News-Record.com

With these statements the Board admits that Grier was useless.

Several board members said they want someone who will focus on strengthening teacher instruction, particularly in elementary schools.

"We have an appalling and unacceptable number of kids in middle school and high school who cannot read," Jeff Belton said.

A superintendent who can be visible in schools, integrate the various agendas of business and community stakeholders, and encourage transparency among employees is also important, board members said.

Inside or Out?-The goal is to get the very best person the Board can find. They should look inside and out. Talent Management Best Practices tell you this. If all things are equal with competing candidates, then the edge goes to the internal candidate. Interim appointment is absolutely the way to go especially since Grier is leaving March 23. Someone has to be in charge until a new superintendent is appointed.

The board will look for a weak leader - one that they can easily control.

School superintendents come and go, but basically nothing changes within the local school system. These superintendents are well-paid bureaucrats, whose primary goals seems to be to pave the way for the next well-paid superintendent in the long, long line and basically maintain the staus-quo.

The federal, state and local guidelines for education standards and achivement make it impossible for any superintendent to be much more than a glorified messenger boy and "traffic cop" through the myriad regulations. There is no room nor tolerance for any truly innovative manager. I think that explains why we have a national education system that if far from being the envy of the world.

It should be noted that it is very difficult to work for our BOE. You get no guidance. You get blamed for stuff you did not do. The BOE has 11 members when 7 would be much better. They are incapable of working hand in hand with the Supt. to improve education. Goals, dreams and aspirations is not something this BOE is familiar with. They essentially want the students and parents to be happy above all else. Happy people learn and unhappy don't learn. It is a sad story.

WITHIN!!! I agree in principal with the comment made on finding the "best person for the job", but since merger we have had tried hiring from outside (Weast & Grier) only to have those canidates use the district as a career stepping stone. Someone from wthin (or at least local to the area) will know our schools more intimately and be less likely to do things just to pad thier resumes.

FYI: The percentage of students graduating from high school within four years of entering the ninth grade increased from 66 (2002 data) to 79.9 percent, the highest of the five large school districts in the state.

Graduating does not mean than can do post-High School work. The Dean of Admissions at UNCG said that the students from Guilford Co. that had a certain GPA (like 2.75) were much less prepared for college work than those coming from other school systems. Is she wrong? Should we disregard what she said?

Joe R. Stafford please cite the source you are quoting. UNCG Dean of Admissions spoke this to you personally or was this a newspaper article?

I think that guilford co. should hire with in the school system. They should hire someone that knows the system, and has been in the system for a while. I think they should hire a teacher, because up to this point the school system does not know what is best for the schools or the teachers. Its going to take someone from with in to under stand the needs of the people that is working for the system. Its going to take someone with a back bone to stand up to the parent, and take back control of the school from the students and the parents.

The School Board had a meeting with the admissions personnel of local colleges (including Elon). The Dean of Admissions said this in open session. I was the only person from the public there (as I recall). The meeting took place last Oct or Nov. Several Board members were there.