New Pittsburgh Public Schools superintendent. (Bethlehem, Penn Hills: middle-class, neighborhoods, closing)

[bradjl2009]

Didn't Mark Roosevelt turn out to be one of the best superintendents the PPS has had in recent memory as well?

[SuburbanPioneer]

Originally Posted by MountainDewGuy

They probably could have literally hired any other candidate and that person would have been better. They wanted this guy because he is huge and played in the NFL, and we are in a football town.

Are you suspecting potential sexism?

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by SuburbanPioneer

It is true that they offer big challenges, and yes they present interesting opportunities, but they also come with significant risks. A 200k salary with significant career risks and relocation to Pittsburgh would require finding a very committed top talent to fill the position.

There is a lot less risk and stress being a superintendent in NA making almost the same 190K, and then moving on to a high level admin position at a university.

People at the top level don't approach these jobs as lifetime appointments though, but more like expected 5-10 year gigs. Peduto has made some top recruits on the City side from NYC and Boston, who in large part came here because they thought Pittsburgh had great raw materials. I don't expect that someone like Ray Gastil or Vivien Li will retire here though.

[MountainDewGuy]

Originally Posted by gladhands

So the school board has a history of appointing grossly unqualified superintendents? From a race-based perspective, I certainly wouldn't choose this hill to die on, but I can see the frustration. It's quite similar to the reaction of New York's Chinese American community when Peter Liang was convicted of killing an unarmed black man. Incompetence is incompetence. We can fight against privilege without asking for equal opportunity to suck at our jobs.

The man plagiarized and made up facts on his resume. This has zero to do about race.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by bradjl2009

Didn't Mark Roosevelt turn out to be one of the best superintendents the PPS has had in recent memory as well?

Apparently so.

[SuburbanPioneer]

Originally Posted by eschaton

People at the top level don't approach these jobs as lifetime appointments though, but more like expected 5-10 year gigs. Peduto has made some top recruits on the City side from NYC and Boston, who in large part came here because they thought Pittsburgh had great raw materials. I don't expect that someone like Ray Gastil or Vivien Li will retire here though.

Exactly. That's why superintendent's wet dream is to eventually become a university president or at least a provost. Universities are not exactly looking for those with experience turning a struggling urban SD around.

[gladhands]

Originally Posted by MountainDewGuy

The man plagiarized and made up facts on his resume. This has zero to do about race.

I couldn't care less. He was unqualified before we knew either of those things. No one should want him to be superintendent. I think they're questioning why his bona fides have been scrutinized, where other unqualified candidates seemed to waltz in. Again, I, personally would not go to bat in this situation.

[Merge]

Originally Posted by SuburbanPioneer

Exactly. That's why superintendent's wet dream is to eventually become a university president or at least a provost. Universities are not exactly looking for those with experience turning a struggling urban SD around.

For all I know, you may be a distinguished academic at a prestigious School of Education somewhere.

But I suspect you are out-of-your-depth and incorrect about this. I believe there is a lot of government funding available to a program that develops an effective model for turning a struggling urban school district around.

[sealie]

Originally Posted by Merge

I'm sure the district's legal team has been meeting for days to try to find the best way out of this mess. The Board has to realize this is a brewing "sh^t storm" about to rage out of control. At this point, I would be trying to pinpoint the person responsible for hiring the consulting company that performed the "search" in the first place. After that, I'd "follow the money" (so to speak).

I don't disagree in principle but they've got less than three months before they've got a new school year starting, they have to bring on the Wilkinsburg students in a smooth transition, they need somebody competent at the wheel as interim superintendent, and they need to figure out who that is before they figure out whose fault this is. That has to be priority one. Fixing what's wrong with the Board is important but probably not as time-sensitive.

[gladhands]

Originally Posted by Merge

For all I know, you may be a distinguished academic at a prestigious School of Education somewhere.

But I suspect you are out-of-your-depth and incorrect about this. I believe there is a lot of government funding available to a program that develops an effective model for turning a struggling urban school district around.

The funniest part, to me, is the implication that universities are looking for someone who stewarded a wealthy, suburban school district with 1500 students.