Superintendent finalists on parade

The public can see the Pinellas School Board's interviews with the four finalists to be the district's next superintendent. To see video of the sessions, which took place Wednesday, just go to www.pcsb.org and look under the heading "PCS News" or click here.

The finalists are (clockwise from above left): Alberto M. Carvalho, 43, associate superintendent of Miami-Dade schools; Nicholas M. Gledich, 55, chief operations officer for Orange County schools; Julie Janssen, 59, interim superintendent in Pinellas; and Sherrie Nickell, 50, associate superintendent for Polk County schools.

The interviews with Gledich and Carvalho took the full 90 minutes. Janssen and Nickell ran about an hour each.

Today, School Board members are interviewing the finalists one-on-one in private. The next step: a workshop Tuesday in which the board will narrow the field to two or three and invite them back for a second interview on Sept. 8.

Comments

[Frans van Haaren]

Do we have a clue as to how the system really works? For instance, if the school board has no say in picking the curricula, who does? How are those decisions made, who reads up on the current research and decides what to buy from whom? Does the Super have the final say? If so, should we ask the candidates about the books that they would buy for the different classrooms? Also, if 25% of special ed students spend time in in-school suspensions and the school board does not seem to be too upset about these kinds of problems, who is? Is the Super making sure that all students receive FAPE, or is someone else supposed to keep an eye on these things. What if they don't? Is the Super supposed to know and supposed to act? How about asking the candidates what they think should be done? Business as usual is not going to make the difference, we need a leader who is willing to face the issues head on, to give our children the education that they deserve and that we pay for. Speaking of which, the field will be narrowed to Dr. Janssen and ??? tomorrow.

[BBMOM]

Joker:
You don't seem to get it. Carvahlo is not running things, he is not the Superintendent. He just works for them. You need to put the blame where it belongs. As far as school grades, We know how stupid they are. You can only teach those who are willing to learn. Maybe he has been the constant because he was also a thorn to the Superintendents. More and more of your information leads me to believe he is a fighter, a voice to be heard, and doesn't mind making waves.

[joker]

Franz, BBMOM and Ben:
Well if you're looking for a high performing school system as an example, you can't possibly be using Miami-Dade as a comparison.
They are the poster child for incompetence, corruption, mismanagement, cronyism and nepotism and are the lowest performing large school district in the state.
All of their inner city high schools scored D's and F's on last year's school grades, there were no inner city middle schools over C and most of the inner city elementary schools were C or lower, so if that's your model for success I guess Carvahlo is your man.
You also need to look at the district's graduation rates which at many schools are barely 50%.
Carvahlo has been a constant through four failed superintendents and through continuing financial scandal. Miami-Dade remains the only school district to have a financial oversight board and may be looking at a state takeover in the coming month, so by all means go ahead guys. I'm sure many folks in Miami-Dade will be glad to get rid of him.

[Ben]

BBMOM
I think you make an excellent point. If those knuckle heads in Tallahassee don't like Carvalho, then he must be doing something right. Maybe he makes it harder for them to steal the tax and lottery funds that should be going to our kids.

I will be very interested to see who makes the short list for Superintendent on Tuesday. Carvalho should definately make the list and then we will have an opportunity to hear more from him.

[Frans van Haaren]

Why do superintendents have to be friends of teachers? We have some serious problems that need to be addressed: third graders who do not read at grade level, a miserable high-school graduation rate, a huge black-white achievement gap and ineffective special education services that are beyond anyone's imagination. Someone needs to be held accountable. This community has shown a lot of faith in its school system. It has made extra monies available to attract and keep highly qualified teachers to educate its students. It is only reasonable to expect something in return. More of the same will not do, we need leadership that will eloquently address the pressing issues head-on, based on objective evaluation of the information that is currently available. I watched the interviews, was not at all impressed by the School Board's questioning of the candidates, and found only one of the candidates prepared to discuss our district's ills without resorting to the usual platitudes. Questions: why did the School Board not defer the selection of the next superintendent until after the next election and why did the School Board encourage Dr. Janssen to apply for this position when she is, obviously, not qualified at all to assume these responsibilities? What are they trying to get accomplished and who are they routing for?

[BBMOM]

And since when have our state legislators done anything for the teachers and students? Maybe since they hate him that is a good enough reason to elect him. Maybe he is a THORN in their side?

[joker]

BBMom and Ben:
I don't have a dog in this hunt but I'm just letting you know Carvahlo's track record in Miami-Dade.
If I knew the others track record I would certainly let you know but I don't.
Choose to do with it what you will. I just happen to be a savvy and experienced political operative who knows what's going on.
Carvahlo won't support your teachers, that's for damn sure.
So if you want more highly paid administrators, cuts for teachers and students and a highly politicized school district then go ahead and tap him.
By the way, I have talked to numerous state legislators in Tallahassee who have told me "I hate that guy".

[Ben]

Joker,
Is there anyone who you don't attack? You seem like a very sad and angry person. I hope you find peace. By the way, I am not a friend of Carvalho, but a concerned individual who does their own research and has a working knowledge of Florida Politics. I am aware that the FEFP is the formula by which funding is allocated however, what do you think the base funding level would be without people like Carvalho and the other school districts' lobbyists and the PTA and other groups going to Tallahassee and fighting for increased educational funding? Maybe we would have a base student allocation of $3500 and then, instead of being the 48th out of 50th for funding education in the Country, our State could be dead last. The Joker's in the State Legislature certainly don't care about funding public education. Could you be one of those "winners"?
I agree with BBMOM, who would you select and why? I watched all four of the interviews and Carvalho was much more impressive than the other three. He had solid ideas for dealing with the achievement gap, staff moral, communication, and parent and community involvement. I liked what I saw and that is my opinion.

