bangtson's resume issues, RUSD was aware of all this. Sue Kutz, chairman of RUSD's search committee, said when contacted this afternoon, "she had issues with the school board. The school board was put on probation because of this ... it was a case of a badly-behaved school board."
A story in the Montgomery Advertiser quoted board member Beverly Ross, one of two who wanted Purcell to stay, saying "I think she (Purcell) is the best superintendent this school system has ever had. I do not want her to leave. She is what's best for the children in this community." Dr. Purcell was Montgomery's first female, and first African-American superintendent.
PROACT Inc.'s president, Dr. Nancy Noeske, who headed up RUSD's search, was also aware: she is quoted in a Jan. 22, 2007, Toledo Blade story about a search she headed there -- in which four of the seven applicants to be interviewed for the superintendent's job came to the district with what the story called " baggage" -- being forced out of previous jobs.
Two of those candidates are now on Racine's short-list: Dr. Bangtson and Dr. Purcell.
Dr. Noeske was quoted about another of Dr. Purcell's departures -- she left her job as superintendent in Warren County, NC, a year before her contract expired. Dr. Purcell said she left, according to the story, to spend time with her ailing mother, who had a stroke. "The wonderful time I had in Warren county...It was a success story," she said. But the story then went on to quote Dr. Noeske, saying "there was some tension between Ms. Purcell and the school board."
All three finalists were bought out of last contracts. JT's story HERE.
Our earlier story on RUSD's finalists HERE.
Two resume incidents mar one candidate's record
One of the three finalists for superintendent named this morning by the Racine Unified School Board had problems in his past that the school board search committee was not aware of.
Dr. Craig Bangtson, former superintendent of the Bartow County Schools in Cartersville, GA, allegedly lied twice on resumes, once for a job he didn't get and once for a superintendent's job in Wisconsin that he held for three years, according to separate news stories relating to previous times he sought a superintendent's position.
-- On Jan. 24, 2004, the Daily Comet of Thibodaux, Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, reported that Bangtson "...was selected as a finalist though his application was incomplete. He failed to include a copy of his undergraduate transcript and proof he was a certified superintendent.
"Those application holes later revealed that Bangtson was asked to leave a top post at a Wisconsin school system in 1989 after an investigation showed he wrote his own letters of recommendation."
Bangtson's resume, provided by RUSD, shows his only Wisconsin employment as that of superintendent of the Unified School District in Antigo, from August 1986 to August 1989. The next job listed in chronological order was as superintendent of the Mt. Iron-Buhl Public Schools, in Mt. Iron, MN, from August 1989 to February 1992.
-- On March 8, 2007, a story in Hernando Today, an edition of the St. Petersburg (FL) Times, reported that Bangtson withdrew his application for superintendent, after he was named as a finalist by the Hernando County school board, when confronted with evidence he'd misrepresented facts on his resume.
His resume stated that he'd worked three years as superintendent of the Bartow County Schools in Georgia, from July of 2002 through June 2005. "But residents and the local newspaper in Georgia told a different story: that Bangtson was hired there in June of 2003, following a yearlong "retirement" between jobs, and lost his job 18 months later following allegations of abusive behavior toward subordinates" A March 19 story said, "Bartow County School District superintendent Abbe Boring was cautioned by the school district's attorney to not reveal too much about why Bangtson left." The story quoted Wayne Blanton, executive director of the Florida School Boards Association, saying that Bangtson left because he earned the reputation, "It was his way or the highway."
Bangtson's resume for Unified's job does not make the same mistake as to his tenure in Cartersville, GA, at the helm of the Bartow district: his resume here lists his time there as July 1, 2003 -- to July 1, 2004.
Asked whether Unified was aware of these controversies, Sue Kutz, chair of Unified's search committee, said, "No, we did not."
Asked whether the board should have been told about them by Dr. Nancy Noeske, who headed the search performed by PROACT Search Inc., of Milwaukee, she said: "Probably." Noeske was "leading the search, and part of the due diligence was to make sure the academic credentials are what they say." PROACT was paid $24,000 for its services, plus expenses.
But she added, "Before we do a bunch of conjecture, let's talk to the candidates and ask them."
Blangtson could not be reached this afternoon. He was booked on a flight to Chicago and is due in Racine tonight before the two days of interviews scheduled by the board Monday and Tuesday.
Our earlier story HERE.
Another finalist got $279,000 to go away. Story HERE.
All three finalists were bought out of their last contract. JT's story HERE.
