- May 5, 2024
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Selecting a superintendent is not like buying bananas
Dear Editor:
Think about it. You go into the grocery store and there are dozens of bunches of essentially the same thing. You can't go wrong with a banana (except ripeness). I think selecting a superintendent is more like buying apples.
When you go to the grocery store to buy apples there are at least seven varieties. They are all out in the open, on display one after the other for your apple-picking enjoyment. You can compare each one for size, look and ripeness, smell and most produce sections even show the name and a brief description of the fruit. Go check the bananas: no description. The point is you get to see your options, compare side by side and pick the best one for you.
A granny smith and a royal gala apple taste and look completely different. Now, what if a particular grocery store suddenly only put out one? Hey, they put on the placard: “This is the best we got!” How would you know?
Now a private business can do whatever they want. They can limit their selection, and their customers will let them know of a bad decision if sales go down. A successful business usually factors, within their budget, the ability to make changes to their inventory when necessary. They purposely give themselves options!
The current School Board did not give themselves any options save for one. Many people believe that decision was by design. If you don't budget for an alternative solution, doesn't that automatically make a proposed succession plan the only option? Their failure to plan (or plan that fails) may affect the makeup of the board come 2014.
I agree with many in Flagler County who believe we don't need a national search, that a regional or statewide search will do just fine. Duval County was able to find a highly effective and experienced superintendent candidate from right here in the good old state of Florida. I wonder how they did it? Wow, maybe somebody from the School Board should call them and ask!
We have cutting edge technology in our district, and we should be able to get the word out without spending thousands of dollars. Heck, this letter could result in a Google search hit. I wonder if a couple of articles in a local paper that has a web presence would increase that search result? You can't keep doing the same things over and over again and expect different results! If you post it, they will come.
I don't know if Mr. Jacob Oliva is a braeburn or a crabapple — I have nothing to compare him to. He may be the best thing for Flagler County, but we could ensure he is by having other qualified candidates to consider, as well. I believe if the School Board doesn't give the voters options, it may be moving day from the board for Mr. Dance, Mr. Fischer and Mr. Tucker come November 2014. Others may also follow in 2016.
A superintendent candidate should have a career of remarkable achievement or of demonstrated administrative career development. The candidate should be able to draw on that culmination of career experience to assist them in the decisions, direction and growth of a school district. A candidate with a limited field of view, accomplishment or experience does not a superintendent make. Neither does a “meteoric” rise through the ranks.
The lack of budget money is a transparently weak excuse. Perhaps that is symptomatic of a larger problem that has resulted in the School Board hiring a public relations/marketing firm to improve the perceived image of Flagler County Schools. Performance usually focuses or clouds perception. In this case things seem murky to me.
Paul Anderson
Palm Coast
More patrols needed on Florida Park Drive
Dear Editor:
I have to agree with all the complaints about Florida Park Drive. You can drive 35 mph and someone always comes speeding up behind you and either tailgates or passes you over the double yellow lines — probably the same people who think they shouldn’t be fined for running a red light. They must all be in a hurry to get higher car insurance rates and buy more gas.
Those electronic speed signs are sure a waste of money. Does anyone really slow down when they see how fast they are going? How about the Sheriff’s Office patrolling Florida Park Drive with unmarked cars and issuing lots of tickets?
Bill Simpson
Palm Coast
