Ol’ Pete is getting tired of traveling down the same dusty trails. The sand is there but it’s the same ol, same ol craziness on the path. So, be patient as Pete runs through the tunnels for you.
The Detective is going to travel back down the trails that led to Cartwright.
If you recall, Broward had a chance to make an insider interim. If Brian Katz’s name doesn’t ring a bell, allow Ol Pete to ring it for you. He was the Chief of Safety and he put his name forward to become interim while the Board searched for a permanent superintendent. It was a no brainer, but it got really unnecessarily complicated when a former Board member felt slighted by the former Board chair. In response she cast an emotional vote against making Katz permanent. It had little to do with Katz but everything to do with the Board member feeling slighted. Ol Pete is told that this was actually the first major gaffe that began the dirty trail to the Cartwright debacle.
Instead of doing what most districts do and name an insider as the interim or acting superintendent, Broward set themselves upon a search for an interim that led to a candidate who clearly was interviewing for the permanent job and not as an interim.
The Street Detective dug up and dove into the final interview the Board conducted with Cartwright and her opponent. When asked what her priorities were, Cartwright threw everything and the kitchen sink at the Board about what she would do within every district department and in every school. Contrarily, her opponent answered the same question and simply stated that he believed an interim superintendent was responsible for two major jobs. The first was to keep the ship on course with what is currently happening in academics and operational functions. The second and most important was to keep the Board on track in its process to select a new superintendent.
It was clear as a department store window who was the best candidate to be interim, yet only as this Board could do, they picked the one who had a rabbit up her sleeve. Not to Pete’s surprise, Cartwright immediately began a rigorous campaign to become permanent though the rules were clear that the interim could not become permanent. But Nora Rupert and the others were not at all concerned about rules. They changed the rules to the objection of their constituents and eventually allowed Cartwright to apply and selected her as Superintendent. Oh, what a tangled web we weave. You know the rest. Cartwright could never get settled in the job because the constituents would not allow what was not to ever be, be.
Let Ol Pete fast forward to today. Pete thought Jesus would come before this Board would make a decision on an interim superintendent. It took almost an act of Congress for it to finally happen, but they finally settled on Dr. Earlean Smiley with a short detour of Dr. Valerie Wanza. Ol Pete was exhausted but stayed the course as Broward schools moved to the permanent search. The district ran an advertisement for superintendent. The ad closed. They received 26 applicants and it’s rumored the Board is not happy with the applicants. Ol Pete is now hearing that Board members want to circumvent the process and put forward names of people who didn’t bother to put in for the job while advertised. Here they go again, circumventing the rules to get the outcome that they want.
The position was advertised for weeks, and Pete is learning that these Johnny Come Lately’s are now throwing their names on the spades table. It is rumored that Board members are out recruiting and going around the search firm. Ol Pete is warning that this is going to be a recipe for disaster, but it is totally in line with this Board and their behavior. It is normal for them.
Other districts find themselves with a super opening and within 1-3 months, they have hired. But not Broward. They intentionally look for the most difficult and most unorthodox way to get something done and jump with two feet first right off the bridge and into the water… without even knowing how to swim.
Superintendent Jesus Jarra was just from the Clark County School District and without even spending time to find out why, some of these Board members are already in communication with him to come to Broward. Just circumvent all the rules and do exactly what you want to do, why don’t you. The ad is closed and Jarra certainly had to know he was in trouble even before he left.
The Detective thinks that the truth is stranger than fiction with this Board. It is only the beginning and the sand is bound to get deeper and dirtier.
The Teacher’s Union in Clark County voted no confidence in the superintendent that they are trying to bring here to Broward.
Ol Pete will be watching to see this disaster come full circle.
If this Board doesn’t check themselves, they will be caught in the perpetual rewind of mistakes of the past.
Ol Pete will continue watching and reporting the same shiznits on a different day with a different Board but with the same dysfunctional behavior.
Be the first to comment