OFF THE CUFF: Clark County School Board Special Session-Superintendent Search 9/29/10

[Karen Gray]

Bizarre, just bizarre…

Tonight, trustees are picking the next superintendent to lead the
nation’s fifth largest school district — no doubt one of the most
important decisions they will make over the next five years. And yet,
trustees are hurrying through their comments. Of course, that’s been
the theme for this search process all along, so why should tonight be
any different? But it just seems weird that trustees would be rushed,
giving their own input.

OMG, I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Three trustees did due
diligence and actually investigated the finalists on their home turf.
And now, Board President Terri Janison just told them to make their
reports to the board short.

If you regularly watch school board meetings, you’re going to find
this next item really funny: Young just set the speaking timer on
herself.

Ah… now I get it. It appears that Mr. Jones, our next superintendent,
wasn’t entirely “transparent” during his interview with trustees --
http://www.npri.org/audioLib/20101012_Jones_answer.mp3. One might even
opine that he lied.

When asked whether he had met with CCSD personnel or community members
prior to his interview, Jones told Trustee Linda Young he hadn’t had
that opportunity, really, but he did speak with two people not in
Clark County. In reality however, we learn tonight, Jones had plenty
of opportunity to research the district. In fact, Jones had traveled
to Vegas and met with some local people. Who were they? No one has
shared.

But this, say trustees, really is a non-issue. After all, Hinojosa
visited Vegas too, says Janison. Is she serious? Jones came to town
and met with stakeholders and then lied about it when asked by a
trustee in his job interview. Okay, so Jones fessed up after getting
caught. But, really, is that the honesty and trustworthiness CCSD is
seeking in a superintendent?

I guess so because trustees voted to hire Jones tonight. Only Linda
Young voted no — because she was uncomfortable with the process.

I don’t know what’s more bizarre — Jones’ prevarication, the trustees’
whitewashing it, or Linda Young setting the speaker timer on herself.