Dr. Craig Bangtson, former superintendent of the Bartow County Schools in Cartersville, GA, allegedly lied twice on resumes, once for a job he didn't get and once for a superintendent's job in Wisconsin that he held for three years, according to separate news stories relating to previous times he sought a superintendent's position.-- On Jan. 24, 2004, the Daily Comet of Thibodaux, Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, reported that Bangtson "...was selected as a finalist though his application was incomplete. He failed to include a copy of his undergraduate transcript and proof he was a certified superintendent.
"Those application holes later revealed that Bangtson was asked to leave a top post at a Wisconsin school system in 1989 after an investigation showed he wrote his own letters of recommendation."
Bangtson's resume, provided by RUSD, shows his only Wisconsin employment as that of superintendent of the Unified School District in Antigo, from August 1986 to August 1989. The next job listed in chronological order was as superintendent of the Mt. Iron-Buhl Public Schools, in Mt. Iron, MN, from August 1989 to February 1992.
-- On March 8, 2007, a story in Hernando Today, an edition of the St. Petersburg (FL) Times, reported that Bangtson withdrew his application for superintendent, after he was named as a finalist by the Hernando County school board, when confronted with evidence he'd misrepresented facts on his resume.
His resume stated that he'd worked three years as superintendent of the Bartow County Schools in Georgia, from July of 2002 through June 2005. "But residents and the local newspaper in Georgia told a different story: that Bangtson was hired there in June of 2003, following a yearlong "retirement" between jobs, and lost his job 18 months later following allegations of abusive behavior toward subordinates" A March 19 story said, "Bartow County School District superintendent Abbe Boring was cautioned by the school district's attorney to not reveal too much about why Bangtson left." The story quoted Wayne Blanton, executive director of the Florida School Boards Association, saying that Bangtson left because he earned the reputation, "It was his way or the highway."
Bangtson's resume for Unified's job does not make the same mistake as to his tenure in Cartersville, GA, at the helm of the Bartow district: his resume here lists his time there as July 1, 2003 -- to July 1, 2004.
Asked whether Unified was aware of these controversies, Sue Kutz, chair of Unified's search committee, said, "No, we did not."
Asked whether the board should have been told about them by Dr. Nancy Noeske, who headed the search performed by PROACT Search Inc., of Milwaukee, she said: "Probably." Noeske was "leading the search, and part of the due diligence was to make sure the academic credentials are what they say." PROACT was paid $24,000 for its services, plus expenses.
But she added, "Before we do a bunch of conjecture, let's talk to the candidates and ask them."
Blangtson could not be reached this afternoon. He was booked on a flight to Chicago and is due in Racine tonight before the two days of interviews scheduled by the board Monday and Tuesday.
Our earlier story HERE.
Another finalist got $279,000 to go away. Story HERE.
All three finalists were bought out of their last contract. JT's story HERE.
RUSD names three superintendent finalists
RUSD board announcing its finalist choices, at 8 a.m. SundayAll three have been urban school superintendents, although none is holding that job at present. There are two African-American women among the three finalists, and one white male.
The three are:
Dr. Craig Bangtson, former superintendent of Bartow County Schools in Cartersville, GA, and former superintendent of Grayson County Schools in Leitchfield, KY;
Dr. Barbara Moore Pulliam, assistant professor, College of Education, University of West Georgia, Carrollton, GA, and former superintendent of Clayton County Public Schools, Jonesboro, GA;
Dr. Carlinda Purcell, former superintendent, Montgomery County Public Schools, Montgomery, AL, and Warrenton, NC.
All three, according to the nine-member RUSD board search committee, have had success in improving academic achievement, the district's number one goal. Russ Carlsen said the district's top three goals are "academic achievement, academic achievement, academic achievement." (Presumably in that order.)
The three finalists -- winnowed down from eight candidates interviewed last weekend (by the entire search committee, with the exception of Brian Dey) from the original pool of 24 -- will meet with teachers, administrators and community leaders Monday, and the public will have an opportunity to meet them Monday night, at a forum and reception at the Golden Rondelle, 1525 Howe St., beginning at 6 p.m. with a 45-minute reception. Feedback from these constituent groups will be collected and given to the school board before it interviews each of the candidates on Tuesday.
Here are some details from the candidates' resumes (presented in alphabetical order):
Dr. Craig Bangtson: 57 years old, married for 33 years, two children. (The only candidate who listed this information on resume.) "Retired" two years ago to care for his mother, who died of cancer last fall. Has 26 years of superintendent experience, in districts ranging from 450 students to 16,000. Managed budgets up to $175 million. Bartow, his most recent district, has more than 15,000 students, 2,200 employees and a budget of $130 million. Ed.D in Educational Administration from Texas A&M in 1985. First "honor" listed on resume: "Educational Leadership Award given by U.S. Sec. of Education Richard Riley in Washington, D.C., for leadership in student achievement, only one superintendent given this honor every four years; January 1995."
