What a week. On Monday, two KING-TV crews headed to Sea-Tac airport on a mission to learn more about the two finalists for Seattle Schools Superintendent. Reporter Linda Brill and photographer Alan Douglas flew to South Carolina to find out what they could about Maria Goodloe-Johnson, the Charleston superintendent. At the same time, photographer Ken Jones and I flew to Pennsylvania to report on Gregory Thornton, the Chief Academic Officer and second-in-command at the Philadelphia School District.
After one day in each city, our two crews held a conference call. It was clear to us, that Seattle had two very different candidates with two very different personalities. Thornton is a warm, friendly leader who from all appearances, gets along well with his colleagues. No one we talked with had a negative thing to say about him, except a couple people who wondered if he's too nice a guy to get things done. Part of the reason he escapes criticism of course, is that he's not the schools chief--he's the number two man. The Philadelphia School District CEO Paul Vallas is really the one who takes all the heat and attracts all the controversy, while Thornton can work more behind the scenes.
Linda described Goodloe-Johnson as all-business and no-nonsense. There's no shortage of opinion or criticism about her style and performance. Goodloe-Johnson says she's more concerned about kids and not about adults and their "adult" problems. Seattle School Board President Cheryl Chow was impressed with Goodloe-Johnson's direct approach, but there's no question Goodloe-Johnson was the more controversial of the two candidates.
The two school districts are also very different. Charleston is similar in size to Seattle. Philadelphia is a true urban school district, four times the size of Seattle's. And the high school we visited was in a pretty rough neighborhood.
After following the candidates in Charlotte and Philadelphia for a couple days, we headed back for Seattle and as we were about to board the plane, we got the news--Paul Valles, the head of the Philadelphia School district, announced he'll resign at the end of the school year. Numerous sources had already told us Valles was on his way out, but we were surprised it was so quickly. The announcement meant Thornton would likely be named the interim chief of his home district. Within hours, Thornton withdrew his name from consideration for the Seattle position--citing family reasons--and by that afternoon, Seattle's School Board met and offered the job to Goodloe-Johnson.
All of this left us with a dilemna. Is the Philadelphia story we gathered on Thornton still relevant? We decided that even though he's no longer a candidate, we still had a profile of a man with years of experience in urban schools, who evaluated and offered suggestions on how to fix schools back in Seattle. He definitely has different ideas about testing, race and private management of schools.
So Up Front this week, we're offering viewers a glimpse of the two final candidates. Goodloe-Johnson, the woman who got the job. And Thornton--the inner-city academic chief who gave Seattle some frank advice before pulling out of consideration. Now, let's hear what you think. Did Seattle make a good decision? What should Goodloe-Johnson do as soon as she arrives in Seattle?
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KING 5 News Up Front with Robert Mak
I think that Johnson could probably do a great job but it seems like her straight talking gets her in trouble with people she works with. I think that her straight talking and manner will eventually piss off the very school board that hired her now and said that this way was refreshing. I just dont see her lasting very long. I think that internal school board politics will eventually get her replaced.
Hell NO!
It is too bad (for Seattle) that Thornton decided to pursue the opening in Philadelphia. His vision for Seattle schools is just what this city needs: more K-12 academies, removing emphasis on the WASL as THE measure of student and teacher success, and focusing on the difficult issues plaguing our schools rather than floundering by getting tangled in artifical race issues. I only hope Goodloe-Johnson can sell school closures better than Raj did. She seems like she may be more forcefull in her recommendations and that is just what this indicisive politically stagnant city needs.
It is too bad (for Seattle) that Thornton decided to pursue the opening in Philadelphia. His vision for Seattle schools is just what this city needs: more K-12 academies, removing emphasis on the WASL as THE measure of student and teacher success, and focusing on the difficult issues plaguing our schools rather than floundering by getting tangled in artifical race issues. I only hope Goodloe-Johnson can sell school closures better than Raj did. She seems like she may be more forcefull in her recommendations and that is just what this indicisive politically stagnant city needs.
I wish I could be more postive. My immediate impression is that Goodloe-Johnson is a know it all and she really needs to listen for a long time before she tells us what is wrong with the district. I want the best for the district, but I am afraid she is not it, no matter what Cheryl Chow says!
Just when Seattle needed someone truly creative and innovative they unfortunately chose the opposite. From what I've ascertained thus far of Ms Goodloe-Johnson is we hired a bona fide burearcrat that will fixate on WASL scores and finance. We will continue to ignore the fundamental problem that the "how and what" that we teach is obsolete and totally needs to be restructed. I believe we would have done better with Mr. Thornton,but then we'll never know.
It is clear that the Seattle Public Schools first charter is to hire a politically correct superintendant, knowing they will suffer through their disapointment later, it seems it's always worth the cost of it!
After watching your program this morning, I was disappointed that Mr. Thornton dropped out of consideration for the superintendant position. I was really surprised by the member of the school board who felt that Ms Goodloe-Johnson would be a good role model since she was female and black. What about black males and white students in light of her comments in South Carolina pertaining to the insults thrown at a white, female teacher? I will keep my fingers crossed that she succeeds for all the students in the Seattle Public Schools.
I don't understand if you guys want highschool student to take the metor bus. seattle school do not gave bus pass to student who lives more than two miles.