[BBMOM]

Joker/Terminator:

After all the negative comments about Carvahlo - who exactly do you feel we should elect out of the four? Please don't say none of them are qualified, because one will eventually be picked. And what are your reasons for selecting that person?

[joker]

Ben,
You must be one of Carvahlo's buddies who is hoping he'll get a easy "friend of a friend" job if he gets the nod.
Can you share those press clippings with us?
Also, the state finances public education through the FEFP program which guarantees funding for every student enrolled, so the role of the school district lobbyist is greatly diminished under that scenario.
Lastly, you claim Carvahlo has brought in the revenue. Then maybe you can explain why the Miami-Dade district is currently cutting it's budget by $300 million according to Carvahlo and his buddy Superintendent Rudy Crew due to "inadequate state funding".
Looks as if your arguments don't hold much water.
Another crack rock and cup of kool-aid Ben?

[Ben]

Check your facts. If you read the press clippings Carvalho has been warning his School Board for over a year that the financial picture in the state wasn't looking good. He started urging conservative spending in 2006-2007 after a terrible legislative session. It is the Board that has approved each program Crew has brought forward, not carvalho. Carvalho if anything has been responsible bringing in the revenue- about $6 billion as reported by the Miami Herald. Carvalho would be great choice for Pinellas.

How about just going with the Times endorsed candidate?

[Hazel]

A widget? They ask Janssen about how to improve communication and all she can come up with is a widget that hangs on the desktop. Give me a break. Her idea of how to deal with the achievment gap is sad. We have ignored the education of african-american children for so long that we are stuck in a lawsuit. I don't want some high school principal in charge of fixing this. People, we are a major school system with 105,000 students and all of the benefits, and problems of an urban school system.

Say what you want about Miami, but I have done some reading on Carvalho and he didn't steal anyone's raises. From the newspaper reports I read this is a fight between Crew and the School Board down there. The School Board seems nuts and Crew sounds like he just thinks he is above having to work with anyone. As for the raises, most long term labor conttracts contain clauses that allow for the renegotion of terms in the event financial circumstances change. Well in case you haven't noticed, finacial circumstances in this state have imploded. I don't hold Carvalho responsible for Crew. Do you want to be held accountable for your boss?

Of the four candidates I watched yesterday online he is the best choice. He was the most prepared, had the best answers and already sounds like he has embraced our community. Joker and/or Terminator are throwing red herrings for a reason. Google Alberto Carvalho Miami. I did and what I found was very impressive.

[payattention]

Folks might want to read up on the Miami-Dade school system, instead of just depending on what they hear about Carvahlo from Carvahlo. Negative reports similar to joker's were aired when Wilcox was interviewing here, and no one paid attention to those either.

[joker]

ok guys, don't say I didn't tell you so.

Sure Carvahlo's polished but he's no friend of teachers I can assure you that.

Yeah, he's been around for twenty years and like I have said previously, it's a joke in Miami-Dade to get to the top as fast as Carvahlo did, you have to have a padrino in high places.

The Dade system is the poster child for the Peter Principle.

Dade is chock a block with "friends of a friend" administrators at the district level who are both incompetent and corrupt.

I was told as a boy, you will be judged by the people you surround yourself with.

Dade has a string of failed, corrupt, incompetent Superintendents and Carvahlo worked at high levels with each of them. What does that tell you?

Joker and termieweiner are the same person.

[MaxieBlack]

Art
I think you have a point. Joker seems a little too personnaly invested in this. Such venom. Could this be Janssen or one of her cronies running scared? Her interview didn't go too well. She definately is in over her head. I don't think she knows how to play at this level. We need a person who can deal with tough issues. By the way, how does Joker know Carvalho is "pals" with his boss? According to the interview, which actually watched, he started as a teacher in a Miami High school 20 years ago and worked his way up. From what I know about Rudy Crew he came from New York or California a couple of years ago. Joker's points don't hold water.

[art]

Joker
What is your problem?? Do you have some sort of personal problem? By the way, what does Rudy Crew have to do with the price of eggs here in Pinellas?? Do you even live in our community? You sound a little unhinged. Did you even bother to watch the inverviews? The Carvalho guy seemed very professional and made the other three look like amatures.

[joker]

this just in from Miami-Dade:

ask Carvahlo how the Miami-Dade district is somehow currently $88 million in the hole after he and his buddy Rudy Crew have already supposedly "cut" $284 million including layoffs and stealing the teacher's steps/raises?

apparently his mentor Rudy Crew got into a shouting match today at a school board budget workshop with board member Marta Perez, yelling at her to stop treating him like a dog.

maybe Rudy Crew can apply for the empty Pinellas Superintendent job?
But what the heck, you can have the next best thing, his deputy Carvahlo!

[terminator]

ask Carvahlo why the district was cited by last year's state auditor general report for wasting $57 million on unauthorized overtime, illegally shifting money from capital to operational budget, and misspending on district provided SUV's cell phones, laptops, beepers and pagers

[joker]

ask Carvahlo why Miami-Dade has 275 administrators making six figure salaries. A number which has risen sharply over the past four years.

[joker]

ask Carvahlo why he and his buddy Rudy Crew illegally took away contractually negotiated teacher/employee raises citing "financial urgency" but never actually filed for financial urgency.

[joker]

well since the Times spam filters don't want me to be able to send info let's try it this way:

ask Carvahlo how he and his buddy Rudy Crew were able to run deficits of 66 and 44 million the past two years then asking the board to bail them out at the end of each school year leaving the board perilously low on reserves

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