Quoted: "He negotiated labor agreements for over 21 years and reports never having had a work stoppage. He feels that his success in dealing with staff is a result of creating an atmosphere of professionalism. Noting that success can become contagious (he) said the quest for excellence is an on-going pursuit..."
Dr. Barbara Moore Pulliam: Currently teaches graduate courses. From 2004 to 2007 was superintendent in Jonesboro, GA, a suburban Atlanta district with 52,400 students that passed a $269 million referendum for building new schools and renovating older ones. Ten years as a superintendent, including seven at the st. Louis Park, MN, district with 4,400 students. PhD from Vanderbilt University in 1988. First honor on resume: "Superintendent of the Year, Georgia PTA, 2007."
Quoted: "I believe that one of my greatest strengths is my ability to listen and to hear what people are saying. it takes patience and sometimes a lot of time to do this, but it also is one of the best ways I know to make certain that the Superintendent is hearing what is being said... My greatest strength is my ability to bring key stakeholders to the table..."
Dr. Carlinda Purcell: Presently a consultant. Superintendent from 2004 to 2006 in Montgomery, AL, a district with 33,000 students, 58 schools and 4,300 employees; budget of $246 million. Superintendent in Warrentown, NC, from 1995 to 2002, a district with 3,300 students, 500 employees and a $22 million budget. EdD in Administration and Supervision/Special Education, from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 1983. First honor listed: "Education Technology Think Tank/Technology to Empower community Champion Leadership Award/Congressional Black Caucus Education Brain Trust by Congressman Major Owens for recognizing the critical needs to provide 21st century learning environment."
Quoted: "When she began her tenure (in Warrenton), the level of African-American students achieving Adequate Yearly Progress was only in the 40th percentile. Her leadership helped this district register one school at the 80th percentile ... prior to her departure. During her last year, every school except the high school achieved Adequate Yearly Progress rating, meaning 80% of all students in those schools were at grade level..."
The three candidates are competing for a two-year contract (the longest the state allows a district to make) at a salary potentially starting at $144,000 a year, plus benefits.
April 1, 2008
Hargrove, Handrow, Wiser elected to School Board
Unified's new School Board members. Photo/Pete SelkoweUPDATE 2: It's worth noting that the three new faces on the School Board were endorsed by RAMAC. The biz group also endorsed the referendum, which passed. Think they have some say in this town?
UPDATE: No numbers yet, but Melvin Hargrove, Pamala Handrow and Dennis Wiser have been elected to the School Board. Karen Norton finished fourth, followed by John Lieber and Carly-Ann Ravnikar.
ORIGINAL POST: There's a close race brewing for the School Board. Here are the results with 55 percent reporting:
Hargrove 5,534
Handrow 4,973
Wiser 4,512
Norton 4,119
(the other two are too far behind)
Norton closed the gap on Wiser from the last update, but Wiser is about the same number of votes behind Handrow. This one could go down to the wire.
March 17, 2008
Updated: McKenna says she was ignored on commentary
Updated: Julie McKenna said Tuesday she was "frustrated" with her fellow School Board members when she wrote the letter to the editor that appeared in Sunday's paper opposing a commentary by the School Board on the same page.
We called McKenna Tuesday and asked her to expand on her concerns with the commentary. She described a confusing and rushed effort by the School Board to get the commentary out to The Journal Times. She declined to single out any members on the board, but said she felt ignored throughout the process.
"I can understand why the public is so angry (with Unified)," McKenna. "It's like they won't listen to anyone."
McKenna's main concern about the commentary was the opening paragraph, which she wanted to clearly state that there was a gap between Unified and the public. Instead, the commentary read there was a "perception of a gulf."
"It's not perception," McKenna said, "it's reality."
McKenna wanted the commentary to focus on positive aspects of the district, particularly on student achievement. She pointed out that many Unified students succeed every day, but those stories seem to get lost in the negativity that engulfs the district.
"If the School Board can't celebrate students, who's going to?" she asked.
McKenna added that she wanted the piece to be more direct. If the School Board wants to ask people to vote for the referendum, it should simply ask voters to support the upcoming five-year, $16.5 million proposal, she said. Instead, the piece danced around the issue and only got to the referendum at the end.
For the record, McKenna strongly supports the referendum. She helped come up with the five-year proposal and is working hard to get it passed on April 1.
More troubling than the wording of a commentary, though, McKenna said she couldn't get anyone on the board to listen to her concerns. When she made a motion to edit the piece, prior to publication, she couldn't even get a second on the motion to open up discussion. It was a remarkable sign of disrespect for the longest serving member of the School Board who easily won re-election the last time she was up.
