DEL.ICIO.USClayton superintendent offers to trim power
School board member wants to end contract
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Monday, September 29, 2008
Clayton County superintendent John Thompson says he will surrender his power to violate policy on Monday if it means getting the school system’s accreditation back.
The move may not be enough to salvage the controversial superintendent’s job at the helm of the state’s fifth-largest school system.
• Photos: Timeline of Clayton schools' woes• AJC editorial: Less hope
- Read the full report to SACS:
• Part 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 (Large PDFs) - Read SACS' report (PDF)
On Monday, board member Michael King will present a resolution asking the board to terminate Thompson’s contract and continue with a national search for a superintendent.
“I want to go ahead and continue the search. That’s the best option to get accreditation reinstated,” King said. “A permanent superintendent is one of the first steps.”
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools revoked the 50,000-student district’s accreditation effective Sept. 1,
citing a dysfunctional board and the superintendent’s exceptional powers.
SACS criticized Thompson’s contract, which grants him the authority to violate school policies and circumvent board approval.
Thompson promised to submit an amended contract to the school board on Monday night.
“I’m going to remove all clauses that state unusual powers,” Thompson said. “I’ll give the power back to the board.”
The district has pledged to meet nine improvement mandates by April to have accreditation reinstated. That would allow Class of 2009 graduates to receive an accredited diploma.
However, one of SACS’ mandates requires Clayton “conduct a legitimate, professional search that results in securing the services of the best available candidate as the next superintendent.”
The previous school board hired Thompson in April as the district’s corrective superintendent. The board gave Thompson a 14-month contract with a $285,000 salary, 107 vacation days and $2,000 monthly housing stipend. The contract expires at the end of June.
When they hired Thompson, the board ordered search firm Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates to postpone the national search for a permanent superintendent and said they would resume the search in January. The board has already paid the firm $44,000 for the search.
“The search firm recommended a seasoned superintendent who doesn’t have any eyes on a permanent position and doesn’t have to worry about pleasing anyone, ” former Clayton accreditation attorney Glenn Brock said in March.
On Friday, state Rep. Roberta Abdul-Salaam (D-Riverdale) said she doesn’t understand why board members are trying to go back on what they told the public.
“My understanding was the corrective superintendent could not be considered permanent,” Abdul-Salaam said. “I don’t have anything against Dr. Thompson, but I have my concerns about extending the contract.”
School board members Lindsey McDaniel and Mary Baker said they don’t want the board to get bogged down on a superintendent search when it should be focusing on working to regain accreditation.
“To go through and fire him, that’s going to jeopardize our chances of accreditation and I don’t want to do that,” McDaniel said.
Board vice chairwoman Jessie Goree said she has heard from constituents on both sides: some who want Thompson to stay and others who want a new school leader.
“If we were to get rid of him, we’re right back in the same boat and do not have stable leadership,” Goree said. “We want to do a permanent search when the new nine [board members] come in. I just want us to move on.”
Board chairwoman Alieka Anderson and members Trinia Garrett and Trena Morris declined to comment.
Thompson said he is the permanent superintendent and wants to remain.
“I want to stay here as long as the community will have me,” he said. “One of the things that is missing is consistency.”
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