Just a week after Superintendent Dr. William Skilling announced his retirement, current Deputy Superintendent Tim Throne, was almost appointed superintendent of Oxford Schools commencing September 1, 2015 ? June 30, 2018 at the Dec. 10 regular meeting. But spirited discussion from board members and the audience postponed the vote.
The appointment was a last-minute addition to the agenda on a 4-3 vote, at the start of the meeting and no public announcement of the possible appointment was made other than by newly-elected board member Mike Schweig, who made an announcement on Facebook.
‘I found it unprofessional that this is the way this whole thing came about,? he said. ‘That someone is going to appoint a superintendent . . . just two weeks prior to a new board coming in. You’re not allowing that new board to select a superintendent they can work with. I find that appalling on a professional level.?
Schweig noted that his posting on Facebook was ‘out of desperation? to inform the public of the potential appointment.
‘The school board didn’t notify anybody. This wasn’t the put on the agenda,? he added. ‘It wasn’t put out anywhere publicly, it was hidden. A stealth move, that’s what it is.?
According to board members Secretary Jim Reis and Treasurer Dan D’Alessandro this has been the plan all along since they created an administration ‘reorganization chart? back in April, which gave new titles and duties to certain administrators, like Throne and former Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum Dr. James Schwarz, who was hired as the superintendent of Avondale Schools back in September.
D’Alessandro said ‘it came to the board’s attention that Tim was being courted by, not one, but two different schools to be their next superintendent.?
‘Now, we had two candidates at that point (back in April) who we thought could be the successor,? he said. ‘One was plucked from us and we’re facing the (possibility) of having our second (plucked).?
Reis agreed. ‘We had the reorg chart and gave the new names of the positions we were really strong with either Jim or Tim being the next superintendent? In my mind, what we did with Jim or Tim is no different than what we would do with giving teachers raises that we don’t want to lose or administrators we don’t want to lose,? Reis explained. ‘We want to keep these great people we have in Oxford and since they’ve been groomed from within, we also thought why would we want to spend $10,000 or $20,000 on a superintendent search??
‘In this board’s mind, we had all talked who would be the next superintendent for eight months now. In this board’s mind, let’s not lose Tim. Let’s give him an opportunity because he was the next one in line,? he continued. ‘That was the reason we did what we did. Nothing nefarious, nothing sneaky, because this has been talked among us and (we) even told the teachers? union why we were doing more pay (for Throne and Schwarz).?
After the resolution had been read and the board was given time to discuss, Trustee Robert Martin was the first to speak against the appointment, not anything to do with Throne, but everything to do with the ‘ill-conceived procedural mistake.? Martin didn’t think the issue was as ‘time sensitive? as it was being painted.
‘I think had this come up during the next board’s term, you obviously would have been seriously considered for the position (and) if it does come up during the next board’s term, I think you’ll seriously be considered for the position,? Martin said. ‘This is not the way to do it.?
He also noted that he had checked his packet after receiving an e-mail that it had been reposted and when he checked, the topic of appointing a superintendent was not on the agenda and he has never seen the motion.
‘This is not the way to run a board, an administration, a district, I feel sorry for Tim,? Martin added. ‘I think this portrays him in absolutely the wrong way. I don’t think Tim was pushing for this to be done today or during this board’s term. I don’t think there is anything about this that’s right.?
Trustee Kim Shumaker was also uncomfortable with the process. Shumaker posed a question to newly-elected board member Mark Stepek, what his response was after a board member called him seeking his opinion. Like some of the others, Stepek felt it was inappropriate and unfair to Throne.
‘I think doing it this way when it’s not needed just sets up Tim for failure or to fight against a force he doesn’t need to fight against,? he said. ‘I think you’re putting Tim in a bad situation that he doesn’t need to be (in).?
Shumaker also asked fellow newly-elected board member Joyce Brasington what her opinion was when she was called. Brasington said no one called seeking her opinion.
