In the interest of debate, I have copied below a comment on my previous post. Those who have personal knowledge are invited to report on Maria Goodloe-Johnson's performance as superintendent.
Beth Bakeman said...
I'm from Seattle and I want to know the straight scoop about Maria Goodloe-Johnson.Tell us about her management style, the opinion of people who work with her, and the way she has handled tough situations in your district. You can either post your insights about Maria directly on our blog at Meet. Dr. Maria Goodloe-Johnson or send them to me via e-mail.
Monday, April 09, 2007
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God! What do we say to Seattle? She actually seems to have a sort of Asperger condition. This is not a southern thing. I'm not from Charleston and I have lived in New York. She's politicaly tone deaf and just so rude.
Inside scoop on Charleston schools AH: Superintendent Goodloe- Johnson shares thoughts, expectations
By Diette Courrégé
Sunday,August 20, 2006
Edition: FINAL, Section: NATION, Page A1
Linked Objects:
Linked text: On a personal note
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The stakes are as high as they've ever been for Charleston County School Superintendent Maria Goodloe- Johnson.
Her job security depends on who wins five seats in November's county school board election, and she has to face the state Board of Education again in December to show improvements she's promised for Burke High School.
That's on top of her primary responsibility as chief executive for 80 schools and the 43,000 students who attend them. Still, Goodloe- Johnson, the district's first woman and first black superintendent who will celebrate her third anniversary with the district in October, has high hopes for the school year starting Wednesday.
Goodloe- Johnson spent 1 1/2 hours with The Post and Courier last week talking about the upcoming school year.
Q What do you see different about this upcoming school year? Do you have any other major changes planned?
A Well, I think every year is different, and the beginning of every year is very different. ... And what's different this year is that everything's in place, everything is calm, buildings are ready. Last year, everything started fine, but it was a lot of frantic, last-minute getting things done for a lot of very different, legitimate reasons.
But this year people are excited, there's lots of positive energy, and I think they're ready for the year. And I think that just comes with the change in the culture and getting the foundation in place and people knowing what the expectations are. ... One thing that's real important is that we stick to the strategic plan, which is the Charleston Plan for Excellence.
Now, there are issues that could be major that we need to pay attention to as it relates to District 20. Burke, of course, is on the forefront, the A-plus programs have to be successful this year, so those are things that are highlighted and we have high focus and high support because it's critical that they're successful this year.
The exciting focus is about the new Sanders-Clyde and the work that will be done there and the development. The most exciting thing about that is having the time to do the planning and to make it happen well.
Q What do you think is the biggest challenge facing the district right now?
A Actually, I think the biggest challenge that's not just facing our district but facing all districts in South Carolina is the funding, is the change in the financial funding and not knowing what's going to happen and the unintended outcomes of the funding at the state level which is being worked on and talked about now. ... Charleston County is what it is. Our data is what it is. Student performance is what it is, but what we're doing is improving that.
But when you haven't paid attention to it for long enough, then it's going to take more time and more energy and more money. And people always say it shouldn't take more money. Well, it depends on what you're trying to fix.
If you have students coming to you who've had three bad teachers in a row, who come to school in kindergarten not knowing what a book looks like, not knowing what their letters are, those are all deficits. So it takes more resources and more intervention to fix those deficits. And right now in Charleston County that deficit exists, at some elementary stages, at some middle school stages and at some high school stages.
Now, the good news about that is when we look at our early childhood development data, it looks fabulous.
The key is going to be tracking that data ... to make sure it's sustained, so when you permanently fix the instructional gap at the elementary schools, then we have to make sure that we maintain that rigor and that support all the way through the system, and then in 10 years, we shouldn't have the kind of issues in closing the gap that we have currently.
But right now it's a struggle because the issues are huge. But the good news is, I believe, that we're making incredible progress. And it's not my perception, it's based on the data and the facts.
Q If you could wave a magic wand, what would be different for Charleston County schools?
A You know what, I think if I could wave a magic wand and if I only had one choice, it would be that every parent that had a child in school would be involved and supportive of their children. Because parent involvement makes an incredible difference for kids, and for teachers and communities and schools. I mean, you can see it.
We have concrete examples of parents that are involved, they raise money, they support the teachers, they support the kids, they volunteer, they do tons of stuff that schools can't afford to do or that teachers don't have the time to do. It makes a significant difference. There's even research that shows that ... parental involvement can make a significant increase in student achievement. That's not the only thing, but that's the one that I would chose today.
Q What do you need that you don't have right now to do a better job than you're doing?
