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E-mail Home > Blogs > Get on the Bus > Archives > 2008 > July > 22 > Entry
Brathwaite follows Mack to Columbia
City schools deputy superintendent Debra Brathwaite has resigned effective Aug. 1 and will join her former boss as his top deputy in Columbia, S.C.
Brathwaite will follow Percy Mack, her boss in Dayton for five years, in a similar role in Columbia. She will be deputy superintendent for academics and finance.
“It’s a time in my career where it is time for a change,” Brathwaite said. “I am very pleased with what I’ve done here. It’s not an easy decision but I think it’s the right decision for me at this point.”
When Mack announced he was leaving in June, school board President Yvonne Isaacs approached Brathwaite about serving as interim superintendent while the district conducted a national search for Mack’s replacement. She declined, saying she would only accept the job on a permanent basis. The board then selected Kurt Stanic as interim superintendent. Brathwaite has been a finalist for several superintendent jobs, including Lorain, Akron and Princeton school districts.
Brathwaite said she liked Stanic and that he asked her to stay.
“He’s a good guy,” she said. “He respected my decision. I wish everyone well.”
Another top administrator, assistant superintendent Rebecca Lowry, was named a finalist recently for superintendent in Jackson, Miss., and Pinellas County, Fla.
Permalink | Comments (17) | Post your comment | Categories: Dayton Public Schools
Comments
By Former teacher
August 4, 2008 4:46 PM | Link to this
Null DPS Administrator -Why did you quit right after Ms. Braithwaithe resigned? No one else seems to be supporting your views.
By TB
July 28, 2008 9:23 AM | Link to this
….About as petty as you posting that comment. It was HER going away party. She can and did invite who she wanted to be there. Honestly Richard, you sound like you wanted to go to the prom….but was never asked.
By KT
July 27, 2008 5:01 PM | Link to this
Richard, who would even want to go? But still, you are right!!!
By nullRichard
July 26, 2008 6:50 PM | Link to this
How petty is it for the Deputy Superintendent to have a going away party and not invite Board members, key district staff and business leaders. Seems the Board made the right decision.
By Laura
July 24, 2008 3:06 PM | Link to this
DPS teacher, I don’t know how Ms. Brathwaite could have actually used the “data” we compiled for her. The last I heard, it was sitting in huge piles in an office. As to (now retired) DPS administrator: although I acknowledge that the job of any DPS employee(including administrators) is not easy, that does not mean you have to mistreat and abuse employees in the name of doing your job. Interesting that only you as an administrator is coming to her defense and none of the teachers. And yes, I do come to the defense of administrators who deserve it.
By DPS Teacher
July 24, 2008 9:05 AM | Link to this
James, you are right on target with DPS teachers doing work for Braithwaite to get her degree. I was one of those teachers and if we could have spent the time we wasted compiling data for her and doing unnecessary testing on a bi-weekly basis, we would have had more time to do our real job, teaching children. It is a travesty that Mack allowed this to happen, but then he was also the superintendent who gave teachers no planning periods this year. I say good riddance to them both. Dayton needs someone to come in and clean house.
By James
July 23, 2008 11:05 PM | Link to this
It is my understanding that Ms. Brathwaithe WAS NEVER ASKED to be the interim. I do not know where that ever came from. Dayton did not select her for the same reasons that NONE OF THE OTHER DISTRICTS where she applied in Ohio or elsewhere selected her. She is going with Mack because as hard as she has tried she can’t find a job anywhere else. And he owes her. She has become increasingly bitter towards DPS when she should be greatful. Affterall, she has worked on her Doctoral program paid for by DPS, and directed DPS employees to do much of her work. I wish her the best in Columbia. She will have to find someone else to blame when things do not go her way because the DEA and other unions will not be there.
By nullDPS Administrator
July 23, 2008 10:24 PM | Link to this
It is really unfortunate that we are losing a great leader. She would have been a great Superintendent for DPS. Deputy Brathwaite was diligent in her efforts to provide a quality education for all children. She will be missed!
By deb
July 23, 2008 10:10 PM | Link to this
Edy….the funds that provide for the demolition of our schools come from the State of Ohio and the levy that Dayton residents passed several years ago….Those funds cannot be used for operations - like providing transportation….
By Mary
July 23, 2008 2:38 PM | Link to this
I think of these situations more as “A rolling stone gathers no moss”, “Hit and run”, and typical of business, government and education leadership. Only the pay changes and that usually goes up- sort of like building up resumes for college. Appearance counts more than substance and reality in our culture.
By Edy
July 23, 2008 11:14 AM | Link to this
Dayton seems to be stepping stone for many. Unfortunately I think we are sitting on some quicksand. We need someone who is not so superficial, who can dig a little deeper and get the foundation a little stronger. By the way, I’d like to throttle the person who decided to spend thousands to demo Patterson but cut high school transportation. Where are your priorities?
By DPS Teacher
July 23, 2008 9:39 AM | Link to this
Whew! I was afraid she might be our next superintendent!
By Laura
July 22, 2008 7:38 PM | Link to this
Bummer for Columbia!This really makes me wonder about the accuracy my opinion of Dr. Mack. Hmmm.
By FloridaBuckeye
July 22, 2008 7:31 PM | Link to this
Being away from Dayton, I fear that what makes Dayton ….Dayton has been lost. Dayton is not a corsage, or hat…Dayton is heart…and science…and you make me want to come back to remind you. Dayton is a special city. It is not (thank God) Detroit…but it is what you allow it to be. Dayton has a special history. Thugs are not part of it. If I have to travel home 1500 miles to help, I will. Moms
By T
July 22, 2008 6:27 PM | Link to this
Rebecca Lowry would be an excexcellent administrator/Superintendent for DPS. Too bad the DPS school board doesn’t raise their own Supt. from within.
By UrbanDweller
July 22, 2008 4:27 PM | Link to this
As I’ve said before, South Carolina’s loss is our gain!
By greener
July 22, 2008 3:23 PM | Link to this
now bathweight knows what it means to come in 3rd. What dayton has produced 22 great supper’s to go to different parts of this great country to serve in the reign of top dog of course this is over the last 21 yrs. and yet nobody wants to stay in dayton.goes to show you,next one out will be scott,who will be going up north when the new casino’s open up to report on new ideas using gambling money on education.