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Published Thursday, Sept. 16, 2010 | 3:57 p.m.
Updated Thursday, Sept. 16, 2010 | 5:08 p.m.
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The Clark County School District's search firm recommended three finalists on Thursday for the district's next superintendent.
The search firm, McPherson and Jacobson, vetted and selected the finalists. They are:
• James W. Browder, superintendent of schools at the Lee County School District, in Florida, which includes Fort Myers. The firm said the district has 80,000 students and a 78 percent graduation rate. "He's a relationship builder," the firm said.
• Dwight D. Jones, the Colorado commissioner of education. The firm described him as "very achievement and assessment literate and motivated."
• Michael Hinojosa, a school superintendent for 14 years and superintendent in Dallas for the past five years. The firm said Dallas resembles Clark County with diverse ethnic groups and a sizable low-income population. "He has zeroed in on student success" and "he is known for team building," the firm said.
One notable absence from the finalist group was Jim Rogers, a wealthy businessman and former chancellor of the university system with a reputation for abrasiveness.
A supporter of Rogers was ejected from the meeting after he exceeded his time and denounced the school board.
Rogers had offered to serve in the position for free and to resign on short notice if the school board wanted someone else.
But in letters to Clark County School Board Vice President Carolyn Edwards, Rogers compared Edwards to Queen Elizabeth I.
"I have concluded that you believe you were elected to rule rather than to serve," he wrote to her Aug. 23.
Rogers also wrote that the search process was flawed. "I shudder at the thought of a milk toast (sic) being put in the job," Rogers wrote in an Aug. 30 letter.
Six board members voted in favor of approving the search firm's recommendations and one abstained. The president of the board, Terri Janison, abstained from the vote because her husband is employed by Rogers.
Thomas Jacobson, the head of the search firm, said only outsiders were chosen for the superintendent position because they were the only ones who met the board's criteria. As for Roger's offer to work for free, Jacobson said finances weren't part of the criteria.
Meanwhile, Jacquielynn Floyd, a columnist at the Dallas Morning News, raised questions about Hinojosa, who attracted early scrutiny and controversy.
"It's news, of course," she wrote, "but it can't be a big surprise that Michael Hinojosa is shopping for a new job ... But there's a gathering body of evidence that Hinojosa, who has piloted the unwieldy barge of the Dallas Independent School District for five years, is ready to get serious about a new gig."
I don't even want to know what they are paying for this position.
Rogers Channel 3 is already slamming one of them
I'm sure they'll pick Michael Hinojosa. From what I've read, he has a nice shady past....which is what this district seems to like.
Comment removed by moderator. Off-topic.
While it would be great if Michael Hinojosa was no longer around my town, Dallas, I just hope that your school board has done its homework on him. He's done absolutely nothing to improve DISD, has had budgetary snafu after budgetary snafu (we're talking millions and millions of dollars just unaccounted for and never to be found) and just research his nepotism with regards to his son and the Ivy League. Seems like any "executive" nowadays can discard all of their misdeeds (think Fuld and the other Wallstreet losers) and continue to make money for doing something they're awful at. Only advice for those of you that care about your local schools is to lobby against his appointment. He will not be the answer to your prayers.
I hope the staff sticks to their policy of removing "off topic" posts. Other wise you will lose another/more reader and good luck surviving LVSun
Fatabbot saved me the typing. Wow!
Woodman,
Saw it on the DMN and hoped there was an article here. I hope you guys can help us in sending this corrupt moron to the ranks of the unemployed.
Oh don't worry the board is going to pick the biggest loser to run CCSD.........
Clark County School District has been as manipulative and misleading as any school district in the public reporting of their dropout rates! As recently as 2-26-10 (http://ccsd.net/news/pdf/20100226-204298...) they have publicly claimed: "The overall dropout rate for ninth through twelfth grade students in the Clark County School District (CCSD) has improved for the second consecutive year, down to 4.6 percent in 2008-09 from 5.8 percent in 2007-08." The real complete dropout rates are much closer to 46%.
A long history of similarly manipulative communications in Dallas ISD have blogs accusing Dr. Hinojosa as responsible for the dropout rate disasters that plagued DISD long before he came in 2005. The real DISD dropout rates were simply never made public! Since 2005 significant progress was made within Dallas ISD. It is reflected in the graph at http://www.studentmotivation.org/DallasI... .
