BREAKING: Education Achievement Authority Looks for Teachers to Teach in a "Christian Setting"

The Education Achievement Authority (EAA), the controversial publicly-funded school system that has taken over 15 "failing" schools that were formerly Detroit Public Schools, is advertising for lead preschool teachers for three schools (Bethune, Law, and Brenda Scott) who will be "responsible for implementing a developmentally appropriate early childhood education curriculum in a Christian setting."

According to a letter sent to the EAA by the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, a teacher called the ACLU last week to alert them to this job posting.

Excerpt from the EAA preschool teacher job posting. Found online at http://michigan.gov/documents/eaa/Preschool_Teachers_441799_7.pdf on 2/25/2014.

What's more, because the EAA is the vehicle for the state-run State School Reform/Redesign District, the job posting is actually hosted on the State of Michigan's web site, michigan.gov. [Find other documents from the EAA at michigan.gov/eaa.]

In the letter to Chancellor John Covington, the head of the EAA, from Legal Director Michael J. Steinberg, the ACLU notes that:

There is no principle more fundamental to American public education than the requirement that schools be welcoming of all students and teachers regardless of religious or racial background. Our Constitution wisely requires schools to remain neutral in matters of religion. . . 

I hope that you will respond to this letter by explaining that the use of the "Christian setting" language was somehow a mistake and that you will change the job description right away. Even if it was a mistake, however, we are distressed by how many EAA administrators and staff must have read the job announcement without thinking it was wrong or demanding that it be changed. Moreover, we wonder how many excellent teachers who are Muslim, Jewish or not religious read the job description and decided not to apply because they believed they were not wanted. Indeed, how many top notch teachers who are Christian decided not to apply because they thought it was improper to teach public school students in a religious environment?

Read the entire letter, including Exhibit A (a .pdf of the job description) here.

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Top Ann Arbor Schools Musings Posts of 2013

Starting with the most popular post from 2013, and working my way down the list...

1. Who is the Broad Foundation and Why Do We in Ann Arbor Care? (May 6, 2013)

In which I explain the association between then-superintendent Pat Green and the Broad Foundation.

2. The (financial) costs of (NWEA) testing in Ann Arbor (Sept. 22, 2013)

In which I discuss the hard costs, and soft costs, of NWEA testing--to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. Plus there are a lot of great links to other information about the NWEA test.

3. Principal Principles, Perspectives, and Publicity (Nov. 24, 2013)

Sulura Jackson at Skyline High School graduation.
Photo from a2schools.org.

Why did Cindy Leaman leave Pioneer High School for the new Ann Arbor Virtual Academy? Did Sulura Jackson, former principal of Skyline High School, plagiarize?

4. Superintendent Background Research: Richard Faidley (July 9, 2013)

I think this was the first profile I did for superintendent background research during the recent hiring of the AAPS Superintendent. Richard Faidley didn't make it to the next round.

5. State Board of Ed Roadshow Gives (A Lot of) Food for Thought (March 12, 2013)

Julie Roth wrote an excellent guest column for me using the perspective of a "non-teacher, non-educator, non-union Parent Stakeholder."

6. Ypsilanti Community Schools: Meditations on Employment (June 10, 2013)

Willow Run Flyers logo (old)

Ypsilanti High School Phoenix logo (old)

In 2013, we said goodbye to Ypsilanti and Willow Run school districts, and hello to the consolidated Ypsilanti Community Schools. The Ypsilanti and Willow Run consolidation of schools led to the loss of some staff positions, the loss of some staff compensation, and the loss of both the Ypsilanti and Willow Run teachers' unions. Plus I tell a fun family story.


7. AAPS Superintendent Pat Green Resigns. What Do You Think Of That? (April 11, 2013)

When AAPS Superintendent Pat Green resigned, I did a survey. The links to the results are in this post.

8. Finalist for Superintendent Background Research: Brian Osborne (July 9, 2013)

Brian Osborne was offered the AAPS Superintendent position. He didn't take it, and we got runner-up Jeanice Swift. So far, she appears to have embraced the position.

9. Funny Common Core Video Raises Serious Questions (June 8, 2013)

I like this video so much (and I need some pictures in this post) that I'm putting it right in here!



10. Are You Following the NWEA MAP Controversy In Seattle? (Feb. 6, 2013)

In Seattle, teachers refused to administer the NWEA MAP test. Read more recent updates at the Scrap the Map web site.




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Recap: Superintendent Candidate Brian Osborne

The superintendent candidates have come and gone, and I find myself being slightly reluctant to post anything, because, after all--does it matter? The board will decide. But yes, it does matter--because I promised to share my research and thoughts--and because I think inasmuch as we know a person's strengths and weaknesses going forward, that is helpful. So, I'm sharing this in four parts: what I learned about the candidate from research; key links; what I experienced/noticed when I met the candidate in person; and if the candidate is hired, what we should make sure to communicate to them.

Research on Brian Osborne

I was able to collect lots and lots of information about Brian Osborne. I was able to find more information online about him (he does advocate for what he believes in), and I also have more contacts in South Orange/Maplewood (who helped me develop even more contacts). People wrote to me with their comments, because I asked them to.

To try and summarize, there's good and bad in there--I would say more good than bad.

