Everitt pledges to communicate; again

In an effort to rehabilitate the APS superintendent's public image, beginning with a color photograph in which she is looking not nearly so haggard, Charlie Moore and the Journal published; Everitt to notify board of hires. Andrea Schoellkopf penned the Journal's spin;

"After a controversial series of principal reassignments, Superintendent Elizabeth Everitt has decided to inform board members before she hires someone for a school's top job."

"Everitt told the board Thursday she would personally let them know before she offered someone a principal job."

Also according to Schoellkopf,

"The hiring process "moves so fast" that board members have been left out of the information process, (Everitt) said."

"Maes said while she may express problems with a potential hire, that doesn't mean the person would be rejected."

"... Everitt would not say whether a board member could influence her choice."

Without the Journal's spin we have;

• "The glacial pace of administrative assignments makes it impossible to keep stakeholders informed.
• Paula Maes will express her concerns to the superintendent, who she honestly expects will then ignore her concerns in the decision making process.
• Everitt stonewalled the question; will input from board members influence your choices?

Board member Marty Esquivel was spot on;

"I do think it creates the opportunity for board members to meddle and interfere with her ability to choose a principal"

I have to agree. The consensus is;

• the board writes the policy that the superintendent administers on a daily basis.

• and, in order to avoid the appearance of undue influence; board members have forfeited their opportunity to participate in the day to day administration of that policy,even in the most seemly innocuous ways.
  

There is a clear line. The only thing missing

is any real accountability for crossing it.