A There was a great article ... about the success of Tom Payzant, who was a 10-year, very successful superintendent in Boston who just retired. And the reason why he was successful was because he had a coherent board that worked with the superintendent as a collective team for the good of the children.
The same thing happened in Texas. The research just clearly shows that we've got to be about improving instruction for kids. Period. Not all of the other peripheral kinds of things.
Q Do you think constituent boards are necessary?
A That's a loaded question. I think they probably served a purpose when they were established. But I believe that if something was established in 1964 and it's 2006, then I think we really need to look at value-added, and is it something that is going to contribute to improving the well-being of the county? There's probably not anybody who can think of one thing they were doing in 1964 that they're still doing today. I mean, that's kind of how I look at it.
It's like when you talk about change, and it's difficult for people to change, except when it comes to technology. I can remember eight-tracks, and then ... cassettes, DVDs and now iPods. Well that's been in a short span of time, and people change just like this. (snaps her fingers). ... With technology, people change, just like this (snaps fingers again), but when you talk about change in real work and in real life and in education, it's like you asked somebody to jump off the roof. It's just interesting.
Q Do you think the district could function without them?
A Absolutely. This is the only district in the nation that has constituent boards. ...
Q I've never seen you as vulnerable and emotional publicly as you were after and during that hearing in Columbia about whether the state would take over Burke. Can you explain a little bit about why it was such an emotional time for you?
A First of all, that situation should have never occurred. We should have never been at the state department to defend why something didn't get done. Because when you look at what needed to happen, it wasn't rocket science. I was a high school principal. It should've been done. So the vulnerability was a combination of anger, but it was a combination of hearing people say things publicly that's just absolutely not true.
And it was a combination of, this is about the kids, and people politicize and use their own agendas, and it's about the kids. And we have to work for the kids. And I knew if the state wanted to take away Burke it would be devastating. The community has enough issues, they have enough concerns. There is a long history, a lot of which I don't even know about, but I seem to learn more every year, about the history, about the pride. And I didn't want that taken away.
But what I really wanted people to understand was we've got to work together. ... So it was a combination of a lot of emotions, but the biggest thing was we can't lose that school, we can't lose any of our schools because it's our responsibility. And when it doesn't happen, it's like I said, it's our failure, it's my failure, it's the district's failure. And I don't mind owning it because if something fails, then own it but then fix it.
I'm not going to dwell on it. I'm not going to keep talking about it. We're going to move forward and fix it. So I feel like that's exactly what we're doing. I stopped at Burke today before I came here, and it was great. ... You can feel the positive energy. ...
Q How has that experience with Burke affected you? And will it affect the way you look at any situation in the future?
A The one thing it really made me think about in the reflection is that we have to be really clear about accountability. And when we reflected on the mistakes that were made, the accountability wasn't tight enough, and that's important.
Accountability in education ... seems to sometimes have a negative connotation, and it's really not negative. In any successful business there is strict accountability, and you have to answer to whoever your supervisor is with the data about what's going on. We just did not have tight enough accountability. So to me, that's a big lesson about being more tight on specific schools that still have work to do.
But I also believe you can be loose with schools that are doing well. One of the things that I said when I came here was that I'm not going to fix anything that's not broken. And I'm not. ... I think the biggest thing I learned is the accountability for me all the way down the system was not tight enough to ensure that things were being done.
Q Many see this election coming down to whether you're going to keep your job, and some have said that they're ready for you to be replaced. How do you think this election is going to affect your ability to do your job, and do you think it's going to be a distraction?
A I'm not going to allow it to be a distraction. We have way too much work to do, and we're starting a new school year. We're very focused. We know what our focus areas are and we know what work needs to be done. I can't afford to allow it to be a distraction because that's not my work. That's a broader community political issue with board members, and my job as the CEO and the superintendent is to stay focused, and we have to continue to do that.
Q If you are replaced after the election, how do you think it would affect the district?
A Well, it's hard for me to say. I would say from the feedback and all the information I get all the time from lots of people, I think it would be devastating to the system. Anytime you bring in a new leader, you start over.
You go back to square one. And it's because when somebody comes in, they have to understand what's gone on, get the feel of the system. They have to learn the people, they have to learn the system, they have to learn the board.
They have to do all the things that I did in my first 90 days, and that's a setback. It's hard for me to say how it would impact the system. It would be interesting to me to know what other people think, but just from my perspective of what people tell me all the time and what I see and hear when I'm involved in, I just think it would be a step backwards.
