County school board should hire Verletta White without delay

Let’s get this done. Verletta White had an error in judgment when filing her disclosure forms. A review panel found that the forms could have been confusing and accepted her amended forms as a resolution. That this issue has lingered this long is only the result of the intent of some to hammer away at specters of the past for whatever political gain there is to be had.

In the end, the only people who would be punished for not making Ms. White Baltimore County Public Schools’ superintendent on a permanent basis would be the students and staff of that system for whom she’s been a tireless warrior nearly her entire career. Mrs. White came up in this system, she has worked for more than two decades to make this system better, and she is dedicated to making this system deliver the best education to its students. To look to an outsider when we have grown a leader from within would be to break faith to all of those who have dedicated and are dedicating their lives to this system and its students.

When I went to Westchester Elementary School, Catonsville Middle School and Catonsville High School, the BCPS Superintendent was Robert Young Dubel. The man was a lion of education in this county, and had come up in this system — was dedicated to this system. He had graduated from my high school, and it seemed like no one could care more for us as students than he did. To me, and my cohort, he had always been the superintendent, and it seemed like he always would be.

Something that is clear to me is that, in doing another national search, we are as likely as not to get another Dallas Dance. Putting this system into Ms. White’s capable hands is, however, the only way we’re going to get another Robert Dubel.

The Baltimore County Board of Education should act, and it should name Verletta White as out next superintendent.