Statewide in New Jersey, he has done advocacy both on school funding and on teacher tenure laws. Generally, I think teacher tenure is a good thing but I'm not an expert on either New Jersey or Michigan teacher tenure laws. I don't know how to compare them or what the replacements mean, but if you do, you can read about the teacher tenure law (and get a sense of how he advocates) at these links: 

Email #1: 

"I am attaching links to the interim report of the teacher evaluation committee that Osborne was part of [ed. note: I think he chaired the committee] and also the state dept. link to the work of the committee.
http://www.state.nj.us/education/educators/effectiveness.pdf
http://www.state.nj.us/education/archive/EE4NJ/ac/ 

Email #2:  

He has repeatedly advocated for tenure reform, going down to Trenton several times to testify. Here's just one example: http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/10/1209/2230/And another: http://www.gscschools.org/gsc/Announcements/Pre%202012%20Announcement%20Archives/3-6-12Tenure%20Reform%20News%20-%20%20Discussion%20at%20Senate%20Education%20Committee.html/_top "

He has been a strong advocate for reducing the achievement gap and "de-leveling" the middle schools (eliminating tracking--their middle schools had a "four track" system). They actually only have eliminated tracking to the extent that we did in Ann Arbor years ago--they still track for math. Also complicating the factor is that in New Jersey you are required to have gifted and talented programs. We don't have that requirement in Michigan. Although many people think he did a great job with pushing through de-leveling, and that it was important work, others felt that: a) he had a good idea but the follow through wasn't good; and that b) the response to no longer having a gifted and talented program has been to bring in the middle school International Baccalaureate program, which they thought of as poorly thought out, and which also ran over budget.

He also got kudos for bringing in full-day kindergarten since, as one commenter told me, "It's not 1953 anymore." In order to do this he had to convince voters to pass a tax levy (millage), so he has experience advocating for taxes. 

New Jersey did an audit of South Orange-Maplewood's Title I funding, and told the district to return over $226,000. 

Here is the Patch article about it: http://maplewood.patch.com/groups/andrew-lees-blog/p/bp--op-ed-state-says-som-schools-misspent-226467-in-tb50309a45a

Here is the full report.

Other strengths that were mentioned to me:

--He is smart.

--He "is good with numbers," "has strong budgeting skills."

--He "has charisma, is articulate, and has great instincts."

Other weaknesses that were mentioned to me:

--good communicator on things like inclement weather, but not a good communicator on other things

--can be unresponsive to parents

--two separate comments about needing to use the Open Public Records Act (New Jersey's equivalent of Michigan's Freedom of Information Act) to get information that should have been accessible without that. An example of that would be the Title I Audit.

I'll close with a summary from a friend of a friend that I think encapsulates the feedback I got fairly well. My friend (who is in the district and likes Osborne, especially because of his work on the achievement gap, but is not very involved in school politics), asked for feedback from his friend. This is a person who has been very involved in school issues, and said that in the beginning Osborne was very responsive to positive or negative issues, but over time became less responsive about tricky/problematic issues. Rather than being test-score obsessed, she described him as "data driven," but noted that was true for the whole state. [Ed. Note: We are not alone--what is happening in Michigan is happening everywhere.] She also said he likes numbers, and studying trends--and may sometimes push through change too quickly. She gave as an example implementing IB in the middle schools. 

Key Links

Live blog: semifinalist interview

Audeo: semifinalist interview

Live blog: finalist interview 

Live blog: 90 day plan

My previous research on Brian Osborne

Impressions

Much of what I saw in the interview I went to matched up very well with what people from his current district said. He is obviously very smart, articulate, and has well-thought out ideas. He discussed his thoughts about tenure reform saying something like, "not everyone might agree with me," but he was still willing to share his ideas, which I appreciate. I was impressed by how much research he had done about our district (he knew a lot of details); and by his focus on the achievement gap. 

At a different interview (one my friend was at), he waded right into the education reform debate and gave me a better sense of where he stands. My friend wrote me that, at the interview she was at, 

Interestingly, he offered up early on that he wanted to dispel any notion that he was Broad affiliated.  He said he wasn't sure how it got out there because he didn't go through their academy and in fact doesn't agree with them.  He did offer that he twice taught a session at SUPES about governance but said that isn't Broad (we said yes it is). He said "they have had no influence on my learning." 

He further went on to describe his central approach to education as improving teaching and learning in the classroom.  He said he does not agree with any of the reform strategies that include privatization and corporatization of public schools, culling out 10% lowest performing teachers, teacher evaluation solely on test scores, etc.  He said his life work is to keep public education strong and not allow it to be dismantled.  He said he's attracted to AA/fits because AA because values diversity and is progressive (his term)."

Kudos to Osborne for taking this on in an interview, and giving us a sense of where he fits on the education reform spectrum. I really appreciate that!

I was able to ask Brian Osborne about the Title I audit in the session I went to, and I asked him what he learned and what he would have done differently. He said he believed the state had overreached, that they were fighting the audit, and that he probably wouldn't do things differently--there was one out of state trip they took kids on (to historically black colleges) that he would have confirmed would be legal. So I appreciated his support of what they had done. On the other hand, our district has gotten into trouble before doing things that "we" thought were okay and that turned out not to be--remember the substitute teacher lawsuit? Perhaps more concerning to me was that he got rather defensive in answering the question, and said he wouldn't do things differently. I was looking for a "lessons learned" answer.

