“Hiring by the Book -- Mostly”
In investigating claims that Polk District’s Superintendent William Hunter violated state policy when filling new jobs in the district over the last two and half years, the three circumstances that came up most often were:
(1) The appointment of high school department coordinators for English Language Arts, Science, Math, and Social Studies,
(2) The appointment of (eventually 10) Mobile Mind Specialists (MSS) to train teachers in using technology and iPads in classroom, and
(3) The hiring by the Polk Board of Education of Hunter’s wife, Robin Hunter, as a system-wide instructional technology coach.
In researching state policy on personnel matters, the SJ found that in two of those cases, Hunter may be guilty of bungling future relations with the 500 teachers under his supervision, but he violated no state or board policy when he hand-picked department coordinators and Mobile Mind Specialists without posting the jobs.
In the third case, the Polk Board of Education failed to comply with state board policy, as well as its own, when they hired Robin Hunter in June 2013, to fill the newly created position of system wide instructional technology coach, without posting it on teachgeorgia. org as required by the State.
System-wide Instructional Technology C oach
Ms. Hunter came to Polk County in the spring of 2013, after her husband arrived in March. In June 2013, she was approved as a new hire by the board for the position of speech pathologist ( her background is in special education) and/or instructional technology coach, according to Hunter.
When Ms. Hunter started the 2013-2014 school year, it was as the system wide instructional technology coach. She never worked as a speech pathologist, according to Hunter.
The speech pathology job was advertised on teachgeorgia. org; the system wide instructional technology coach job was not, according to Human Resources Director David Robinson.
After Ms. Hunter was hired, the board sent her to a weeklong training course in California where she trained and qualified as an Apple Training Specialist, according to Ms. Hunter.
Ms. Hunter is paid a salary of $77,333 on an 11-month contract, which is consistent with her credentials (a six-year degree and 20 years’ teaching and administrative experience). She works out of the central office, conducts workshops for teachers on how to use the iPad, and, assists the Mobile Mind Specialists assigned to the schools. Superintendent Hunter said last week that in the coming school year, Ms. Hunter would also be assisting teachers in special education classes.
Department Coordiators/Mobile Mind Specialists
The department coordinator jobs were “added responsibilities,” Hunter says. He chose the teachers he felt would do the best job. He was not required by state or local board policy to post the jobs.
Hunter created the MM Specialist positions when it became “painfully apparent” early on that teachers were going to need more training to get up to speed on using the new technology. Hunter asked the board to approve new positions for MM Specialists, to be funded through federal funds. The board approved the positions and Hunter then transferred three teachers into those positions at the beginning of 2013. The Board also hired Ms. Hunter as the system-wide technology coach at this time.
Hunter brought the number of MM Specialists up to 8 in 2013-2014 and at the end 2014-2015 there were 10 MM Specialists, one at each school. They have their offices in the schools and help teachers implement instructional technology in their classes.
Once again, according to state policy, Hunter was entirely within his right to transfer teachers already on staff into the Mobile Mind Specialist jobs. He was not required by local or state board policy to post the jobs.
The only personnel requirement was that the positions didn’t involve a pay increase. The teachers who became MM Specialists carried their same rate of pay with them, but were hired on 11-month contracts rather than 10-month, as they had been as teachers.
Invitation to lead
The only communication to staff during the approximately year and a half when these positions were filled was an email sent by the district’s human resources director David Robinson, at Hunter’s request, on April 16, 2014, It said:
“Dr. Hunter is in the process of creating an internal Leadership Pool. If you are interested in future leadership positions with PSD, please submit a letter to my office indicating your desire to be considered.”
Hunter said his method for choosing teachers for the new jobs were “not through the traditional interview process, but by observation. I spent all year observing teachers and talking with principals. I wasn’t interested in what they would say that they could do, but what they did on a consistent basis,” he said, adding that “I was looking for teachers who were on board with using technology and the kind of instructional planning we wanted done.”
In hindsight, Hunter says he handled the appointments badly. “The mistake I made is I should have explained to the entire staff through an email or posting what was going on. I would do it differently if I could.”
HR director Robinson confirmed that he has been instructed to err on the side of caution and send systemwide emails regarding anything that involves employment.
“Even though everyone was considered, as I have repeatedly said, I will communicate directly with everyone in future similar situations,” Hunter said, “but I can’t unring that bell.”
The SJ sent an email to BOE Chair Harold McDurman asking for comments on the story but had not heard back from him by presstime Monday.