RSCD School Board seeking another BROAD Supt?

Community Education Task Force (CETF)
PO Box 15604, Rochester, NY 14615
Email: CETF-internal@lists.rocus.orgWebsite: http://communityeducationtaskforce.rocus.org/

PRESS STATEMENT

August 24, 2011

Community Education Task Force and Community Education Slate for Rochester Board of Education Urge Community to Reject Current Board's Process for Choosing A Permanent RCSD Superintendent

As it relates to the process of selecting a new, permanent Rochester City School District Superintendent, we find it to be nothing short of amazing that the current Rochester Board of Education has continued down the path of exclusion and disregard for parent and community engagement and input, including educators. We recently discovered that the Board is following the same exclusionary process that it used to hire former Superintendent Jean-Claude Brizard. The process, which typically costs around $100,000, includes hiring a search firm, which in turn identifies potential candidates. As reported by Tim Macaluso of City newspaper on August 22nd:

"The board has narrowed its search down to two firms: Ray and Associates, and Proact Search. The board's plan is to have the next superintendent hired by spring 2012 in preparation for the following school year. There is no word on how much the search will cost the district, but the board paid more than $100,000 for the search firm that ultimately led to the hiring of Jean-Claude Brizard." (http://www.rochestercitynewspaper.com/news/blog/2011/08/The-week-ahead-A...)

The above information comes on the heels of various school board commissioners espousing rhetoric about increased transparency and accountability, as well as parent and community involvement in major decision making processes. For example, on August 4th, during a School Board Candidates Forum at School 33 / Ryan Center, Board president Malik Evans waxed eloquent about the importance of parent and community involvement in the Superintendent search process. Yet, when we look closely at their actions, as opposed to listening to their rhetoric, it becomes crystal clear that Board members are not at all serious about qualitative, nor quantitative, authentic parent, community, educators' engagement and/or input into the critically important decision of selecting and hiring the next permanent Superintendent of the Rochester City School District.

Given the economic challenges facing our school district, we find it fiscally irresponsible to spend excessive amounts of money --- money that should be going into the classroom --- on any superintendent search firm. Not only do we see a firm as unnecessary, but in May, 2011, we released a position paper (published in the Speaking Out section of the Democrat and Chronicle on May 29, 2011), which outlined an alternative approach to reduce costs, as well as include the voices of parents, students, educators, and other stake holders in the process (see below).

It is clear that current Board Commissioners do not have the imagination, commitment, skills, and/or willingness to properly develop and implement a community process that is truly democratic and inclusive. Further, we believe that the process of selecting a permanent superintendent should be halted until after January, 2012, due to the upcoming school board election, and the likelihood of a change in leadership.

It is important for the community to examine closely the particular search firms that Board members are considering hiring. Who exactly are these search firms? Ray and Associates and Proactive Search (the two firms that are being considered) both have deep connections to the Broad Foundation. In fact, Ray and Associates comes highly recommended by Eli Broad, as a means to deliver Broad Superintendent's Academy graduates.

Our former Superintendent Jean-Claude Brizard is a graduate of the Broad Superintendent's Academy, a training program founded by billionaire Eli Broad as part of the Broad Foundation. The Broad Foundation is known for ushering in corporate and military elites into positions of educational leadership. Broad fellows, as they're called, practice top-down dictatorial approaches including closure of schools, over-emphasis on standardized testing, and dismissal of parent, educator, and community concerns. The last thing that the Rochester City School District needs is to repeat the damaging effect of this corporate-driven education ideology.

Therefore, we urge parents, guardians, students, educators and all stakeholders to join us in rejecting the Board's disastrous choice, and instead supporting development of a truly community-driven process. We also urge all stakeholders to join with us in speaking out against the Board's current direction --- during their August 25th Business meeting at 131 W. Broad Street.

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DEMOCRAT & CHRONICLE article from May 29, 2011:
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011105290312