Summary

I was convinced that he would be comfortable, in a fairly short time, advocating for school funding in Michigan--even though he is not from Michigan. I was also very convinced that he has the budget/finance/evaluation skills to work in our district. 

Although I won't always agree with Brian Osborne, I would feel very comfortable with the board offering him the position of Superintendent.

Some of the weaknesses that were enumerated above (particularly around communication with parents, teachers, citizens) and needing to get things through the Open Records Act are things that very much frustrated me with Pat Green. However, I am hoping that the school board can emphasize to him that these are essential elements of being a successful superintendent in Ann Arbor. 

Recap: Superintendent Candidate Jeanice Kerr Swift

The superintendent candidates have come and gone, and I find myself being slightly reluctant to post anything, because, after all--does it matter? The board will decide. But yes, it does matter--because I promised to share my research and thoughts--and because I think inasmuch as we know a person's strengths and weaknesses going forward, that is helpful. So, I'm sharing this in four parts: what I learned about the candidate from research; key links; what I experienced/noticed when I met the candidate in person; and if the candidate is hired, what we should make sure to communicate to them.

Research on Jeanice Kerr Swift

If I was looking for an exercise in frustration, then I found it! I was unable to uncover very much information about Jeanice Kerr Swift. I completely "struck out" in reaching people who knew her from her work in Colorado Springs District 11. There was a little bit on the web about two curriculum-related activities, which I linked to in a previous blog post, and not much else. 


At first I took this as a reflection on my research skills (which I generally think are pretty good), but then I realized something else. If you search my name on the web (skipping the blog-related stuff), or the name of one of our assistant superintendents (say, Alesia Flye, or the now-retired Lee Ann Dickinson-Kelley), you get information about work they have done. Try it, by searching yourself, and see what you find.

I also struck out in developing contacts in Colorado Springs. I did have several friends try for me, and the one person who found a person in D-11 was told that his contact didn't know Jeanice Kerr Swift.

My conclusion--in part, relates to her role as assistant superintendent, but the other piece is that I think she is a person who has probably done an efficient job staying in the background. 

Key Links

Here are the annarbor.com live blogs: 
Semifinalist interview
Finalist interview
90-Day Plan presentation

My original writeup about Jeanice Kerr Swift

My impressions

Jeanice obviously is very comfortable and knowledgeable in the curriculum/instruction realm and I feel comfortable that she really thinks about special education kids and at risk kids. I might disagree with her about outcomes and results. For instance, she did say “a rising tide lifts all boats” and in my experience with vulnerable kids that is not always true—the tide that lifts the majority of boats often leaves vulnerable kids behind.

She also just seemed to accept that teacher evaluation laws (that use tests of students to evaluate teachers) are coming and didn’t express any opposition to them, but I have big problems with them. She "said" she would be a big advocate in Michigan as superintendent around school funding issues, but I don't see experience in her background that makes me think she would be good at that. This is in part because I couldn't find any examples of her advocating for anything to the public or government. Maybe she has done it and I couldn't find it. (She gave an example of working with the legislature to cost out a proposal, but that was really operating in the background--I want someone who will be out front on school funding and in opposition to bad "educational reform" ideas.)

Also importantly, there were times in the interview where I thought she should know something (detailed, but not super detailed) about the Ann Arbor schools, and it made me wonder how much research she had done on the district. 

I didn’t get a sense of her administrative skills (budgeting, etc.), the 90-day plan was a puff piece (we should “DREAM!!”) and almost all of her answers had a curricular focus. If this were a curriculum job that would be great, but I don't think she demonstrated her skills in budgeting, union negotiations, etc. She relied on the word "we" far too much, as in "We did X," and it's unclear to me (in, for example, redistricting) what part was her role and what part were other people's roles.

Summary

I think there would be a very steep learning curve for her if the job were to be offered to her, and that would probably not be a good thing for the district. If the job were to be offered to her, she would need a very strong support team (more than a few parents, teachers, principals, and the board) to orient her to the district, to the media, to Michigan politics, etc. I would rather see the board reopen the search. 

The Search for Todd Roberts 2.0

On an email I saw recently, someone referred to the search for a new Ann Arbor Public Schools superintendent as "the search for Todd Roberts 2.0."

Todd Roberts, you might remember, was the well-liked superintendent of Ann Arbor schools before Pat Green. He left for greener pastures in North Carolina.

Todd Roberts. Picture taken from the
University of North Carolina School of Education

Before Todd came to Ann Arbor, he was a deputy superintendent in Oakland County's Birmingham school district--but he lived in Ann Arbor. He was named 2009 Superintendent of the Year for Michigan Region 8.

I think this Ann Arbor Chronicle article offers some insight into what people liked about Todd Roberts.