Stung by the board's unwillingness to listen to her concerns, McKenna went public. She was initially told no one's name would appear on the commentary; instead, it would be signed by the Racine Unified School Board. McKenna said that would have been OK, because she could respect the board's vote on the issue.
But she later learned that they intended to place every board member's name on the commentary. McKenna decided she couldn't support the commentary, and wrote The Journal Times asking that her name be taken off the piece. The JT agreed, and asked her to write a letter. Both ran on Sunday's Opinion page.
McKenna said the disagreement over the commentary is indicative of the working relationships on the School Board. While they can work well together, often it seems like some members are left out of discussions. McKenna said she's situations where one, two or even three members seem to be unaware of an issue that comes before the board.
"We're definitely not working together as nine,"McKenna said.
Original post: A little spat between School Board members showed up on Sunday's Opinion page in The Journal Times. School Board Member Julie McKenna broke from the rest of the board and refused to sign a commentary about the April 1 referendum. Instead, McKenna wrote a letter to the editor explaining why her name was not on the commentary that ran on the same page.
McKenna said she disagreed with the first paragraph in the commentary, which reads:
The commentary seems straight forward: Here are five things we're doing to improve the district. The most encouraging point is the plan for the middle and high schools. District officials are trying to implement alternative teaching methods, along with traditional instruction, to reach out to more students.
The others include hiring a superintendent, holding community listening sessions, redistricting elementary schools and passing the April 1 maintenance referendum.
Based on her letter, I'm not sure why McKenna felt she needed to pull her name from the commentary. There's public support to be won in opposing anything Unified does right now, but McKenna isn't up for election this spring. I'm guessing she felt ignored by the other board members, and felt this was the only way to make her voice heard.
We called McKenna Tuesday and asked her to expand on her concerns with the commentary. She described a confusing and rushed effort by the School Board to get the commentary out to The Journal Times. She declined to single out any members on the board, but said she felt ignored throughout the process.
"I can understand why the public is so angry (with Unified)," McKenna. "It's like they won't listen to anyone."
McKenna's main concern about the commentary was the opening paragraph, which she wanted to clearly state that there was a gap between Unified and the public. Instead, the commentary read there was a "perception of a gulf."
"It's not perception," McKenna said, "it's reality."
McKenna wanted the commentary to focus on positive aspects of the district, particularly on student achievement. She pointed out that many Unified students succeed every day, but those stories seem to get lost in the negativity that engulfs the district.
"If the School Board can't celebrate students, who's going to?" she asked.
McKenna added that she wanted the piece to be more direct. If the School Board wants to ask people to vote for the referendum, it should simply ask voters to support the upcoming five-year, $16.5 million proposal, she said. Instead, the piece danced around the issue and only got to the referendum at the end.
For the record, McKenna strongly supports the referendum. She helped come up with the five-year proposal and is working hard to get it passed on April 1.
More troubling than the wording of a commentary, though, McKenna said she couldn't get anyone on the board to listen to her concerns. When she made a motion to edit the piece, prior to publication, she couldn't even get a second on the motion to open up discussion. It was a remarkable sign of disrespect for the longest serving member of the School Board who easily won re-election the last time she was up.
Stung by the board's unwillingness to listen to her concerns, McKenna went public. She was initially told no one's name would appear on the commentary; instead, it would be signed by the Racine Unified School Board. McKenna said that would have been OK, because she could respect the board's vote on the issue.
But she later learned that they intended to place every board member's name on the commentary. McKenna decided she couldn't support the commentary, and wrote The Journal Times asking that her name be taken off the piece. The JT agreed, and asked her to write a letter. Both ran on Sunday's Opinion page.
McKenna said the disagreement over the commentary is indicative of the working relationships on the School Board. While they can work well together, often it seems like some members are left out of discussions. McKenna said she's situations where one, two or even three members seem to be unaware of an issue that comes before the board.
"We're definitely not working together as nine,"McKenna said.
Original post: A little spat between School Board members showed up on Sunday's Opinion page in The Journal Times. School Board Member Julie McKenna broke from the rest of the board and refused to sign a commentary about the April 1 referendum. Instead, McKenna wrote a letter to the editor explaining why her name was not on the commentary that ran on the same page.