Q How do you think you've grown these past few years?
A For me it's been amazing growth. Because anytime you come into a new job, you have your expectations and your perceptions and you know what needs to be done, but then the reality of the culture of the community and all the different pockets and all the different people you work with, either you modify it and adjust what you thought you needed to do so that you're inclusive and you incorporate all those different entities, or you probably fail.
So the biggest growth, I think for any superintendent, especially for me, has been the political arena. And it's funny because I hear myself saying to people, "This isn't about logic, this isn't about what makes sense, it's about politics." And that's sad to me because that's not what the job's about.
I don't think anybody came into education, including superintendents, maybe there are some but I haven't met them, that go into the superintendency because they love politics. ... It's the world we live in, but it shouldn't be how we make decisions for kids. So the biggest growth, really, is the politics of Charleston. Who's who, how they support what, and all those kinds of things.
Q Favorite part of your job?
A Visiting the schools, talking to the kids, talking to teachers.
Q Least favorite part of your job?
A The politics.
Q Are you used to the spotlight yet? How has the attention affected you, and do you think that all the attention and scrutiny you get is rightly deserved?
A I'm used to the spotlight because that actually happened in my prior job. Not to the extent that it happens here. But as assistant superintendent in Corpus Christi I had the same kind of spotlight. I was on TV on the first day on the job. ... Once I realized the scrutiny and everybody pays attention to everything, you just make the adjustment. You just know that it's a part of what's going to happen. So I can't really say that it's affected me. I just think it became clear that this is an everyday
occurrence so just get used to it.
Q Is it rightly deserved?
A Some of the scrutiny, I don't think, is rightly deserved. I think it crosses the line and is interesting. But I think it's a Southern thing. ... I think the attention on the school system and the work is rightly deserved because education is the most important thing we do for our kids. So I don't have a problem with that. I mean I think that's rightly deserved. ...
Q But you in particular?
A No, I don't think I should.
QMaya, your daughter, is not quite kindergarten age yet . . .
A She'll be two in December . . .
Q Do you think that having her now has in any way affected the way you approach this job?
A I don't know. I don't think it's affected the way I approach this job because I always believe that I had to make decisions for kids like they were mine. But now it's real. It's different when you hypothetically say something and then it becomes real, because it becomes that much more emotional.
That's why I guess I get so angry when people make accusations, well, I guess not angry, but very disappointed, that we would put kids in buildings that were not safe. I would no more put my child or anybody else's child in a building that's not safe. And to even imply that we're so callous that we would do that, I just don't understand that kind of thinking.
Q So do you insert her in situations?
A If I say, Maya wouldn't go to school here, then it's not good enough for anybody's kid. I mean, when I walked into the Archer building, I said this is cool. It's cute, the kids will like it, the colors, (the principal) has done a great job. Maya could go to school here. That's how I think. If I don't think it's good enough for Maya, then we need to fix it because ... everybody's child is important.
So I just think having a child makes it that much more real. Because I know parents used to say to me when I was a high school principal, "Do you have kids?" I would say, "Yeah, I have 1,500 of them." "No, that's not what I mean." I understand what they're saying now, but it really hasn't changed my perspective about how I approach the job because I always felt like everybody's child was important.
It doesn't matter where you come from, it doesn't matter how much money you have, what language you speak, what color you are — kids, children, they're important and we have to take care of all of them.
Reach Diette Courrégé at dcourrege@postandcourier.com or 937-5546.
2 years and counting for Goodloe- Johnson
By Seanna Adcox
Sunday,August 21, 2005
Edition: FINAL, Section: SECTION A, Page A1
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The Charleston County School District is entering its third school year with Maria Goodloe- Johnson at the helm.
The district's first woman and first black superintendent was hired in 2003 to boost student performance countywide. She talked to The Post and Courier last week about her experience.
Her initiatives include standardizing curricula districtwide to ensure, for example, that first-graders at Minnie Hughes Elementary School in rural Hollywood are learning the same thing at roughly the same time as first-graders at Charles Pinckney Elementary School in Mount Pleasant. She refers to that as a "coherent curriculum."
Q: Who would you describe as the most influential person in your life and why?
A: My mom, because she was a single parent when we were young and was a teacher, provided us every opportunity, every experience that you could ever imagine. ... I learned a tremendous amount from my mother around perseverance, around making decisions, about speaking up for yourself, about how important education is.
Q: Your second anniversary is approaching (on Oct. 1). What do you feel you've accomplished?