Roberts Will Be MissedThe fact that Roberts’ contract was just extended was a sign of the board’s confidence in his leadership, according to Mexicotte. “He’s the whole package,” she continued, “You can’t replace somebody like Todd Roberts – you just hope you can find someone as good.”
Satchwell echoed that sentiment, crediting Roberts with stabilizing a district fraught with conflict when he was hired, and establishing a strategic plan to carry AAPS forward. “He is a realist and a troubleshooter,” Satchwell said. “He is good at bridging, and has worked well with every corner of the district. He’s one of the most approachable guys in the world.”
In a phone call earlier today, long-time board member Glenn Nelson praised Roberts’ humility in creating a team atmosphere where people could truly work together productively. He also acknowledged Roberts’ role in getting the Comprehensive School Improvement Program (commonly known as “the Bond”) improvements back on track when he was hired in 2006, and by leading the district’s strategic planning process in a way that made it more useful than it had been previously. While allowing that he expects a smooth transition, Nelson admitted, “I very much regret his resignation. I think he’s been an excellent superintendent, and I’m sorry to see him leave.”

This time round, will we get Todd Roberts 2.0? I don't think so.
Todd Roberts had experience as an assistant superintendent; he had excellent people skills; and he had experience working in education in Michigan.

Whatever you think of Jeanice Kerr Swift and Brian Osborne, neither of them has the experience in Michigan that I think is critical. Thus--without assessing their superintending or people skills--in my opinion they are missing a key piece that would make them capable of being "the next Todd Roberts."

Would the "local" candidates have been able to be "the next Todd Roberts?"
I don't think so. Henry Hastings was an "outside, different" candidate who had not worked at a high administrative level in a school district. Ben Edmondson was missing the classic "middle step." Most candidates for a school district the size of Ann Arbor's would have first been a deputy superintendent or a superintendent elsewhere. Although Sandra Harris, on paper, looked like she did have that experience, she hadn't even bothered to update her letters of recommendation--from 2009! That is not a mistake Todd Roberts would have made.

[I did not go to the interviews, but I think Kellie Woodhouse did a nice job with her live blog. Day 1 here; Day 2 here.]

Of course I was left wondering--did the school board overlook another "Todd Roberts?" An assistant superintendent or a superintendent in a southern Michigan school district?  There were 61 applicants, and we only know about the six semifinalists.

After the last two years, I really hope that if the two finalist candidates do not suffice, that the board feels that they can reopen the process, and does not feel that they have to hire someone immediately.

What's Next With Those Superintendent Candidates?

From the Ann Arbor Public Schools: 

The Ann Arbor Public School Board of Education is pleased to welcome the two Superintendent finalists, Dr. Jeanice Swift and Dr. Brian Osborne, to Ann Arbor.
The community is invited to attend a forum with each candidate. The candidates will each start their forum with a brief introduction and there will be a Q & A for the attendees.
Dr. Jeanice Swift

• Tuesday, July 16 at 7 p.m at Skyline High School

Dr. Brian Osborne

• Wednesday, July 17 at 7 p.m. at Skyline High School

This is the opportunity for the community to meet the two candidates and ask questions as the Board of Education finalizes the selection of the next Ann Arbor Public School Superintendent of Schools. 

The public may also attend a presentation and meeting with the Board from 1:15 to 2:45 p.m. at Skyline on July 16 and July 17.  

The Board will hold a meeting on Friday, July 19, 5:30 at the Balas Administration Building, 2555 S. State Street, for the purpose of making a final selection for the Superintendent position.

According to Christine Stead, school board member,

Let us know which candidate resonated the most with you and why.  We will have feedback forms for attendees at the end of each session.  We will have time to review your feedback prior to making a decision on Friday, so please come, meet our candidates, see how they engage with you and which one is a good fit for Ann Arbor and the AAPS. 

If you don't like either of them and feel the board should reopen the search, that is something you can share with the board as well.(By the way, I haven't come to that conclusion--yet--but I have had other people tell me that they have.) Email the board with feedback: boe@aaps.k12.mi.us.

How's My Research Coming?

In a nutshell--

I have plenty of information coming in from Maplewood/South Orange about their experiences with Brian Osborne. I'd say it's a mixed bag, some really good things and some not-so-good things, and I will be able to write up a post about Brian Osborne by Sunday.

From Colorado Springs, on the other hand, it's a completely different story. I have very little information. In Maplewood/South Orange I a) knew a few people who lived there already and b) there is a a robust online discussion board which facilitated me getting even more information. In Colorado Springs, I don't know anybody. And Jeanice Kerr Swift, as an assistant superintendent, has less published information about her.

So I ask you: Do you know anybody in Colorado Springs? Please put me in touch by emailing me at rlk234@gmail.com.

Audio Interviews: Osborne & Edmondson

A friend sent me audio interviews of (part or all, I'm not sure) of the Brian Osborne and Ben Edmondson interviews. I know Ben was not chosen as a finalist but he is a local candidate so I thought people would like to listen to both of them.

I don't have an audio file of Jeanice Swift but if someone else does you can send it to me and I will add it.



Osborne and Edmondson interviews

The Importance of Being Earnest About Vetting Superintendent Candidates

Recently, I've been forwarded a couple of articles about some spectacularly failed searches by Ray & Associates (the superintendent search firm Ann Arbor Public Schools is using), and reading these documents one cannot help but be struck by the importance of:

a) thoroughly checking up on everything that the applicants say in their applications, and not relying on a search firm to do that all for us, and

b) paying site visits to the locations where people have served before, talking to people they have worked with, and to parents, and to people who worked for them. . .