McKenna said she disagreed with the first paragraph in the commentary, which reads:
We are at a critical juncture in determining the future of the Racine Unified School District. Coming out of a very difficult period, we know community confidence in the district is shaken. As a result, many see a wide gulf between the community and its school system. This perception itself could be a barrier to progress if we let it. But as a community, we cannot afford to let this become a barrier. We have to move forward. And we must find a way to move forward together.In her letter, McKenna wrote:
As an individual school board member my disagreement lies in the first paragraph of the commentary. I wanted the focus of the school board to be on student achievement and I believe the perception listed about the gap between the community and school is a reality, not perception, and the critical juncture about the future is not about the future but the status quo.I've read both the commentary and McKenna's letter a handful of times. I'm not sure what she's getting at. Is she opposed to the referendum?
I wanted the focus of the letter to be on getting support for the schools and asking the community for help in achieving that vision and to recognize the success of our students and the reality of some students not succeeding. I do agree this has been a difficult time in the past year.
The commentary seems straight forward: Here are five things we're doing to improve the district. The most encouraging point is the plan for the middle and high schools. District officials are trying to implement alternative teaching methods, along with traditional instruction, to reach out to more students.
The others include hiring a superintendent, holding community listening sessions, redistricting elementary schools and passing the April 1 maintenance referendum.
Based on her letter, I'm not sure why McKenna felt she needed to pull her name from the commentary. There's public support to be won in opposing anything Unified does right now, but McKenna isn't up for election this spring. I'm guessing she felt ignored by the other board members, and felt this was the only way to make her voice heard.
March 8, 2008
Unified's referendum tour: Not a pretty sight...
Windows at Janes School...From school to school it went -- first to Case High School, then Starbuck Middle School, then Walden III, then Janes Elementary. At each stop, district officials escorted their charges around the buildings, pointing out this and that: doors that let cold air in, and won't lock; outdated ventilation systems; roofs that leak; windows that rattle and look ready to fall apart; a concrete stairway with a big crack in the middle; a swimming pool that barely holds water; security systems about which the less said the better.
David Hazen, Racine Unified's chief financial officer, and a former school board member, led the tour, with Frank Jarosz, Unified's project manager for maintenance doing the heavy lifting when it came to explaining just what is broken, and what it would take to fix it. It was all part of the district's effort to educate the public about what it would spend the $16.5 million it hopes taxpayers will approve on April 1, a referendum for five years' worth of (mostly long overdue) maintenance projects for the districts 33 buildings comprising 3,200,000 sq. ft. of space.
The boiler room at Case HS...How much it costs to maintain the district's schools is amazing -- although it shouldn't be, given that some buildings date from before the Civil War (Winslow, our oldest school, was built in 1856; Gilmore, our "newest," in 1973), and Unified has shorted maintenance funds for years, to avoid having to cut staff (and because half a dozen referenda providing maintenance funds were rejected by the taxpayers). Unified supplied those taking the tour with a checklist with all the projects it hopes to do: a fire alarm system at Wind Point ($130,099), roofing at Jefferson ($60,691), sidewalks at Schulte ($30,972), replace 40-year-old cracked asphalt at Giese's playground ($206,480), new seats and lighting in Case High School's theater, $318,000) ... and so it goes. Those are just a few of the first-year's expenditures; the list goes on -- and on --through five years' worth of new windows and doors, a replaced pool, paint, electrical upgrades, heating and ventilation repairs, millions for new roofs.
Jarosz, who's been on the job at Unified for 18 years, recalled how years ago -- in the early '90s -- he budgeted for the big stuff, of course, but he also had about $750,000 a year to spend on the myriad little repairs -- items costing less than $25,000, like Walden's cracked-down-the-middle front steps for example. No more; now everything must be budgeted years ahead. If the referendum passes, then Janes -- the district's year-'round school, open in the summer -- will have its air conditioning system rebuilt at a cost of $820,758, in 2012. If not, well ...
Broken concrete steps at Walden...So was anybody convinced? The school bus carried 21 people on Saturday morning's tour -- but only seven were "civilians" -- neither working for the district, nor on the volunteer referendum advisory committee, nor media. As the bus pulled back into Case's parking lot after two hours of poking through boiler rooms, classrooms and chilly entryways, and peering at peeling paint, cracked concrete and twisted roof shingles, I asked the civilians on the bus how many were convinced of the need, and how many were not.
Six people raised their hands in support of the referendum. Only one man said no: Frank Morrison of the Racine Taxpayers Association insists the district has enough money for maintenance (actually, the amount uncommitted is just $232,813) and, a worse offense in Morrison's canon, is trying to hire another superintendent like the one who left last August. But on that bus, after touring the district's schools, he was the lone negative voice.
"Not bad," said Hazen, ever the accountant, doing the math in his head; "85 percent support."
If only.
-- --
Unified has put much information about the referendum on its website.For example: here is a spreadsheet with all the maintenance projects the district hopes to fund from the five-year referendum, sorted by year and school.