A: I think we've accomplished a lot. ... The biggest thing is the implementation of year one for the Charleston Plan for Excellence, putting a coherent curriculum in place, training teachers, adding literacy coaches to buildings. ...
Reconstituting two of our failing schools (Rivers and Brentwood middle schools) that had failed for decades. ... Those are very hard things to do because people don't like change regardless of (whether) it's positive or not. ...
There's a whole list of things we've done relative to processes and accountability that's going to make a big difference. Are we where we need to be? No. But we've made a lot of progress, and we have a long way to go.
Q: The coherent curriculum, a lot of people say they understand it. It sounds like a great idea. But in practical purposes, I've heard teachers complain that our eighth-graders, for example, are not on an eighth-grade level, so how can we teach them on an eighth-grade level right now?
A: That's their job to get them there. ... That's why we have the curriculum, because you can see year by year what it is students are supposed to know and be able to do. You have to take kids where they are and move them forward.
Having a coherent curriculum provides a real clear target about where they're supposed to be, so it's not watered down and you don't have to guess. We have lots of students that come to us that aren't on grade level. That's just the reality we deal with. The job still remains the same.
Q: What decision are you most proud of over the past two years?
A: Coming to Charleston County to be the superintendent.
Q: What do you regret?
A: I don't have any regrets.
Q: What most surprised you about this district after you got here and started digging?
A: The lack of processes and accountability for a business this size. There are processes and accountability systems that operated in silos, individual, as if nothing was connected.
Q: Two years later, is student achievement where you expected?
A: After I analyze the data and look at it, I can answer that better. I believe every year we'll see progress. The research clearly shows it takes three to five years. ... That's a hard question to answer without looking at the data.
Q: People have criticized the progress as too slow. What do you tell them?
A: I tell them it's about 10 years too late. ... When you have 10 years of digging a hole because nothing's been done, or correct things haven't been done, it's not going to change overnight. ...
You have to put the processes in place, put the structure in place. You have to support teachers and put the training in place, and then you work from there. ...
I told the school board when I came, I said, "Unless you're committed to four years of the same superintendent and another four years, you're not going to see the progress, and you're not going to make progress." The research is very clear. Unless you sustain change and support it and hold people accountable, nothing's going to happen.
Q: The Charleston Plan for Excellence initially said there would be no unsatisfactory schools by the end of the 2003-04 school year. I would imagine there are going to be some unsatisfactory schools. What does that say about the plan and the district's progress?
A: I think what is says is that, as superintendent, my expectations are very high. There's no way I would say it's OK to have unsatisfactory schools. That goal would always be there. ... If you just want to say, "She had that goal, and they didn't make it" — anybody can say that. The bottom line is, are we making progress?
Q: You are the highest paid superintendent in the state (with a $181,825 salary and $800 monthly car allowance). To mimic L'Oreal, why are you worth it?
A: Because I have the expertise, and I have the commitment, and I have obviously what the board was looking for when they brought me here. To run a district this size that is as broken as it is and has as many challenges deserves a salary, and it deserves a pro-fessional salary.
I was very honest about that before I came. You can look at any — at most — districts around the nation, and the salary I make is very comparable. ... You get what you pay for, and I just think that's how it works. I don't think you can ask people to do jobs and not pay them.
Q: How would you describe your leadership style?
A: I would say collaborative but directive. I'm real clear about what needs to happen, and I can clearly say what my expectations are, and then I give people the flexibility to perform. And if it doesn't happen, I can be much more directive. I believe any system works much better if you listen to and help to support and direct the people you actually work with.
Q: Some of your critics have said you don't listen to the public before making decisions. That you're either "on the bus" or not, to use your slogan. What's your response?
A: I'm not sure what the criticism is. ... The "on the bus" slogan is, our data is clear. Our direction is clear. What we need to do is clear. The research supports that. We're not going to talk about if we're going to do that. We can talk about how we get there. That's on the bus.
We're not going to talk about, "Are we going to have a coherent curriculum?" We are. ...
We have to train our teachers, and the curriculum has to be consistent. You can't have a different curriculum in different parts of the county, then wonder why kids aren't achieving.
I don't listen? If people said I didn't listen when I reconstituted (Rivers and Brentwood middle schools), that was probably true. Why? Because we had 10 years of failure. The data was very clear. So how long do we lose generations of children because we're listening to somebody say we don't want that? At some point, the professional has to make the decision about what direction we go.
Q: Marvin Stewart (chairman of the constituent board for downtown Charleston schools) and others have made the criticism that this district remains largely separate but unequal. The fact is, we do have mostly minority schools and largely white schools. Do you agree, and why is Charleston like that?
