Sunday, March 16, 2008

Superintendent Finalists Site Visits...Is The Fix In?

This past week five members (Robert Bratton, Thomas Deakins, Indya Kincannon, Cindy Buttry and Karen Carson) of the Knox County School Board that are conducting the Superintendent finalist site visits.

This past week their site visit for Brian Bingelli occurred on March 13 and one call on March 14. The site visit consisted of calling the Superintendent of Fairfax County, a PTA member, a FEA Representative, two school board members, a member of the Board of Supervisors, three principals and a member of the Mt. Vernon - Lee Chamber of Commerce. The meetings where board members made phone calls were not open to the media and the public. The list of individuals and telephone numbers were given to the school board consultant Ray & Associates by the Superintendent finalist.

This Tuesday, five members of the school board site visit team will be traveling to Boston to conduct an on site visit on Wednesday and will meet with individuals that James McIntyre has giving the consultant for the school board to talk with. Who is paying for this out of town junket? Is the same anonymous corporate jet that transported the Virginia finalist here, now transporting five school board members to James McIntyre's district? This is certainly not the same process used for the Fairfax County finalists.

Now, Knox County's Robert Thomas is not getting a site visit at all. The school board through its consultant Ray & Associates have not requested of finalist Thomas, a list of school officials to call or visit. This is not the same process for the Virginia or the Boston finalists.

Three different finalists, three different site visit processes.

Is the fix in?

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