Update: Three more want to be Pinellas superintendent

The three latest applicants in the Pinellas superintendent search are Maritza D. Tamayo of Forest Hills, NY; William R. Frank III of Bel Air, Md.; and Willie C. Watts, Jr., of Akron, Ohio. That makes 12 applicants with less than three weeks to go.

The nation’s 23rd largest school system, Pinellas has yet to receive an application from a sitting superintendent. The deadline is July 11.

Below, see a brief summary on these candidates and the nine others who preceded them.

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

[middle school inside track]

Given the resumes I just perused, we may have the "opportunity" to experience another version of Dr. Wilcox.
To paraphrase Sally Fields:
He never liked teachers, he never really liked us.

[inside track]

Your dream job in sunny Florida! Pinellas County Schools!

Where the legislature cuts funding for education annually!

The district board is as dysfunctional as any nationwide! All qualified professionals have either been forced out or are retiring, so there will be no one to give you any resistance, no matter how poor your performance - you too can have a contract renewal!

The graduation rate is a measley 65% (so you won't have to worry about that many students hanging around for 12 years!)

The budget and the workforce is shrinking ... so you won't have many people to manage, and if the work doesn't get done - no one seems to care!

Be on your own private TV show for 40 hours a week! Go lecture around the country! Put out your resumes! This is great jumping off point for that 6-figure position you always wanted!

And it would be really, really challenging to do a worse job than the guy who just left - so how can you loose?

[Mrisia]

I keep telling you guys, no candidate who is qualified to run this dysfunctional district wants the job. It was stupid to do a national search.