From everything I understand, we are likely in the final days of Polk Superintendent Kathy Leroy’s tenure — which will be remembered for its assertion of gratuitous administrator power for its own sake. And a mock execution at Jewett Middle Academy. And taking two young-teacher salaries ($76,000) out of the classroom to spend on a stupid brand no one will ever pay attention to or care about. Leaders, man. Love ’em.
Since The Ledger broke the “investigation” of Leroy earlier this week, I have talked to a number of people with ties to the district and the investigation.
And here’s the bottom line: The unnamed misconduct of which Leroy is accused has been an open secret, occurring often in public view, for more than a year. I would be shocked if the entire School Board had not been warned about it months ago. Everybody knows.
I strongly suspect this includes Hunt Berryman. Although he’s welcome to assert publicly here at LL that he never heard anything about this until the investigation
Berryman added that people aware of the investigation were instructed not to talk about it. He said the leak should have never occurred.
“Someone has talked when they shouldn’t have,” Berryman said. “I’m mad at whoever disclosed it.”
I like Hunt. I think he means very well. We have met and discussed things. But let me say this as directly as I can, Hunt. I don’t give a shit that you’re mad about people talking. You work for me, not the other way around. I am mad at the years we’ve wasted on incompetence and pointless Leroyism. Let me be clear, Hunt. Everyone has talked. That’s Kathy Leroy’s fault. No one else’s. Well maybe, another person’t fault, too. Together, they seem to have made it impossible not to talk about their stupidity. And you enabled them. Period. Don’t whine now because it’s about to get really, really embarrassing. This is your brand — not that ridiculous thing you let Leroy waste our money on.
Honestly, if I were appointed king of our School District, I would eliminate every single administrative position without direct oversight of a program. Addition by subtraction. I would start entirely over with our non-school-based educational leadership. And I would make sure I never again hire a “leader” in education. I would hire only people who have demonstrated that they will lead. And that they care more about their mission than the perks of their job.
For superintendent, I actually have a person in mind, a local teacher, who has strong business management experience; a documented record of extraordinary success and commitment to Polk County children; and a strong academic background in studying charter, choice, and magnet schools in Polk County.
I will be doing everything I can to coax him out of the classroom for a few years. And to demand that our School Board interview him if I can get him to apply.
And just consider this: I promise, as we’ll see in the next few weeks, Polk County would have been better off with me as superintendent than Leroy and her meaningless “leader” credentials. I couldn’t have had worse judgement than her. At the very least, I wouldn’t have embarrassed you with the branding nonsense or greenlit shooter drills with drawn weapons and then thrown my principal under the bus for it after days of silence.
If I would have been better, God knows what an actual competent, committed, mission-driven lover of kids could have done. We haven’t had one of those in the 15 years I’ve been in Polk County. (Other than maybe John Stewart, when he served as interim.) Hiring from the education leader racket pool has achieved nothing. Maybe we should try something different.