Here is a list of previous referendum projects, by school, showing what the district spent $21 million repairing in recent years.
Here is a school tax calculator, showing exactly how much the referendum will cost you (after you plug in your home's assessed valuation).
Here is a fact sheet with lots of information about the district and the referendum. A VIDEO is here.
January 15, 2008
Help pick Unified's next superintendent
Racine Unified has retained PROACT Search, a firm that specializes in helping school boards find a superintendent. To identify the characteristics that the community is looking for, the school board is seeking the input of students, parents, staff and residents.
To provide your input, attend one of the following Community Forums:
Tuesday, Jan. 29:
To provide your input, attend one of the following Community Forums:
Tuesday, Jan. 29:
7:30 a.m. - 9 a.m.,RUSD Administrative Service Center, 2220 Northwestern Ave.Wednesday, Jan. 30
7:30 a.m. - 9 a.m., Gilmore Middle School Auditorium, 2330 Northwestern Ave.
7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m., Horlick High School Theatre, 2119 Rapids Drive
7:30 a.m. - 9 a.m., RUSD Administrative Service CenterIf you are unable to attend any of the forums, you may complete and return the Superintendent Search Survey to any district school (mark ATTN: Office of Communication) or mail or fax it directly to the address/fax number indicated on the bottom of the form. You may also e-mail your completed form directly to PROACT Search. The survey will be available on the district's website beginning on Monday, Jan. 28. All surveys must be returned by Friday, Feb. 8.
6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m., RUSD Administrative Service Center
January 9, 2008
Unified referendum? Blogosphere quick to say no
The Journal Times has a short story based on the agenda for next Monday's Racine Unified school board meeting: "The board will discuss the possibility of getting a referendum on the April ballot ... The board will have roughly a month to adopt a resolution by a state-imposed deadline of Feb. 16," reporter Paul Sloth wrote.
You might think seriously about this potential referendum for building maintenance funds ... unless you read the paper's website.
The story was posted on the internet Wednesday at 5:23 p.m. By 5:24 -- yes, it took a whole minute! -- the JT's bloggers started weighing in. "Let me be the first to say no," said "DropZoneSurplusNGuns."
At 5:39, "Winger" wrote: "Ummm... nope." "RWWackoStu," "Cartman" and "Head Shot" all wrote variations of: "NO NO NO, Vote No and Vote often."
There were 13 responses in the next four hours, all but one negative.
The one proponent, "Farm&FleetRapper," pointed out: "These buildings are from Lincoln's administration. What do you want them to do? At my child's school, stairs are falling, ceilings collapsing, mold everywhere... The foundation is crumbling to the point where water leaks like a river in the basement classrooms. Paint is chipping everywhere (lead)... Dripping faucets. Doors are so warped, snow comes in between the door and the door jamb."
His/her plea fell on deaf ears, drowned out by references to former Supt. Tom Hicks, the contract with the Public Business Consulting Group, PBCG co-owner Nick Alioto, the incomplete investigation of that contract, and so on.
Does blogosphere venom mean anything? Unfortunately, yes. Regardless what anyone thinks about anonymous bloggers, Unified is in that awful space where everything it does is met by a negative knee-jerk reaction. The board realized this last May, when it canceled an earlier referendum, and it obviously is hoping that the passage of time has provided healing. Alas, no; the PBCG sore is still an open wound. And the news this week that Unified's chief academic officer Marguerite Vanden Wyngaard -- on the job for barely a year -- has applied for the superintendent's post in Madison, doesn't help either.
Is there anything Unified can do to get past this in the short term? There had better be ... or there won't be any long-term.
Nor is it just the blogosphere that bad-mouths the district's finances. Rep. Robin Vos, R-63rd Assembly District, told the Downtown Racine Rotary Club Wednesday that "Unified used to say it was underfunded, but now it's at the median" (in per pupil spending) of all districts. Vos reminded his audience that he proposed extending school choice and vouchers into Racine County, and that his arch-enemy on that issue, Sen. John Lehman, D-21st Senate District, (they have an "over my dead body" relationship) is supported by the teachers' union.
Vos is not sympathetic to calls for more money anyway, having said during the last campaign: "Spending more money on Wisconsin schools isn't necessarily the answer." And maybe it isn't necessarily, although logic would seem to indicate that fewer teachers, bigger classes, fewer librarians, fewer music, art and language courses and hundred-year-old leaky school buildings might, at some point -- we're not necessarily near that point, of course -- prove self-defeating.
Maybe if we close our eyes and click our heels together three times, Glinda the Good Witch will wave her magic wand and our schools will shed their old and wrinkled skin, textbooks will regenerate, computer labs will sprout and ...
