Cobb County Superintendent Fred Sanderson said in an exhaustive response to regional accreditation officials that the school board's structure "is not effective," highlighting increasing division on the panel since the election of three new members in November.
In a five-page letter dated Thursday, Sanderson addressed concerns raised by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools over the board's dispute about the school calendar, resistance to adopting a new vision statement and allegations of interference with district administrators, among other issues.
The letter comes as the Cobb school district is in the midst of a search for Sanderson's successor. Board members will meet Saturday morning for an executive session to discuss the superintendent search.
Sanderson, who is retiring in June, blamed the board's discord for the ongoing calendar debate and the acrimonious relationship with district administration.
On the calendar issue, new board members "should have recognized their first priority on being sworn in was to become acclimated to and informed about district operations, and trained in the basics of school board leadership and effective governance," Sanderson wrote in the letter.
Tim Stultz, Kathleen Angelucci and Scott Sweeney were elected to the board in November and campaigned on a platform of repealing the balanced calendar, which was approved in November 2009. Those three, along with new board Chair Alison Bartlett, have formed a formidable voting bloc on the seven-member panel.
The calendar debate has raged in Cobb for months and has spilled over into the system’s search for a new superintendent. Rumors swirled late this week that the lone finalist for the position, Rockdale County Superintendent Samuel King, was no longer in the running because he and board members could not agree on terms.
King didn't return a message left at his office Friday.
Cobb and Rockdale school officials refused to confirm or a deny a report that King is no longer in the running for the job.
"The district has not released any more information and the superintendent search process is ongoing," Cobb schools spokesman Doug Goodwin said. "[Saturday's] session will address personnel matters and it is a safe assumption that the superintendent search will be discussed."
Behind the scenes, some parents and system observers have complained that some of the processes King has fostered in Rockdale are in direct contrast with Cobb, including Rockdale’s early school start dates.
Students in King’s district have started school during the last days of July for at least the past two years, according to school calendars. The early start dates of the balanced calendar fueled much of the debate in Cobb that eventually led to its repeal.
Wales Barkesdale, Rockdale school board chairman, declined to comment on personnel issues, but said Cobb needs to “clear things up” regarding King’s standing in the search.
In addition to the superintendent search and concerns over the school calendar, the Cobb school board faces additional leadership challenges.
Cobb board member David Morgan said he wasn't surprised by Sanderson's letter to SACS.
“The entire board is in agreement that we need to improve in terms of our governance and that’s what we intend to do,” he said. “Right now we are getting training from the Georgia School Boards Association. All of us are committed to improving and working as one.”
No one on the current board has served more than one term.
Sanderson closed the letter on a more promising note, saying the board could improve with more training. A training session with state school board association officials is scheduled next month.
"I strongly believe the board can become effective," Sanderson wrote, "if it continues with recent efforts to conduct ongoing training and address the issues that have caused division and mistrust among the board and its stakeholders."
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