Here is some background:

1. There was a big scandal in Kentucky in 2007 when Ray & Associates conducted a search for the schools chief for the Kentucky Board of Education. They chose a woman named Barbara Erwin to be statewide schools chief, but it turned out that there were things on her resume/application that were not true, and she ended up withdrawing at the last minute. Then the school board refused to pay Ray & Associates. . .

In an article in Kentucky Schools News & Commentary: A web-based destination for aggregated news and commentary related to public school education in Kentucky and related topics, the following information is recorded: 

When the Kentucky Board of Education ratified Dr. Barbara Erwin as Kentucky's next Commissioner of Education, her previously "confidential candidate file" became a public document.Mark Hebert from WHAS got a copy a couple of weeks ago and had already prepared me for what I was going to see; a very one-sided sales job that is much more of a promotional piece than it is a critical, or balanced, look at the candidate.It accentuates the positive and eliminates the negative...  

The sum of the material paints a glowing picture of Dr. Erwin's career and credentials...
They summarized Erwin's attributes including: hiring quality people; strong interpersonal skills; work ethic; outstanding oral and written communicator; cited her numerous presentations at state and national level; keeps the board well-informed; collaborative leadership; encourages everyone to speak his or her mind; believes information is power and she gives power to everyone; passionate; and assertive. 

In fact, I couldn't find a single sentence that might give a Kentucky school board member pause.There was one sentence: "Dr. Erwin's school board was split on a number of issues and remains deeply entrenched in controversy regarding district boundaries." ...but blame is laid on the board; never Erwin. 

No wonder the Kentucky Board of Education felt secure in their choice, despite warnings from others.There is no evidence that Ray & Associates looked at the public record from newspapers or any outside sources representing the public interest. Maybe they did. Maybe they shared information verbally and privately with board members. But, it sure doesn't show up in the report. 

The Ray & Associates Website describes their process this way:

Background Investigations: Ray and Associates, Inc. makes every effort to ensure our clients that the candidates recommended for consideration are exactly who they say they are. Careful screening and background checks are essential to this process. Our firm provides our clients with detailed information on each semi-finalist in addition to all other application materials. This information relies upon many hours of research and investigation. No attempts are made to conceal anything from our clients. In fact, our clients often remark that they are very impressed with how much they actually learn about candidates before ever meeting them. 

Yesterday, Kentucky School News and Commentary spoke with Dr. Gary Ray, of Ray & Associates on the record. 

Kentucky School News and Commentary: I'm not sure if you are aware that Dr. Erwin listed some things on her resume that have not been verifiable. 

Dr Gary Ray: "I'm not sure where you get that. We had a couple questions; some people might have said that, and everything's been verified as much as possible, I mean they have been accurate, so I'd like to know a little bit more specific what you're asking about." 

KSN&C: Sure, well... 

Ray: "I mean, you know, just to make that statement wouldn't necessarily be a; that's a pretty broad statement, so I'd like to know just exactly what you're asking about."(So KSN&C listed ...Claimed to be a presenter at the 2006 Triple I ConferenceClaimed AASA Exec Board 10 yearsClaimed she was still on the Scottsdale Chamber of CommerceHas not yet explained how she received an Indiana teaching certificatebefore her IU diplomaClaims of post doctoral degrees from USC and Columbia.) 

KSN&C: Is that something you would typically do; to do degree verifications? 

Ray: "Yeah, we would be able to do that. I tell ya, the person I could have you talk with, because he has verified her resume and has done a good job in that regard, would be Dr. Don Cusmo, and if I can get your name and number, I'll just have Don call you."(We exchanged contact information) 

Ray: Have you spoken with her? 

KSN&C: I have not. I have written to her but haven't heard back yet.(We exchanges pleasantries about the time of year and how busy everyone was) 

KSN&C: Let me make you aware of another thing that concerns me, but that I also have not been able to confirm yet. One of the items she had to complete on her background check as part of her application in Kentucky was whether or not she had ever been involved in litigation. And I didn't know if you all were aware that she was sued by [a] board [member] in Arizona, but yet, she marked that she had not been [sued], on her application. 

Ray: Uh huh, well, I think there's a story that goes with that... I'm pretty comfortable that she's OK with that... 

KSN&C: So you guys are aware of that. 

Ray: "Sure. You know people can make claims all the time..." (and he told the story of a case where a reporting error got into print where a claim of a lawsuit just wasn't true.) Understand, these things, kind of, not always are on the surface, what they might appear to be." 

KSN&C: Sure. I certainly understand that and that's why it's so important to verify this stuff. This is an important position for us in Kentucky and my concern is that there appear to be a few of these and that's an uncomfortable pattern. 

Ray: "Yeah, I think you'll find when it's all done, it will shake out very well."~Is it possible the Erwin was not actually sued in Arizona? This seemed highly unlikely. The Arizona Republic made at least a half dozen references to the suit. (Emphases in purple are added.)

2. I might feel that was just one (albeit highly visible) mistake from Ray & Associates, if not for the fact that a search for "Ray & Associates" on that Kentucky News website pulls up these articles about problems in Prince Georges County, MD and Loveland, CO:

Ray & Associates Hooked up John Deasy, School Board to Investigate

Sep 13, 2008

KSN&C readers will recall that it was Ray & Associates who failed to uncover numerous fantasies on Barbara Erwin's resume during Kentucky's search for an Education Commissioner. That failure led to a refusal by the ...

