Two more apply for Pinellas superintendent; one serious, one not

The first internal candidate to be Pinellas County’s next superintendent comes from Clearwater High School. He’s John B. Russell, a plant operator with the district since 1995, who submitted a two-sentence letter asking to be interviewed for the job.

“Don’t take it seriously,” Russell told The Gradebook. But he did say to call him back if he’s lucky enough to be interviewed. By the way, pay for plant operators ranges from $9.39 an hour to $29.27 an hour. The new superintendent’s pay works out to an hourly rate of up to $115 an hour.

Meanwhile, another intriguing candidate has applied for the job, and he’s serious. He is Melindo A. Persi, left, a long-time New Jersey superintendent who was fired April 29 by the Brick Township Board of  Education, according to news reports. Persi had been serving as Brick Township’s interim superintendent since last July. He’s suing the district (enrollment 11,000) in New Jersey Superior Court, seeking to be paid at the contracted rate of $700 per day through Nov. 20, 2008. That’s when his contract was set to expire.

See press reports on Persi’s tenure here, here and here. Below, see brief summaries of Persi and the 12 others who have applied so far.

Melindo A. Persi
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Current job: None listed.
Previous jobs: Interim superintendent, Brick Township, N.J., 2006-08; various superintendent and administratiave jobs in New Jersey, 1963-2006.
Education: Master’s degree, education, Rutgers University.
Application received: June 24.

Maritza D. Tamayo
Forest Hills, New York
Current job: None listed.
Previous job: Principal/assistant principal, Unity High School, New York, 1995-2007.
Education: Master’s degree, romance languages, The City Collge of New York; Professional diploma, school administration and supervision, St. John’s University.
Application received: June 23.

William R. Frank, III
Bel Air, Maryland
Current job: Special education principal, 2003-present.
Previous job: Elementary school principal with concurrent stint (1992-94) as superintendent.
Education: Master’s degree, education, Rutgers University.
Application received: June 20.

Willie C. Watts, Jr.
Akron, Ohio
Current jobs: Adjunct professor, Ashland University; education consultant; pastor; financial advisor, Primerica.
Previous job: Superintendent, Phoenix Village Academies, a group of public community schools, 2006
Education: Doctorate, educational administration, Pacific Western University; law degree, LaSalle University.
Application received: June 19.

James P. Hoover
Monaca, Pennsylvania
Current job: Chief executive officer of a distance learning charter school in Pittsburgh.
Previous job: School principal and technology coordinator, 1997-2006.
Education: Doctorate, education, University of Pittsburgh.
Application received: June 17

John J. Selch
New York, New York
Current job: Educational associate with the New York State Education Department. Previous job: President of the Science Council of New York, 2003 to 2007, and taught science in New York public schools for eight years.
Education: Post master’s work, school administration and supervision, Hunter College, City University of New York.
Application received: June 17.

Aquine Jackson
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Current job: Chief academic officer, Milwaukee Public Schools, responsible for increasing student performance and addressing the achievement gap.
Previous job: Office of Neighborhood Schools Director, Milwaukee Public Schools, responsible for adding 11,000 seats in overcrowded attendance areas.
Education: Doctorate, physical education, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Application received: June 9.

Roy L. Higgins
Matthews, North Carolina
Current job: Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools – principal, Right Choices Boot Camp program and Alternative to Long-term Suspension School.
Previous job: Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools – hearing officer for student due process hearings.
Education: Doctorate, educational leadership, South Carolina State University.
Application received: June 5.

Michael P.  Livovich, Jr.
Crown Point, Indiana
Current job: Owner/president of a school consulting business, Partners for Educational Reform
Previous job: Hanover (Indiana) Community School Corp.   superintendent of schools.
Education: Doctorate, educational leadership, Indiana State University.
Application received: June 3.

Rebecca S. Lowry
Dayton, Ohio
Current job: Dayton Public Schools – Assistant Superintendent for Student Support Services.
Previous job: Cleveland Municipal School District – Chief Academic Officer.
Education: Doctorate, counseling/student personnel services and management, Virginia Tech.
Application received: June 3.

Henry J. Hastings
Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan
Current job: Education consultant and policy advisor.
Previous jobs: Lawyer; commercial real estate and property manager; various teaching and lecturing positions.
Education: Doctorate, education, University of Michigan; law degree from Michigan State University.
Application received: June 3.

John R. Phillips
Isle of Palms, South Carolina
Current job: Claflin University (Orangeburg, S.C.)  - Interim dean in the School of Education and Director of University/School District Partnerships and Chair of the Graduate Education Program & Clinical Practice.
Previous job: Atlanta Public Schools – Executive director, Comprehensive Systemic School Reform, responsible for reform initiatives at 21 schools.
Education: Doctorate, education, St. Louis University.
Application received: June 3.

John H. Pertner
Key West, Florida
Current job: Independent contractor for Monroe County Schools, Accountability and Assessment Department.
Previous job: Principal, Marathon High School, Marathon, Fla.
Education: Doctorate (school not specified).
Application received: June 3.

Comments

Go, Russell! He has my vote! Russell for super! Yea!