You might think seriously about this potential referendum for building maintenance funds ... unless you read the paper's website.
The story was posted on the internet Wednesday at 5:23 p.m. By 5:24 -- yes, it took a whole minute! -- the JT's bloggers started weighing in. "Let me be the first to say no," said "DropZoneSurplusNGuns."
At 5:39, "Winger" wrote: "Ummm... nope." "RWWackoStu," "Cartman" and "Head Shot" all wrote variations of: "NO NO NO, Vote No and Vote often."
There were 13 responses in the next four hours, all but one negative.
The one proponent, "Farm&FleetRapper," pointed out: "These buildings are from Lincoln's administration. What do you want them to do? At my child's school, stairs are falling, ceilings collapsing, mold everywhere... The foundation is crumbling to the point where water leaks like a river in the basement classrooms. Paint is chipping everywhere (lead)... Dripping faucets. Doors are so warped, snow comes in between the door and the door jamb."
His/her plea fell on deaf ears, drowned out by references to former Supt. Tom Hicks, the contract with the Public Business Consulting Group, PBCG co-owner Nick Alioto, the incomplete investigation of that contract, and so on.
Does blogosphere venom mean anything? Unfortunately, yes. Regardless what anyone thinks about anonymous bloggers, Unified is in that awful space where everything it does is met by a negative knee-jerk reaction. The board realized this last May, when it canceled an earlier referendum, and it obviously is hoping that the passage of time has provided healing. Alas, no; the PBCG sore is still an open wound. And the news this week that Unified's chief academic officer Marguerite Vanden Wyngaard -- on the job for barely a year -- has applied for the superintendent's post in Madison, doesn't help either.
Is there anything Unified can do to get past this in the short term? There had better be ... or there won't be any long-term.
Nor is it just the blogosphere that bad-mouths the district's finances. Rep. Robin Vos, R-63rd Assembly District, told the Downtown Racine Rotary Club Wednesday that "Unified used to say it was underfunded, but now it's at the median" (in per pupil spending) of all districts. Vos reminded his audience that he proposed extending school choice and vouchers into Racine County, and that his arch-enemy on that issue, Sen. John Lehman, D-21st Senate District, (they have an "over my dead body" relationship) is supported by the teachers' union.
Vos is not sympathetic to calls for more money anyway, having said during the last campaign: "Spending more money on Wisconsin schools isn't necessarily the answer." And maybe it isn't necessarily, although logic would seem to indicate that fewer teachers, bigger classes, fewer librarians, fewer music, art and language courses and hundred-year-old leaky school buildings might, at some point -- we're not necessarily near that point, of course -- prove self-defeating.
Maybe if we close our eyes and click our heels together three times, Glinda the Good Witch will wave her magic wand and our schools will shed their old and wrinkled skin, textbooks will regenerate, computer labs will sprout and ...
January 5, 2008
School Board candidate Ravnikar starts a blog
At least one of the candidates for the Racine Unified School Board is taking her campaign online.
Carly-Anne Ravnikar, a student at UW-Parkside and first-time candidate for School Board, has started a blog. Her first post gives some general background and asks interested voters to email her questions.
It's a great use of a free medium, and we hope other candidates follow her lead (and that Ravnikar follows through on her promise to update her blog with posts about key issues and the campaign). You can checkout her blog at: http://schoolboardelectionracine.blogspot.com
Carly-Anne Ravnikar, a student at UW-Parkside and first-time candidate for School Board, has started a blog. Her first post gives some general background and asks interested voters to email her questions.
It's a great use of a free medium, and we hope other candidates follow her lead (and that Ravnikar follows through on her promise to update her blog with posts about key issues and the campaign). You can checkout her blog at: http://schoolboardelectionracine.blogspot.com
December 3, 2007
Hargrove appointed to School Board
Pastor Melvin Hargrove was named to the Racine Unified School Board Monday night.
Hargrove was selected after three other applicants for an open seat dropped out and endorsed him. Keith Fair, Norris Johnson and Stella Young all back Hargrove for the board.
Hargrove will serve out the final four months of Randy Bangs's term. Bangs left the board in November for personal reasons.
Hargrove, who is the head of Zoe Outreach Ministries, said Monday night he will run for a full term on the board in April.
Along with Fair, Johnson and Young, Hargrove beat out Joyce Gregg, Karen Norton and Jeff Peterson for the seat.
Hargrove was one of five African Americans who applied for the board, and will be the only board member of color.
Hargrove was selected after three other applicants for an open seat dropped out and endorsed him. Keith Fair, Norris Johnson and Stella Young all back Hargrove for the board.
Hargrove will serve out the final four months of Randy Bangs's term. Bangs left the board in November for personal reasons.