Deasy has Resume Errors. Ray & Associates was on the Job.

Sep 24, 2008

It is too bad for Prince Georges County that Ray & Associates - having completed whatever research they were obliged to do for the school district - did not discover the resume errors. But they apparently didn't. As we have ...

Yet Another Unsatisfied Ray and Associates Customer - Kentucky ...

Mar 15, 2008

...but there is yet another school board out there feeling just a little burned by the advice they received from Ray & Associates - the same search firm whose assurances lead Kentucky's Board of Education down the primrose ...

3. Meanwhile, in Tacoma, Washington, their News Tribune had a March 8, 2008 article entitled, "Same Firm, but Better Results Expected." In Tacoma, at that time, as with Ann Arbor now, the superintendent had left (in Tacoma's case, it was very clear what the issue was) and because it was within the two years time frame, they got a "free" search--just like Ann Arbor. 

Here's how the article starts: 

They called consultant Jim Huge “Dr. Huge.” He isn’t They described Charlie Milligan as someone who gets involved in the community.  

He didn’t.

They told the School Board they’re “100 percent successful” in their searches. 

They aren’t. 

The record and the reputation of Ray and Associates and its headhunters are considered stellar in some school districts. In others, the company’s work led to dissatisfaction and at least one lawsuit. 

The News Tribune examined the company’s proposal to conduct a superintendent search for the Tacoma School District this year, the work it did for the district two years ago and its record with other districts, and found: 

 • The company’s application for the Tacoma job listed “Dr. Jim Huge” as the regional associate who would work on the search. Huge doesn’t have a doctorate and says he’s never claimed one. “If they did that, they were just trying to be nice to me,” he said. 

 • The confidential report prepared by the firm on Milligan before his hire two years ago said this: “When Dr. Milligan moves into a community, he moves in completely. … His visibility both in the school district and with the public makes him a very strong public relations force for the district.” His record in Tacoma was quite the opposite: He snubbed community groups, warred with the media and sparred with the teachers union. Board members cited his poor community relations when they fired him last June. 

 • Reports obtained through an open-records request showed overwhelmingly positive dossiers on four candidates for the Tacoma superintendent job in 2006. The reports, prepared by Ray and Associates, gave no mention of negative traits or criticisms on any of the applicants, including Milligan. (Emphases added.)

Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2008/03/08/303552/same-firm-but-better-results-expected.html#storylink=cpy

So--lessons learned? In addition to the earlier concerns I have raised about Ray & Associates relationship to the Broad Academy, I have an even more basic concern that is raised by these reports. 

Let's make sure we have learned our lessons.

 

Let's not rely on Ray & Associates to do our vetting for us. 

Let's work to uncover both the positive and the negative about our superintendent candidates. (I am quite sure that every one of them has some negatives. Even I am not perfect...)

Let's make sure we do site visits and talk to lots of people. 

Let's make sure we read their dissertations or other publications. 

Many thanks to Sharon Simonton for her help with this research. 

After all, when you're choosing a superintendent, it's all about 

research.

Ypsi Community Schools Begins: FOIA Tells Part of the Story of the Beginning

Today, Ypsilanti Community Schools begins, and we say goodbye to Willow Run Community Schools and Ypsilanti Public Schools. 

First--Good Luck, YCS!!

Second--Employee hirings are continuing. Some employees, and some community members, have had concerns about the hiring processes, as I have mentioned previously (here, here, here, here, and here).

So Cameron Getto, a one-time Ypsilanti Public Schools board member, put in FOIA requests for information about the teacher hiring process. He is sharing the results.


You can read Cameron's full analysis in this file. I am just quoting a little bit from the Executive Summary.

We submitted a Freedom of Information Act [FOIA] request to the Ypsilanti Public School District [YPSD], Willow Run Community Schools [WRCS] and the Washtenaw Intermediate School District [WISD]. The estimates for the cost of the documents varied wildly, ranging from over $1,700 from WRCS to less than $500 from YPSD. Ultimately, YPSD revised their cost estimate downward to $143.45, which is the set of documents we obtained. We thereafter withdrew the requests to the WISD and WRCS.

I find the variance in FOIA fees to be interesting--presumably they were all drawing from the same information.

The documents provided in response to this FOIA request establish that the statements
made to teachers by Robert Galardi, and to the local press by Scott Menzel, concerning the hiring process in early May 2013 were not accurate. Given the close and intense involvement these individuals appeared to have in this process, it would further appearthat the inaccuracies were communicated with an intent to mislead for the purpose of minimizing the importance and significance of the deviations from adopted board policy. This conclusion is based on the following facts:  

• The process identified and adopted by the Unified Board of Education on February
28, 2013 (see Board Minutes) for hiring teachers actually required the use of student
and teacher references (see Appendix C to "Community Advisory Group
Recommendation" dated February 28, 2013).  

• No formal decision was made by the Board of Education to change its approved use
of student and teacher references. 

• Multiple district administrators affirmed multiple times the commitment to use these
references and colleague/professional references in the hiring process in emails
distributed district-wide. 