A: Charleston's like that because of history. If you look at historical decisions that have been made, they have not been made so that all students are successful. ...
All children have not been looked out for. That's the bottom line. Now, the way that has fallen out, when you look at the data, it has fallen out relative to race and class. So I think Marvin has a legitimate argument. ...
What I'm doing with the Charleston Plan for Excellence is being strategic about the work we have to do and be very clear that all students need to improve, including our low-performing schools. We have to have equity in how we support our schools, and we just don't have that right now.
Q: Where do you see us in another two years? In four years?
A: In another two years, I think we'll see significant improvement. In another four years, as long as we sustain the direction and support teachers in the classroom and continue making changes that we need to do to support kids, we'll continue to make significant progress. ... Eight to 10 years is when you see sustainable progress as long as you continue to do the work. If you keep changing, keep changing directions, you don't hold people accountable, you don't give them the support, you're not going to make progress.
Q: How long do you plan to stay?
A: As long as it takes to turn around the district. It's going to take at least 10 years.
Q: How do you get parents more involved?
A: It depends on the community. You just have to brainstorm how to get parents connected. If it's going to churches, if it's having activities on the weekends, if it's going door to door. ... You have to do things other than asking parents to come to school because school is not always a positive place or a positive experience for parents.
Diette Courrege
The Post and Courier
134 Columbus St.
Charleston, S.C. 29403
843.937.5546
843.937.5579 fax
dcourrege@postandcourier.com
Read the two interviews at the beginning of her 2nd and her 3rd years in Charleston, then review the televised public Q&A held in Seattle last Friday. It's all canned. If Seattle offers her the position as their super then they should get used to a type of public engagement that usually starts with the phrase "We've already decided that, so let's move on." If Seattle doesn't extend an offer and it is associated with her inability to effectively interact with the public, then she'll be seen by many as seriously damaged goods. The current school board in Charleston is going to have to confront her short falls and eroding public support when the school reports at the beginning of her 4th year show that the results of her Plan for Excellence are far less than what was promised.
Seattle, please be reminded: People posting on this site are a bunch of angry White women who can not get their children into Buist Academy. Now, they are angry at the entire world to include Dr. Goodloe.
Dr. Goodloe is an excellent individual and will lead Seattle school district to many victories as she has done in CCSD. Good Luck, Dr. Goodloe!
Angry? White? Women? Those descriptions don't fit everyone I know posting here. Is it Jerry Adams killing the messenger again?
I actually do struggle with anger at Dr. Goodloe Johnson's perpetuation of our apartheid education system. You're right about ME when it comes to anger. It's so hard not to get angry at the injustice Charleston County Schools dishes out to the most vulnerable children in our community.
I don't want any child I care about to attend Buist Academy. I in fact discourage people from sending their children into that toxic environment.
Seattle, Buist Academy is a Magnet school placed in downtown Charleston 21 years ago to cover up the fact that we have a segregated school system. It is rare for a black child that lives downtown to get into Buist unless her mother is on the school board. This can be verified easily.
There are 7 or 8 schools in downtown Charleston. There are about 3 white children going to all of these schools combined. No one on the Charleston County School board has lifted a finger to desegregate these schools for at least 21 years. These schools are grossly under funded because of our "points system." This means that none of the schools have enough students to qualify for many things that you may take for granted.
Buist Academy is made up of only a handful of white downtown children. It has many things that no other downtown school has such as full time PE, art, music and four foreign language teachers. It has a full time guidance counselor and an assistant principal. The school is located only yards away from Dr. Goodloe Johnson's office.
We have an archaic system that includes Constituent School boards. Downtown the Constituent board is made up of all downtown African Americans except for one blonde lady JA would no doubt label as "angry." The Constituent School board has a long history of intense clashes with the county school board. The good thing is the Constituent Board lives downtown and has the pulse of the community (yes, even the white lady JA). The system is flawed but thank God for those downtown officials! They are the only elected officials looking out for the children of downtown Charleston. Dr. Johnson sees them as crazy and dangerous. The perception the county board tries to paint is that only loud and off kilter downtown people get elected to that board. How has this happened for so many years and why are they always so mad about Buist? They do always end up furious because they know what is going on with the schools downtown and the corruption at Buist Academy.
It is commonly known that any school board member, important school system employee, elected official, attorney or professional fundraiser is guaranteed a spot at Buist. It exists for two reasons: to pass out favors to political friends and for the children of VIP's at Charleston County Schools.
