Deputy in line to become interim chief
The Columbus Board of Education is expected to name John Stanford, currently a deputy superintendent, as interim superintendent of Ohio’s largest school district, the district announced Monday afternoon.The school board is expected to vote on the appointment at a meeting Tuesday. Stanford would replace Dan Good, who is retiring, at the end of December.
Stanford can continue to advance the district’s initiatives, including improving reading and math scores and graduation rates, and support for students and families, board President Gary Baker said in a written statement.
Stanford, formerly the district’s lobbyist, was hired in 2011 by former Superintendent Gene Harris to be chief operating officer. In that role, he was in charge of all nonteaching operations, including thousands of transportation, maintenance, food service workers and other employees. Harris promoted Stanford to deputy superintendent in 2012, putting him over every department in the district.
But in 2013, Good took over and took all academic functions away from Stanford, but allowed him to keep his operating division functions, including food services, transportation and buildings and grounds.
Then Good followed up in 2014 by stripping Stanford of his remaining responsibilities and assigning him to work on special projects, although he
retained the deputy superintendent title and his $145,000 salary.
Stanford’s main assignment was to oversee the rewriting of the school board’s policy manual. That effort took center stage last week, when the district acknowledged that it had “inadvertently” left out a religious-music policy that was the result of an out-ofcourt settlement to a lawsuit that objected to performing Christian gospel music at some high school graduation ceremonies.
Stanford left his district lobbying job in 2007 to work as an education adviser to then-Gov. Ted Strickland, a Democrat. When Strickland lost the governor’s post to Republican John Kasich in 2010, Harris immediately rehired Stanford as chief operating officer, even though a search committee that had worked a year-and-a-half to find a replacement hadn’t recommended him, and he had
no experience in managing large operations.
The district’s former data czar, Steve Tankovich, who was convicted and jailed for presiding over a massive scheme of data tampering, reported directly or indirectly to Stanford at times.
In a 2014 memo to board members, Good said that Stanford “would be working closely with Academic Affairs to prepare him for the spring interviews for superintendent vacancies” in other districts, a signal Stanford was being shown the door. But in 2015, as Stanford had been openly searching for a new job, Good and the board awarded him another two-year contract extension.
He today is one of the few people in the district who hold the necessary state superintendent certificate needed to lead a school district, even temporarily. Stanford is “familiar with the needs of managing Ohio’s largest
school district,” Baker said in the statement. “He is acquainted with the district’s stakeholders and roster of community partners across the public, nonprofit and private sectors.” He will “be surrounded by a strong and diverse leadership team at both the district and building levels,” Baker added. Stanford declined through a district spokesman to speak with The Dispatch.
Stanford was not one of the seven candidates who had applied to be permanent superintendent as of the start of this month. District spokesman Scott Varner said Stanford is honored by his anticipated appointment, and is still deciding whether to apply for the permanent job.
The application deadline is Dec. 8. The board hopes to make an offer to a candidate by early next year.
The Central Ohio Transit Authority is operating buses on a holiday schedule Thursday, which is the same as Sunday service ( schedules are available online at www. COTA. com). COTA will operate normal service on Friday. COTA’s customer service call center, as well as pass sales offi ce at 33 N. High St., will be closed on Thursday. Both services will reopen Friday.
Columbus City Schools and other districts are closed Thursday and Friday. In addition, there is no school Wednesday for Columbus students because of a parent- teacher conference day.
Ohio State University campuses are closed Thursday and Friday. Columbus State Community College campuses are closed Wednesday through Sunday.