‘I’m real concerned because Tim could be the best candidate out there and I don’t doubt that he might be, but this is a great opportunity for the public and the teachers, the secretaries and the bus drivers, the seniors and the communities. There is such a great opportunity to take community input. It would be a great bonding experience for the new board and all the stakeholders in Oxford, just to have a voice and hear what they have to say,? she said. ‘My concern is that this board continues to take information from Dr. Skilling. They don’t listen to anyone else.?
Shumaker also through her support behind Throne, but said she would have to vote ‘no,? like Martin because of the procedure. She also read from the board’s policy guidelines 3210 A.1 in how to select professional personnel.
It reads: ‘The board of education shall make all appointments to positions on the basis of a person’s professional qualifications to implement the desire of the board to appoint on the basis of merit all those who have responsibility to staffing, should search diligently within and outside the system for qualified candidates to fill staff positions.?
Shumaker also read comments from Skilling, who was quoted in his retirement article, published in the Oxford Leader on Dec. 10. He said the next board would make the decision on superintendent.
‘I am really perplexed as to in a week’s time (how things changed). I understand other people are interested in Tim, but I’ve been through another superintendent selection process. It is a long process. We have time. I’m really uncomfortable that we have not let our community and staff know,? she said. ‘While I’ve been told it’s legal and I want it to be legal, that doesn’t make it the right way to do it, just because it’s the legal way to do it.?
Stepek agreed.
‘When you have the appearance of impropriety, it’s just as bad as whether it was improper or not. So, why give the people more ammunition in the community to create the controversy that our school board is messed up,? he asked. ‘Let the new board make the decision so it can be a cohesive decision.?
While Trustee Angela Mitchell believes Throne would be the best choice for superintendent, she, too, could not vote ‘yes? in good conscience. ‘I believe in my heart that he would be an amazing leader for this district but I also am having trouble reconciling the process, so I’ve spent the two days going through my mind,? she said. ‘The motion is to support Tim as superintendent, I do, but I can’t support the process we got here, so where does it leave me? (I have to) vote no as a responsible board member.?
If the biggest problem to the public was that the topic wasn’t on the agenda, Reis said he had no issue tabling the vote until the Dec. 17 meeting. ‘Do I agree the board can wait a week to make this vote? I could do that, but it won’t change how I think that this board has been involved with this process all the way up this point that we should not be the ones to vote on this,? he said. ‘We’ve discussed this at length for numerous months.?
Vice President Carol Mitchell believes Oxford wouldn’t be able hire someone from the outside because Oxford is a ‘unique district.?
‘I can’t believe the big scuttlebutt about this. This was a natural move for us. It was already set up months ago. We made sure we had this to make sure this district keeps going as it is with no blips in it and it continues on to serve the students and help the teachers,? Mitchell said.
‘None of you have sat on this side of the table,? added President Colleen Schultz. ‘It’s totally different mindset.?
Schultz said, ‘Philosophically, this board is way more prepared? to move to the next superintendent. ‘The new board will set the superintendent’s goals’will learn to get to know each other as a team of seven and will get to know each other as a team of eight, including the superintendent,? she said. ‘I don’t? feel this was last-minute. I feel like we’ve been working towards this since 2010? Our role is to take care of the district. We have 21 more days to take care of the district. My concern is that it could be possible that (another) district could make Tim an offer.?
As president of the teachers union, Jim Gibbons was concerned he couldn’t even offer any thoughts about the possible appointment because he just found out about it that day through Facebook.
‘I know that’s the board’s job (to hire a superintendent) and I respect that it’s your job, but the teachers are pretty big stakeholders and so are the students,? he said. ‘I look at this and say it’s uncomfortable to me that we’re hiring one of the most influential persons in the district as superintendent and we’re creating animosity on the board, which sets him up for failure. I think at the very least, you should wait a week to allow this to settle with people, to allow that I can make an informed opinion based on what the teachers have said.?
The board voted to rescind the resolution until the Dec. 17 meeting. At the end of the meeting, Skilling pointed out ‘there is no established process? for hiring a superintendent.