The corruption at Buist has been exposed this past year on local news and even national TV news reports but it continues to operate as usual. I don't know who runs this blog but I don't think she has children she wants to get in Buist. In fact the only people I respect that would take a spot at Buist are people that live downtown and feel they are stuck in terribly under funded schools.
Good luck to Dr. Johnson in whatever she chooses to do. I hope that in the future she stops lumping everyone that disagrees with her into the enemy camp. Some of those people that she thought of as angry white females could have been great allies. Ironically the people she trusts least from downtown are people that live in racially integrated neighborhoods! They want the children of their community to go to school together in a well funded school.
It's also pure sexism to use this terminology. Mr. Adams, are you a bit of a misogynist? When you and Dr. Johnson were in the meeting with the District 20 Families Group last summer I understand there were actually more fathers in that crowd of roughly 25 people. Is it just easier to label the "enemy" as hysterical and female?
Buist used to work for a few downtown children in poverty. It was a ticket to great educational opportunities for people I knew. I wish those alumni would speak out about what has happened to Buist. What is the point of it being in downtown Charleston now? I am saddened (not really angry and I am white and female)because I know first hand African American children downtown that are really bright and deserve better. What the heck happened? I agree that if it isn't there for downtown children move the school some place else.
I am a black Female.Dr. Maria Goodloe -Johnson lack people skills.She does not value parental input.She is rude and common for lack of a better word.Goodloe -Johnson has not done anything for district 20 but ensure it's failure. Remember, the Edison Program at Rivers it failed. What about the A-Plus progam at Burke Middle that cause:
The children to miss a whole year of learning.
The teachers leave.
Classes that had children with no seats and sharing books.
Middle school children to become pregnant.
Where is the sucess in that.For years Burke High School have been asking for Trade Classes to return.
If Dr. Goodloe -Johnson has the right to make discisions without the board. Why Burke still does not have Trade Classes? The Community wanted it.
Seattle, I truly want Goodloe -Johnson out of Charleston. Let her destroy another city. Education should be for everyone . The children who need the education the most is not the priority of Dr. Goodloe-Johnson. If Seattle want a rude,out of touch person. Marie Goodloe-Johnson is the right choice for Seattle.
To the 11:05 pm poster, my question to you is:
How did you sleep last night? Angry white women? I certainly hope you're not educating any of our youth...what a racist and ignorant comment to make.
And thanks for the kudos to Dr. Goodloe-Johnson. I hope it helps her get the job, so we can get racial relations in this town moving forward. Narrow-minded people like you keep us in the 20th century. Maybe you could move on with her.
I have something positive to say about Dr. Goodloe. Her new haircut looks awesome! And I really do meant that.
You must have meant to type MEAN that.
But thanks for putting something positive about Dr. Goodloe on here. She HAS done a good job riding on the coat tails of Mishawna Moore. Ride 'em, Maria. Ride 'em!
Just learned that Seattle School Board members were in Charleston today. Anyone know any details of the trip? Were there any private conversations between Seattle School Board members and Charleston community members? Or was it all a public media event?
In any case, here are the questions I wish the Seattle School Board had asked today. Can any of you help provide the answers?
What are Dr. Goodloe-Johnson's interpersonal strengths and weaknesses?
How does Dr. Goodloe-Johnson deal with people who disagree with her?
How, if at all, does Dr. Goodloe-Johnson's lack of charisma and personal presence when speaking affect her ability to lead, inspire and influence others in the school district and across Charleston? Seattle desperately needs a leader who can effectively communicate a vision for Seattle Public Schools to both people in and outside of the school district, helping to unify the community around specific goals and generate funding and support for reform initiatives. Can Dr. Goodloe-Johnson realistically be expected to play that role?
How does Dr. Goodloe-Johnson's dislike of politics affect her work as superintendent in Charleston? (positively or negatively)
Beth,
You've asked some great questions. The 12:17 am poster above has answered at least one of them. Other than that, I believe those questions would most accurately be answered by people whose lips are sealed during this process.
According to one news reporter, the visit was staged. Its too bad they didn't go by Brentwood Middle, one of the schools she closed and "reopened" under a so-called A Plus Program. That school has received national attention as well. I was a substitute teacher there. Even last year, after the "reopening", teachers (and many children) weren't safe. Social promotion is alive and well(and accepted among top educators) in Charleston. Do you have that problem in Seattle? I believe we can educate EVERY child. Someone should ask Dr. Goodloe-Johnson what her thoughts on social promotion are.
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