Board picks Janssen for superintendent

The Pinellas School Board selected Julie Janssen as its new superintendent this morning.The vote was 7-0. Janssen is a 29-year veteran of Pinellas schools. The board selected Janssen over Nicholas Gledich, 55, chief of operations for Orange County schools.

The key vote was Janet Clark, who has had qualms about Janssen's lack of experience at the top levels of district management. However, after a public hearing, Clark said she would support Janssen if she took actions to overcome the experience issue. Among them: putting her plans for new initiatives in writing, laying out timetables for those initiatives and joining the board in leadership training.

After Clark offered her support, other board members came over to Janssen's side.

Last week, Clark was part of the 4-3 majority that selected Miami-Dade educator Alberto Carvalho to be superintendent. Carvalho accepted a competing offer from his home district, prompting today's meeting.

About 25 district staffers in attendance applauded the decision. Many approached Janssen immediately after and greeted her with hugs and tears. Also on hand were Janssen’s two sons, Robert and Kris.

The School Board will now work with Janssen on a multi-year contract that would pay her between $200,000 and $240,000 a year. Janssen currently makes $185,000 as the interim superintendent.

- Thomas C. Tobin, Times Staff Writer

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Comments

[Janet Franji]

Congratulations to Dr.Janssen our schools need better support of teachers,I hope she will institute an across the board open policy, no fear of retaillation.
New ideas are required, staff open to new ideas would be helpful, it seems everyone covers their but and nothing gets done.

10:37 p.m.,

You are 100% correct. If Lerner is ever considered to be the voice of the citizens of Pinellas county, I would be very, very, very concerned.

I wish Janssen the very best of luck.

Interesting, when Lerner and Brown lost a key vote-- they refused to talk to the would be new Super.

When Bostock, Cook and Gallucci lost a key vote-- they then symbolically cast a unaminous vote for the new Super to show their support for her and the school district.

What a contrast!

[Jack]

I don't know why the Board keeps talking about her lack of experience. By God, she was my great grandmother's math teacher.

[Rodger]

Are our teacher's smart enough to see that the person that run's the program is over paid and 125 teacher's could see $1000 more a year if the county didnt over pay the lack of top level experience superintendent?

Hey Anna, you are realy paying attention I see. The election is Nov 4th not the 7th. Cook was re-elected without opposition. Bostock and Galluci are stepping down from the board in November. So, your post is wrong on all counts.

[hank]

The Board should leave hiring and firing to more qualified personnel. How in the world did the Board offer a job to a candidate that they were not sure would accept the posiiton? So we have "second" best. I wish her success with the Board.

[Susan]

Bad choice. It will be the same as always. Relationships are too close on the board. Can't wait until election time. Hopefully her "friends" will be booted off.

[Shocked]

Bankruptcy, supported the violation of teacher's (middle school) contract, possibly provided the "weakest" responses to board questions during the interview process, groomed by Clayton Wilcox and does not demonstrate strong leadership skills. Where is the change?

[Large Marge]

I hope she's tough enough to do the job.

How about claiming Superintendent Bankruptcy? It sucks, but how about we just say it's all water under the bridge and move on? Whether you want her to be the super or not, she is.

How can we make her successful?

No one individual can make the school district succeed. It's going to take all of us.

How about claiming Superintendent Bankruptcy? It sucks, but how about we just say it's all water under the bridge and move on? Whether you want her to be the super or not, she is.

How can we make her successful?

No one individual can make the school district succeed. It's going to take all of us.

I'm willing to do my part. Let's get to work!

[BBMOM]

What about all the money we spent on finding a Supervisor from the outside? Exactly how much did we spend? I think Julie seems like a nice person but I don't see any changes coming anytime soon. We really needed someone with more authority, someone who could take the BULL by the horns and move us forward.

[Gilbert]

In one fell swoop or should I say, in 7 days she has gone from a 4-3 "no", to a 7-0 "yes"! Did I miss something or was the board asleep at the wheel from the outset?

11:45A, I like that comment.

I hope the School Board, DID get this right, I truly have my doubts about Mrs. Janssen's preparation and leadership, not to mention her inability to introduce new ideas without being prodded. I am not sold. My optimism has rapidly turned to pessimism.

[Michelle]

They got it wrong.

[finally]

Great, choice well overdue. All we need now is for Mrs. Janssen is tell that board that she is ok with her current pay and put the rest of the money towards the schools.

[Andrew]

Hopefully she can avoid Chapter 7 again with her lowly $200K/year salary.

A very nice woman, and a great Principal at one time. That being said, she is in no way qualified for this position. Her experience is completely lacking. What is this Board thinking?

[AB]

We'll see......

[Brenda]

She was interim and did nothing new or different. I was for the other guy in the first place. We'll see how you all fare. Good luck

[Anna]

Wahoo!!!! Took them enough time and money to FINALLY pick the person who was right for the job all along.

Nov. 7th- get out and vote Bostock, Galluci and Cook OFF the Board.

Why? For failing to follow the directives of the thousands of people they work for-and actively acting against the county's best interest.

Jennifer, what in the world are you talking about?

I, for one, am not pleased by this decision. We do not need Wilcox's former, hand picked, pet in charge of our schools. She sat by while middle school teachers' contracts were blantantly violated. They should have waited until the new board was seated to make such a serious decision.

[Jennifer]

I read somewhere that this crazy bat filed for bankruptcy! Congrats to all of the private schools around the Bay Area, your enrollment should be on the upswing.

The headline should be: Bullies win on school playground

[Rita]

It's nice to see they finally made the right choice, I'm just glad Julie still took the job after all of this mess. She will do a great job!! Congrats Julie

[SHARON]

Finally, a really good choice for Pinellas County schools! Congratulations and best wishes to Dr. Janssen. I know she'll be one of the best this county has ever had!

[SMB]

She was my high school math teacher and is really a great lady. She is going to do a lot of good in her new role.

[collegeadvisor]

Way to go pinellas county school board! Finally you made the right decision... Congrats Dr. Janssen

[Tom]

Change?

[John]

FINALLY! The right choice.

[Candy]

Yes, they picked the right person finally

Now can we focus on educating kids? It would be a very nice change for Pinellas.

Put that first on your list, Julie.