BY PAUL SLOTH
Journal Times | Posted: Monday, April 14, 2008 12:00 am
RACINE - Three finalists for superintendent of the Racine Unified School District spent Monday morning in the hot seat getting grilled by district administrators, union leaders and PTA members during separate interviews.
It started early for Craig Bangtson, Barbara Moore Pulliam and Carlinda Purcell. It was just the beginning of a day of informal interviews with the community that also included students, business leaders and community members.
The questions didn't focus on the candidates' past experiences; all three candidates worked most recently in the South - Georgia and Alabama - and all three were bought out of their contracts early.
None of the finalists is currently working in a public school district. Pulliam is the only candidate of the three to have worked as a superintendent within the past year. She left her last job, as superintendent of the Clayton County (Ga.) schools in July.
Administrators wanted to know about closing the achievement gap. Union leaders wanted to know how the candidates would work with a variety of district employees. Parents wanted to know how they would get the public and parents more involved in the schools.
Student achievement
Bangtson, who last worked as a superintendent of the Bartow County (Ga.) schools for less than a year, first met with district administrators - administrative cabinet members and department heads.
It was the largest group with which the finalists had to interview in the morning.
They wanted to know how Bangtson would improve student achievement in the district, an issue with which Unified continues to struggle.
"Find the strengths and weaknesses of the curriculum. I really believe in performance evaluation and holding people accountable for their actions and their deeds," Bangtson told the group.
Bangtson said school improvement plans should be created for every school and should be tied into teacher and principal
evaluations.
"I don't know how a school can improve without a model to guide the teachers and principals," Bangtson said. "I'm sure that's being done here. If it isn't, it should be."
Bangtson was asked what he had learned from the experience of having been bought out of his contract and the public perception of that as a failure.
"In working with boards, I try not to please every board member. I try to please the majority of the board members," Bangtson said. "We all can't get our way all the time."
Parent involvement
A small group of parents made for the most disarming group of interviewers. The group, the smallest group of the morning, included two PTA members from different schools.
Pulliam was the second finalist the group interviewed. First off, they wanted to know why Pulliam wanted to become a superintendent again and why in Racine.
"Racine has the diversity that I like to work in. Wisconsin is a good place in terms of education," said Pulliam, who has ties to the state from her past work in school districts in Illinois.
Beth Gilmore, a member of the Wind Point Elementary School PTA, asked Pulliam what her vision for Racine Unified was and how the community would play into that.
"Not having lived here, I don't want to tell you what you need to do. I prefer we come together," Pulliam said. "My vision for all children that I've worked with is for them to get the best education they can get."
Pulliam said she has always worked with a districtwide parent advisory committee to discuss what is going on in the schools.
Mary Beth Pruitt, president of the Stephen Bull Fine Arts PTA, asked Pulliam about her experience with NWEA-Map tests - a tool the district uses to measure student progress - and whether she thought it was something work keeping.
"From my experience, it's something that should be continued. I would want to see a training schedule for any new program a district adopts," Pulliam said. "The purpose of benchmark testing … it predicts how our children are going to do. These instruments are supposed to inform instruction."
The parents also asked Pulliam about truancy reduction efforts, drop-out rates and whether they would find her visiting
classrooms.
Leadership style
A group of nine union leaders met with Purcell - who resigned as superintendent of the Montgomery County (Ala.) schools in 2006 - for its last interview of the day. The group represented a variety of employee groups including teachers, educational assistants, janitorial staff and others.
Lou Schneider, president of SEIU Local 152, asked Purcell where she believed the superintendent position to be based - in the office, the schools or the community - and where she would be most comfortable.
"I consider that position to be based wherever you need it to be based at that point in time," Purcell said. Purcell said she is most comfortable in schools and the community.
Purcell also was asked how she would build relationships with employees throughout the district and how employees could expect her to keep her word if they raised an issue with her.
Purcell told the group that she had not worked specifically with union groups in her past superintendent positions because the states where she worked were "at will" employment states.
Purcell was asked about hiring, school finance and professional development.
In a past job, Purcell said she had established a "winter academy" where all school staff came in for professional development prior to the end of winter break.
"Everybody was not only expected but they were required to attend professional development. All personnel were responsible for children's development," Purcell said.
Today, the three finalists will have their formal interviews with the School Board.