FWIW: I sent this letter to the CCSD board tonight. Ladies and Gentlemen: First, thanks for your service, which is particularly needed in these tumultuous and trying times for CCSD. You are all in thankless positions and I don’t envy the job you have to do. I’m writing to weigh in on the recent Post and Courier articles, editorials and citizen letters urging reinstatement of former superintendent Nancy McGinley. Certainly, Ms. McGinley has many supporters ranging from local mayors, to the NAACP, to school administrators and others. Many of them are “media savvy” and have connections beyond “average citizens” with which to draw attention to, and support for, their “cause”. While Ms. McGinley may have had many successes during her tenure ----- more than a few of them have been overstated by her supporters ---- her poor judgment and actions regarding the Academic Magnet events which brought things to a head, can never be overlooked, nor ever forgotten. The Board’s decision to allow her to stay on as a “consultant” until next summer was, in my opinion, a wrong and unfortunate one. Her continuing presence cannot be good for an organization that needs to regroup and move forward, and certainly will present a difficult environment for an incoming new superintendent to navigate, assuming that he/she will arrive before McGinley’s departure. I can envision that her staying on could be an impediment in the search for her successor. I would guess that news in our country’s education leadership community, especially at her level, probably travels fast, and the position may not sound so attractive given currnet circumstances. And as we continue to witness, her staying around seems only to roil our own community. Had she departed shortly after resignation, this continuing back-and-forth would have been avoided. As a former manager in private industry, now retired, I can assure you that my company ---- and I’m certain it’s true for most private businesses ----- would NEVER enter into such an arrangement with a former employee, whether the employee resigned or was involuntarily terminated. Once separation is decided, immediate severance is always best, allowing both the organization and the former employee to look to their futures, not the past. The Board wisely appointed Mr. Bobby as interim superintendent and he should be allowed to do his job without laboring under Ms. McGinley’s lingering shadow and the continuing swirling controversy. She should be paid her contractual severance so she can leave, and so that this unfortunate event in CCSD history can be closed. And a search for her replacement, if not already in progress, should proceed immediately so that this controversy that plays out almost daily in the local media can finally fade away. Finding a competent replacement must be job one for the Board, and I urge you not to enter into any discussions that might be aimed at reinstating Ms. McGinley. Sincerely, Mike Schwartz
Posted on: Thu, 11 Dec 2014 02:50:40 +0000
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