[Editor’s Note: Mr. Mielke is President of the Teachers Union.]
Friends –
I'm sending out for a second time our “Principal Evaluation” survey for those who have not yet completed it.
We'll close the survey Monday afternoon. So please be sure to take a moment and give us some constructive criticism that we can pass on to your supervisor and to the new superintendent.
A number of you have been asking about the superintendent search process. At Tuesday night's School Board meeting, it became clear our new superintendent will be chosen without any input from the unions.
This, of course, is crazy. Some of us have been around long enough to have worked with four superintendents. That experience could and should help this Board make this important decision. Most districts actively seek out input from employee organizations when making these kinds of decisions.
Our previous School Board invited ACE President Debbie Hamme, the management association president (Pam Magee at that time) and me to interview the finalists a few years ago and send our recommendations on to the Board president. That process resulted in the hiring of now retiring Supt. Patti Jaffe. That's how the process should work.
The sense I have is that two Board members would welcome our involvement in the process, while three are opposed. So we're shut out this time around.
What we will do for the future is:
a) Bargain the right to be participants in the selection process and b) vote out those Board members who are so arrogant that they think they know so much about our schools that they don't need input from administrators, teachers or support staff.
As I said to retiring Athletic Director Jerry Chabola, it's like hiring a new athletic director without speaking with the coaches.
Hope the year is ending well and that you can enjoy a restful summer.
We'll need your energy in the fall as we all work to pass the governor's “tax the rich” intitiative.
Remember, if it fails, schools will be looking at cuts that are equal to three weeks of furlough days.
Mr. Mielke may be contacted at davidmielke@ccusd.org