• If an informal decision was made to disallow letters of reference, those responsible
for hiring continued to communicate to teachers that references would be considered
throughout the vast majority of the hiring process. (Emphases added.)

The rest of the executive summary goes through piece by piece of the FOIA'd documents. That is a good thing, because there are something like 171 pages of documents!

You can read the documents yourself. Cameron Getto has thoughtfully put them in a dropbox file that can be downloaded. Download them here.

And please share the materials as well.
We want Ypsilanti Community Schools to get off on the right foot, and to my mind that "right foot" will rest on the premise of a) being transparent to the community and b) following their own guidelines.

Read the executive summary, download and read the FOIA'd documents, and then tell me what you think in the comments!

 

Around the County

Superintendent Searches and Related Information

Ann Arbor is in the middle of a superintendent search. I've written about it here. You can take a survey about what you would like to see in a superintendent You might find some of the "desired character traits" can be read in two ways. There is also an opportunity for comments. Take the survey here.

Dexter has been employing an interim Superintendent and it looks like they have identified a preferred candidate for the permanent position--Dr. Chris Timmis, currently Superintendent in the Adrian Public Schools. The school board president's letter, posted on the school web site, starts out like this:

Superintendent Search UpdateThe Board of Education would like to share current information about the superintendent search process. If you have any questions, feel free to ask a member of the School Board, or you may ask one of the building principals or union leaders who will contact us to get an answer.

Later, he writes:

Dr. Timmis embodies most of the characteristics the district and community identified as important for our next superintendent. He is a visionary leader who has shown the ability to solve existing problems and to be an innovative leader by thinking outside the box for meaningful improvements. As superintendent of Adrian Public Schools for the last five years, Dr. Timmis took his district from a low-performing, financially distressed district to one that has become a model in the state for rising student performance. Although the issues in Dexter are different from what Adrian Public Schools has faced, we see in him the ability to help Dexter move from good to great, and expand the opportunities for success of all our students.

Read the full (and detailed) letter provided on the Dexter Schools web site.

There will be a public interview. According to the letter,

The Board will interview Dr. Timmis at a public meeting on June 4th at 7:00 PM at Creekside Intermediate School Media Center. If the Board decides to continue the process, a site visit to Adrian Schools will take place the week of June 10th to talk with Adrian Schools staff, Board members, and the community. Following the site visit, a date will be set for the Board to vote on whether to hire Dr. Timmis as our superintendent.

I'm glad they are. . . doing a site visit. . . and having a public interview. And I didn't find Chris Timmis' name coming up on any searches related to Broad Foundation information.

Ypsilanti Community Schools

Dedrick Martin--current Ypsilanti Public Schools superintendent, who was to continue as an assistant superintendent in the new district because the district was going to have to pay him anyway, has taken a job in St. Johns, Michigan. So now they are going to hire a Chief Financial Officer instead of an assistant superintendent. What do you think of that?

Schools of Choice

Saline is opening a limited Schools of Choice, with at least 50 kindergarten spots, at least 10 first grade spots, and at least 15 high school spots. There are some other spots available as well, depending on enrollment over the summer. Find out more here.

Lots of other schools have schools of choice as well, including Lincoln, Milan, Whitmore Lake, the new Ypsilanti Community Schools, Manchester. I think Chelsea has schools of choice this year (but I could only find last year's form); Dexter has opened to a very limited schools of choice (I think five students) and Ann Arbor had schools of choice but the "window" for applications has closed.

Additional Information

Chelsea Update, found at chelseaupdate.com, is a local news source, and at the top of the page there is a "Schools" tab if you are looking for Chelsea Schools information.

Dexter Patch is also a source of information about Dexter schools.

Good Reads

Why Minnesota's Governor Vetoed Teach for America Funding

This has absolutely nothing to do with schools, but it is about valuing our histories. This is a fascinating article about how historic treasures were saved in Timbuktu when northern Mali was taken over by radical Islamists.

More on the Ypsilanti/Willow Run (YCS) Teacher Situation

Update 5/4/2013 9 p.m.:

From the Ypsilanti Community Schools facebook page, from an anonymous Willow Run teacher:

I am a Willow Run teacher who was not hired back, although I met the criteria. I am a little shocked because I have always had very high evaluations and good feedback from other teachers, students and families. I was upset that none of my references were contacted after spending so much time getting them together. This preparation took hours and I am highly insulted. I am also upset because Emma Jackson was quoted saying that counselors would be available in each building. No one was at my building, and when I asked my principal he said he could call one if I needed it. (Emphasis added.)

Update 5/3/2013 6 p.m.:
@_KrystalElliott: Ypsi Community Schools offers positions to 171 of 258 teachers, 32 receive "call back" notices. 55 not offered positions

And one of those not offered a position was the Ypsilanti teachers' union head, Krista Boyer--from all accounts that I have heard an excellent teacher. Did that have anything to do with her being the head of the union?

In this post (which I will probably be adding to) I am just taking information from different things I've been reading over the past few days, many of which are rather troubling.

1. From the Ypsilanti Community Schools facebook page: 

We have been forwarded yet another email from Bob Galardi, this one dated May 2, 2013:
"During this week I have received several inquiries about reference checks. A decision was made early in the process that we would not use references for selection. We thought we would check references for candidates that we were going to select. This is typically when references are needed. After further review we determined that reference checks on current employees would not be a productive use of our limited time. Because of the nature of this process we are not selecting unknowns - we know the employees we are selecting. It is almost as if we are transferring employees from one department to another and in that case we would not contact a reference."

