That reputation clearly took a hit this weekend, at least in my eyes.
I am not one of those people who confuses civil servants with indentured servants. I truly believe every professional has the right to follow their career onward and upward at some point in time.
But is this that point in time? Lyons and the school committee just took some TNT to the school system by closing the Kelley School. In my eyes, and I think in the eyes of many parents I talk to, the dust is still settling from the explosion. Folks don't seem entirely satisfied with the Rock Band like tour students will be making on their way to High School graduations. (Brown-Brez-Molin-Nock-HS, I can see the T-shirt sales now.)
I'm not sure Lyons had any plans--or saw any need--to iron those or any other wrinkles out. But it seems to me that he hasn't finished his business here. Yet, he saw fit to toss his name into consideration for another job.
Yes, I believe him when he says he didn't seek the job, but he still gave the go ahead and presumably interviewed for the position. He can't be drafted to serve as the Hudson School Superintendent.
He could have said thanks for the consideration but my work here isn't done yet. But he didn't, so now we're left with a lesser leader no matter what the Hudson School Committee decides tomorrow.
Or what our school committee decides tonight. Gillian Swart reporting that the school committee is now in executive session for the purpose of contract negotiation with Lyons. I don't the school's overall cause will be helped at all if Lyons pursuit of the new job leads to a sudden pay raise for the superintendent. His graceful rejection of earlier raises will be forgotten. Perhaps all this also will be if he stays for a raise.
But I doubt it.
UPDATE: Here is the Daily News' account.
9 comments:
My guess is that he'd like to work in a place where he doesn't have to spend all his time cutting things. Maybe he'd like to do something positive.
Every system is going through cuts, so he can't escape that. I also think this is about money: not the money to be cut from a budget, but the $182K the Hudson job pays. The sainted Dr. Lyons is ditching Newburyport for the Banjamins. And sorry , I don't believe he wasn't looking for a job. They always are.
What makes you think Dick, in this economy, that Dr. Lyons isn't going to be cutting things in Hudson. Has the steady stream of bad news failed to impress on you that Newburyport is not alone in the economic crisis? Could it be he just doesn't want to feel bad about accepting lots more money?
I agree with the points that he'll likely have to cut programs where ever he goes.
I would prefer, however, that we stay away from any name calling (as slight as it was.)
I certainly don't think the man is a saint, but he seemed like a highly capable administrator and I'm glad he's running our schools.
Ed Cameron has a link to superintendent salaries.
http://edcameron.blogspot.com/2009/03/superintendent-salaries.html
My point in using "sainted" is to note that he is treated with reverence by many, including the School Committee. My perspective on whether he is a capable administrator comes from being a mother with a child in the schools, interacting with him and watching him at work. Is your child in the schools? If not, your perspective is more removed (though I respect your right to have an opinion).
The average turnover for school superintendents is 3 yrs., so I'm not sure why anyone is shocked by Lyons' job-shopping! The real problem is that they come into a system, turn everything upside down to implement the newest educational fad, then leave before seeing it through. Things stall. Then the next superintendent comes in and does precisely the same thing (new fad, though). No wonder public schools aren't making any progress! Administrators like to blame it on funding, but much of it's really lack of consistency and follow-through, and a desire by administrators to implement the latest educational trend-du-jour. Basically, it's three steps forward, two steps back - if we're lucky.
That's quite a statistic if it's true. (A three year average suggests that some superintendents stay on the job for a year or two. I haven't seen that.) But if that's the case, that is a problem.
I don't think Lyons appreciates Newburyport's crusty outer shell. We need someone willing to hang round long enough to get to the city's soft nougatty center. Where are you Francis Bresnahan, Rupert Nock?
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