It is strongly recommended that the finalist chosen for the superintendent position demand that Clark County School District clearly communicate their real dropout numbers to the public constantly. They should demand this before they accept the position. It will lead to the greatest progress possible in Clark County. It will help avoid the groundless, mindless criticism they may receive someday for problems they did not create, but must begin to constantly expose so as to successfully fight the dropout crisis.
I guess Chester Stiles was unavailable? No doubt they will choose the biggest loser to head this disaster. They are IGNORANT for not giving Rogers a shot at it. He couldn't do any worse, he's cheap, and no matter what you think of the man - JIM ROGERS ACTUALLY GIVES A S*** ABOUT EDUCATING THE KIDS OF NEVADA - which is more than you can say for the legislature, the school board, and most parents in this state. I can't stand Jim's politics, but he's sincere and an upstanding and very nice man. There is ZERO reason not to give him a shot.
The last thing Las Vegas needs is Mike Hinojosa. He was the school administrator for the Hays County ISD near Austin. He is one of the worst administrators I've been taxed by. His experience at Dallas ISD was pathetic and at Hays, he increased our property taxes to build a Taj Mahal football stadium. I hope you pass him over - my friends in Dallas hate him for his $40 million budget error where employees were laid off and then rehired.
Listen to Fatabot - he speaks the truth.
Thanks to the Texans for posting their comments here.
There's another trick to watch out for. When I lived in California, we wanted to get rid of our City Manager because he was a crook. He knew we wanted to get rid of him, so he went out looking for another job.
He was a finalist for a gig at a bigger California city, so their local newspaper and city council members came calling in our town for the "true story" on the man. We had a secret pact that nobody in town would say a bad thing about the man, so that the bigger city would take him off our hands.
It worked. Even our local newspaper kept it zipped, so the bigger city's newspaper didn't find out any details.
So off the man went to his new job. And about four years later the city council of the bigger city had enough of him. And of course they blamed our city council for saddling them with a lemon. Tee hee! They did.
As a result, the Clark County School District needs to dig deeply, among the "dissidents" at each school district where these three candidates have worked, to get the true story on their foibles.
The salary is reported at $275,000 and they will pay up to $350,000.
I don't know much about Jim Rogers, but I can't imagine him doing a worse job with the worst school district in the U.S. I mean, the only way is UP, right? And to offer to do the job for free? Why not give him a shot? Obviously he means business, plus it would put another $300K to use in the schools.
We paid a search firm how much money to give us a candidate like Hinojosa? Unbelievable.
I live in Dallas and Hinojosa would be a big mistake for Clark County....He laid off a hugh number of teachers and made class rooms huge. He is wrecking Dallas Schools they are not doing that well.
He is looking to get out before they kick him out. Dig deep before you take him.
"James W. Browder, superintendent of schools at the Lee County School District, in Florida... "He's a relationship builder," the firm said."
The only relationships he builds is with 4 of the 5 school board members that removed the ethics clause from his contract and guaranteed him a $300K payout even if he is fired for cause or leaves of his own choice.
That being said, most of us in Lee County would consider the $300K golden parachute to be money well-spent to rid ourselves of an individual who has spent tens of millions of dollars on computer programs that don't work and hiring more administrators while cutting teachers and others in direct daily contact with students, fighting the class-size amendment and changing to a student-unfriendly schedule.
Millions more were wasted as he put off an audit of the transportation department that we citizens suspected (and now know!) wastes 20% of its budget and has children spending 3-4 hours per day on a bus.
Why would a superintendent want to put off an audit that might save taxpayer money and shorten students' time on a bus and why would 4 of 5 school board members (2 of whom have now been voted out) aid him in doing so?
I don't know how much you paid for the search firm, but I'd say you paid too much.
I dont understand what is wrong with the school board, couldn't 270,000 dollars pay for a couple of teachers salleries and help the school district. Why would they even concider a person that almost ran a school district into the ground.
Mr. Bob realist,
So you call yourself... Jones did pay back the money that was due. The fact still remain he can make the changes that Clark County schools are suffering from. Jones has more ethics and morals than most Americans. He also holds a very strong work ethic. Obviously you are one of those people who believe trickle down economics are the way to go as well, George Bush is not lieing about the reason to go war in Iraqi!! It was personal fool!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Get over it if Clark county schools want truth and facts about their schools then Jones is the man! Change is good with Jones, just ask the teachers who worked for him in the Fountain Fort Carson schools. Oh I have known Jones for over 25 years and would hate for him to leave Colorado but his determination is what the people of Las Vegas could USE!!