Hargrove, who is the head of Zoe Outreach Ministries, said Monday night he will run for a full term on the board in April.
Along with Fair, Johnson and Young, Hargrove beat out Joyce Gregg, Karen Norton and Jeff Peterson for the seat.
Hargrove was one of five African Americans who applied for the board, and will be the only board member of color.
November 27, 2007
Five African Americans interested in open School Board seat
Five African Americans are among the people who have expressed interested in being appointed to an open seat on the Racine Unified School Board.
Former City Council Member Keith Fair, the Rev. Norris Johnson, the Rev. Melvin Hargrove, of Zoe Outreach Ministry, Karen Norton and Stella Young, a former teacher, administrator and School Board member, have all expressed interest in an open seat on the School Board. Board member Randy Bangs resigned in October.
The School Board will meet on Dec. 3 to consider Bangs' replacement. Joyce Gregg and Jeff Peterson expressed interest in the seat. Others can come apply for the position up to the board's meeting. Whoever is selected will serve out Bangs' term, which ends in April.
Hargrove said he decided to run after hearing a lot of complaining about Unified.
"I'd like to be part of the decision-making body to bring change to the district," he said.
Hargrove said there was no one issue he wanted to focus on. Instead, he wanted to concentrate on cutting through politics and focusing on improving education in the district.
As for diversity on the board, Hargrove said he would like to see more minorities in decision-making positions with the district.
"It's a passing thought," he said about running for a spot on the all-white board. "The more people I talk to, the more who say it's an issue. My thing is this, I want to make sure we have the right people on the board, period."
Young, who left the School Board in 1999 after serving eight years, said she submitted her name to ensure there was a person of color interested in the position.
“I didn't want them to say they couldn't find anybody and give them a reason to keep it an all-white board," Young said.
She added that if appointed she will not run for the board in April, and that she will support other candidates of color if they are selected.
"I don't have any desire to run for the board again," Young said. "I was on there for a number of years. When I retired from it, that's what I did."
Former City Council Member Keith Fair, the Rev. Norris Johnson, the Rev. Melvin Hargrove, of Zoe Outreach Ministry, Karen Norton and Stella Young, a former teacher, administrator and School Board member, have all expressed interest in an open seat on the School Board. Board member Randy Bangs resigned in October.
The School Board will meet on Dec. 3 to consider Bangs' replacement. Joyce Gregg and Jeff Peterson expressed interest in the seat. Others can come apply for the position up to the board's meeting. Whoever is selected will serve out Bangs' term, which ends in April.
Hargrove said he decided to run after hearing a lot of complaining about Unified.
"I'd like to be part of the decision-making body to bring change to the district," he said.
Hargrove said there was no one issue he wanted to focus on. Instead, he wanted to concentrate on cutting through politics and focusing on improving education in the district.
As for diversity on the board, Hargrove said he would like to see more minorities in decision-making positions with the district.
"It's a passing thought," he said about running for a spot on the all-white board. "The more people I talk to, the more who say it's an issue. My thing is this, I want to make sure we have the right people on the board, period."
Young, who left the School Board in 1999 after serving eight years, said she submitted her name to ensure there was a person of color interested in the position.
“I didn't want them to say they couldn't find anybody and give them a reason to keep it an all-white board," Young said.
She added that if appointed she will not run for the board in April, and that she will support other candidates of color if they are selected.
"I don't have any desire to run for the board again," Young said. "I was on there for a number of years. When I retired from it, that's what I did."
November 15, 2007
Reaction to Unified 'report card'
Reaction to the Public Policy Forum's 10th comparative analysis of public schooling in Racine was offered by a panel of district experts Wednesday night.
Here's some of what they had to say:
Here's some of what they had to say:
"None of us likes where the test scores are, but we see some advancement, particularly in elementary grades. Our point of emphasis now is secondary (education improvements)."
--Tony Baumgardt, president, Board of Education
"One can't help but be distressed. But we're beginning to see some things happening, some reasons for hope."
-- Jack Parker, interim superintendent
"The data are a wakeup call to arms. We have to rethink how we deliver services, a monumental task. We need a 'secondary transformation;' fundamentally delivering instruction differently. (online, different schedules, etc.) If done right, Racine will be the best urban district in the country by 2010-2012."
-- Marguerite Vanden Wyngaard, chief academic officer
"The state funding system is broken."
-- Peter Knotek, president, Racine Education Association
"Minority failures are at the heart of the matter ... This requires a total reconception of how we think of minority students. How would you feel carrying around the label 'at risk'? We must reconceptualize all of our kids as kids with promise. This will require a total community effort."
-- Jack Parker
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