Superintendent search catalyst for new direction

Ah, summer time. Peaceful. relaxing. Maybe a beach jaunt on the horizon. Time for a break, right? Well, not this week. Not in these parts.

This is arguably the busiest week of the year for our county leaders, considering the Hamilton County budget will be presented today. Now add to this annual picking and choosing from items of great importance to someone, that the school board is preparing to make its most important decision in recent memory.

Sounds like hyperbole, right? “That Greeson guy, talking crazy,” you may be thinking.

If the school system botches it, it could be the most damaging decision over the next generation.

This is not hyperbole; it’s simply where we are. Many of our public schools are broken. You know this. They know this.

There are municipalities trying to figure out what it will take to create their own school districts. We have plenty of private schools eager to accept students whose parents are disgusted with what the public school system offers. We have the state pitching a partnership to turn around five low-performing schools or an outand-out state takeover of those schools.

These are facts. And our school board has to find the right leader from among five superintendent finalists interviewing this week.

It’s a challenge for sure. It’s a pressure-packed scenario for sure.

Questions. Answers. More questions.

And we must hope our nine school board members are ready to make the best call of the five finalists who have braved the spotlight, even slings and arrows from those now in the halls of the Bonny Oaks Central Office.

(School district officials did not engender much confidence Monday afternoon when they tried to keep TFP education reporter Kendi Rainwater from a) the candidate’s meeting with elected officials, and b) from being within earshot of the candidate and questioners. That is ridiculous. Fortunately — and with a nudge from state Rep. Mike Carter — the chairs were rearranged so media members could listen to later conversations.)

Yes, this process has been shrouded in secrecy and rumors of pre-determined decisions. But our school board has a chance to make this better and offer hope.

I can’t sit here and tell you which person is the best. The public interviews — and the less-than-stellar questions — have not revealed that much insight.

I can’t sit here and tell you whether an educator or a business person is the right choice. That said, here’s hoping that if they go with an educator, board members make room for a chief operating officer for the business side. I can’t sit here and tell you who you should support.

But I can say this: Hiring from within is a monstrous mistake.

Our school system needs change, and change does not include shuffling the nameplates on the doors at the central office.

Change for change’s sake can be bad. We understand the “Devil you know is better than the Devil you don’t.” Feel free to email me the grass-is-always-greener cliché.

I’ll answer it with this: I do not have an endorsement, but I know that of the five, Kirk Kelly, who will be interviewed last, should be the last choice.

Our school system is broken, and if anything you care about is broken, you have to be willing to make changes to fix it.

And is there anything we care more about than our children?