This is, of course, a complete contradiction of his emails sent on March 21 & 22 and April 19. Moreover, this shows that the district is not the least bit interested in receiving input from the community when making these hiring decisions and that the district has no respect for the time and effort community members put into these recommendations. Listening to the community is, in Mr. Galardi's words, "not a productive use of our limited time." [Emphasis added.]

2. From the Ypsilanti Community Schools facebook page:

Excerpt from April 19 email from Bob Galardi: 

"We will begin contacting references of top candidates next week." [Emphasis added.]

3.. From the Ypsilanti Community Schools facebook page: 

This is an excerpt from a "Crisis Management" document emailed on May 1, 2013 from the district's administration to staff, explaining that references were to be included in the 20-point score on which hiring decisions were based:
"HOW DECISIONS WERE MADE
1. No current administrator or Board member of YPS, WR, or WISD, served on the interview committees. External consultants (comprised of retired educators and administrators) followed a process that was aligned to the teacher commitments that were adopted by the board. The process resulted in a score in four areas (application review, references, interview, and classroom visit) with a maximum of 20 possible points. . . . "

Mr. Galardi's explanation sent late last night appears to be false. While he justifies failing to contact references by stating that "A decision was made early in the process that we would not use references for selection," the above excerpt contradicts this, as does his own email from April 19. The above excerpt confirms that just two days ago, the district sent an email specifically stating that references were to be used in the hiring process. We now know they were not.
Mr. Galardi's explanation sent late last night appears to be false. While he justifies failing to contact references by stating that "A decision was made early in the process that we would not use references for selection," the above excerpt contradicts this, as does his own email from April 19. The above excerpt confirms that just two days ago, the district sent an email specifically stating that references were to be used in the hiring process. We now know they were not. (Emphasis added.)

4. From the comments section on this article on annarbor.com (I know! the Comments section!):

What Danielle failed to quote is that the teachers received an agenda at their "crisis" staff meeting this week with a sentence that read, "Most likely, everyone will be handling a message that will be shattering", and that Ms. Lisiscki's email stated, "Please be aware that if you withdraw your application for employment, you will be deemed to have waived any right to challenge the hiring process or hiring decisions." This is the REAL hidden agenda. The administration knows that the hiring process was shady at best and that many will have a lawsuit to file against the unfair hiring process that followed very few Human Resource guidelines and regualtions. This is also why another message was sent yesterday stating the number of teachers who will receive "maybe" letters has increased drastically! They will send out many "maybe" letters today so that they will not be challenged and FOIA'd to death by the "no" letters they had originally planned to deliver. This will also give Menzel the opportunity to tell the press that they handed out very few "no" letters, trying to make them look like good. Ypsi Schools recenlty attended a job fair, looking for teachers. My question, if the people who receive "maybe" letters today, end up not getting called back (which is most likely their scheme) and then the new district hires external teachers, what can "maybe" teachers do about it? Lawyers get ready! It is absolutely a shame how the 3 superintendents and the hiring team at WISD have manipulated, scared, and demoralized these fine teachers who have given their blood, sweat and tears to work in an urban district that has become increasingly high stress and low achieving over the years. (Emphasis added.)

5. From the comments on the same annarbor.com article: 

Maybe A2.com and Reporter Arndt will keep a close eye on if Ypsilanti Community Schools hires "Teach for America" employees to "replace" the experienced teachers of both of these soon-to-be former school districts. There's a suspicion that this is what Menzel and Crew (including that so-called un-elected Board of Education) is trying to do. 
"Teach for America" teach are paid a bottom basement rate, only are required to have a bachelors degree in ANY subject to teach, are not unionized and are used by various "charter schools" corporations to keep wages low and unionization out. Now, Ypsilanti Community Schools are supposed to be a "public school district" but their actions over the past year acts like "corporate top down" structure more than anything else.
Maybe at the press conference this afternoon Reporter Arndt can inquire if Menzel and the rest plan on hiring "Teach for America" employees. (Emphasis added.)

6. From the comments on the same annarbor.com article:

First, Danielle Arndt (article author) writes in the comments: 

The current breakdown of teachers in both districts was not readily available. I was told by Scott Menzel this information is being prepared for tonight's press conference. So I hope to be able to answers these questions for readers in this evening's report. I do know, and it was included in an earlier article, that about 330 internal candidates in total from both districts applied for spots. (Emphasis added.)

Then, a commenter says: 

If you would ,like information regarding projections go to the consolidated schools website and look at their consolidated budget funding for teacher professional development and it show that 240 teachers will be allowed 15 days of professional development over the summer. The question remains who will these teachers be if they have a large amount of "Maybe" offers dependent upon enrollment. Based on that document it seems they have already made decisions based on enrollment and enrollment trends. Are the teachers who are given maybe letters going to have priority over external applicants? If the district begins to accept external applicants then we can only assume that they are going to fill positions that the "maybe" internal applicants could be filling which then harkens other questions about the purpose of this process and if it was really designed to retain current good teachers. (Emphasis added.)