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Dayton Daily News education reporter Scott Elliott writes about schools, kids, teaching and learning.
Home > Blogs > Get on the Bus > Archives > 2008 > April > 01 > Entry
Superintendents are the new rock stars
You know what happens when a job gets more and more demanding to the point where a lot of potential candidates say “forget it” but there are still several big employers who need to fill the position?
It’s basic supply and demand — the good people willing to do the work are going cost more.
According to this story that’s what has happened to school superintendents. And the most sought after candidates have become “rock stars” of sorts in the profession, making big money and demanding increasingly exorbident working conditions.
Dayton’s superintendent Percy Mack does not qualify as a rock star. At least not yet.
Here in Dayton Mack is well compensated compared to you and I, but his salary fits in where you would expect when compared to the other large urban superintendents in the state. And he has some perks but nothing like the luxuries cited in the story from others around the country.
Since his flirtation with Mobile, Ala., last fall, Mack has insisted he is not job hunting. But you have to think he remains a potentially attractive candidate for a large district.
His resume boasts a lot of improvements in Dayton in his time here in terms of measures like test scores and graduation rate. And a lot of people would credit him for at least some internal reforms that made things better. And he has big district experience from DeKalb, Ga.
But in Mobile Mack was hurt by last May’s levy defeat. And he is now managing a district in continuing financial crisis. Another levy defeat in November could be damaging to the district’s long term health.
Make has consistently said he is not seeking the rock star treatment. He might like to be closer to his Georgia roots, which is why he said he consider Mobile, but he says he is not shopping for a better gig. Still, I figure he has got to get occassional calls from some of the big guns.
What do you think of the phenomenon of rock star superintendents?
Permalink | Comments (8) | Post your comment | Categories: Schools and Politics
Comments
By Avoice
April 7, 2008 7:26 AM | Link to this
I would suggest that that you call U-haul soon. Truthfully, I feel for you Mom of Three, you have no where to turn. You can become a more informed consumer with regards to the District as it stands now. Most art and music in the elementary has been severely limited to one day per week. PE will be gone too. You can ask to see the multiple offices, secretaries, computers, furniture, fixtures and supplies at Ludlow 1 & 2 and ask where is this for instruction? You can ask why the district sends people who do not teach students to teaching workshops while other districts only send teachers? You can ask why does the district have multiple levels of supervisors yet had to dismiss so many teachers this year? You can ask why do all-day kindergarten classes have more than 25 students and middle school classes have more than 30 and in some case more than 35? You can ask to see an organizational flow chart of supervisors of instruction, interventionists, team leaders, curriculum developers, assistants to assistants of supervisors of instruction. You can ask to speak with the person in charge of the Redundancy Department of Redundancy. You can visit other local schools and see their board offices and actually speak with the Superintendent. You can see that they actually spend more than 60 percent of the budget on instruction. You could go back and read the past blogs from DPS teachers and wonder why no one investigates this current or past school board and the practices that have been followed. You could contact the local media and ask why are we still in this mess? Or you could be like the rest of us parents and try to make a living, keep paying our bills and let the school system disintegrate before our eyes.By Concerned Mom of 3
April 6, 2008 5:45 PM | Link to this
Laura- I have heard the rumor about the special subjects being completely cut if the levy doesn’t pass. Does anyone else in the education community feel the way I do about this proposal? (I am really ticked off about this!!!!) I think that cutting all the elementary art, music and PE will severely compromise elementary education… Here are some reasons why I think the way I do… 1. Art, Music and PE are important pieces of a well-rounded euducation. They offer the opportunity for reinforcement of concepts taught in the classroom, but in a more hands-on way. Some students may miss the lesson in the classroom, but the concept may sink in when it is presented in a different way through art, music or physical activity. I have seen it happen too many times not to believe how important it is. 2. The elementary teachers will have more lessons to prepare- and even less time to prepare for them. (If you think the teacher attendance was bad this year- just wait to see how much time they miss when the working conditions become even more stressful.) 3. Teaching Art, Music, and PE requires special supplies. The teachers who actually put the time and effort into teaching the special subjects will have to end up spending more of their own money in order to present the students with appropriate experiences. If the district agrees to supply each teachers with access to the necessary supplies, they will just get lost, ruined or wasted. 4. The teachers won’t have any down time during the day to “regroup.” I think it will become more and more difficult to be patient with the students who have self-control/discipline issues. I feel very strongly that there have to be other places to make cuts in the budget… Cutting the Art, Music, and PE instruction isn’t the right place to make the cuts!!!!! What can the few concerned parents in the district to in order to stand up for the kids right to a quality, well-rounded, free and apporpriate public education? I don’t feel like going to a board meeting to express my concerns will make any difference. Any suggestions? I want to be a “rock star” mom!By Laura
April 4, 2008 7:29 PM | Link to this
The rumor is that if the levy doesn’t pass, ALL P.E., Art and Music in the elementary will be immediately dropped. Any classes that aren’t maxed out now, will be. The funny (?) thing is that I heard many years ago that the school board wanted to get rid of the special subject teachers for a dual reason. First, they would save a lot of money by not employing those teachers and requiring the regular teacher to teach those subjects. Second, there would most likely be much more academic class time as many teachers don’t feel comfortable teaching art and music, especially. For P.E., they might actually get an occasional recess-well, maybe.By Avoice
April 4, 2008 6:54 AM | Link to this
Too bad Percy isn�t more like Gene. (If you ask Don Messer you might find that Percy�s� total compensation package is a little higher that you thought. Not as high as a rock star, but Gene has been a lot more successful in his endeavors.) Gene has been true to his fans, children, partner and the notion that KISS is the best band and he has been the best promoter of that band for more than thirty years. Gene would never look for another band to be in. Gene has a strong sense of loyalty and does what is best for his fans and family. Gene is very knowledgeable about the music business and is one of the most successful promoters of rock and roll merchandise in the world. On the other hand, past Dayton Superintendents have been known to move from band to band. They have been not very loyal to their fans. They have not promoted nor ensured the continued success of their band long after they were gone from the daily scene. They move from band to band hoping that fans will forget their past failures. After awhile, the local press finally catches up to them but what do they care, they have moved on to the next set of groupies. The past actions of Percy, James and Franklin make Gene look better and better. Perhaps a creaky old rocker would be better than these new rock stars?By Mary
April 3, 2008 6:50 PM | Link to this
But Jim, do not forget how much money (millions)and effort has been put into Welcome Stadium. That must be the superintendent’s number one priority, not 50% increase in class sizes.By Jim
April 3, 2008 12:45 PM | Link to this
Percy needs for the levy to pass in November or the district will face long term damage? The ivory tower folks are still carrying on. Most were shuffled not dismissed. The classroom teachers have class sizes increased by 50% and the principals are still there.By Oldprof
April 2, 2008 8:51 AM | Link to this
Percy Mack’s photo montaged with Gene Simmons? I think it’s time for Scott to get back on his own rocker :-)By Mary
April 2, 2008 7:33 AM | Link to this
This story hits on some of the same issues I have noticed. One issue, in particular, is “overly politicized school boards” where educational needs of the students seem to be “low priority”. I have noticed that in my “excellent” school district where providing handouts to booster clubs are much more important than classroom and academic needs like the gifted program. Superintendents seem to be cut from the same cloth as the boards who hire them. We have an intellectually dumbed down education system throughout the U.S. The leadership is a significant part of the problem. I found myself agreeing with the teachers’ union president quoted in the article.