Palo Alto Weekly journalists discuss tensions between Ravenswood City School District board members and the implications for a district in transition.
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Comments
Registered user
Palo Verde
on Aug 31, 2019 at 3:26 pm
Registered user
on Aug 31, 2019 at 3:26 pm
Let's hope the board is transparent when they start their search for the new superintendent. I hope they follow the same procedures other school districts do when hiring a super. They shall not just give it to the interim superintendent even though all the employees Gina gave raises and promotions said she is great. Of course they are going to say she is. They got already their big reward to say that. Gina is smart in that sense. Hope more parents can see the big picture and like Pulido demand that the position opens for anyone to apply including Gina and give the job to the one who is more prepared and experienced to do the job. If Gina and the board are getting involved in more than one issue at the same time, it tells me that they do not know what they are doing and the results will show at the end when they are ready to vote. This already happened under Gloria regime. She claimed that they were ready to open the middle school and was and continue to be very chaotic. My humble opinion is that they are biting more than they can chew, and at one point they are going to have to spit it out.
East Palo Alto
on Sep 2, 2019 at 10:26 am
on Sep 2, 2019 at 10:26 am
I am concerned that this interim superintendent is handling such a delicate issue when she has no experience. We are sinking our students' educations and future by putting this big job in her hands. Redwood City recently went through this and even though Mr. Baker is not new in his roll as superintendent, it was s difficult and tedious job. I ask you board members why would you give the interim super such a heavy and difficult job, when she has no experience as super. The fact that she is handing more than one project at a time tells me that she has no idea what she is doing. This is a crucial time and all board members and super should be focussing on one thing only and not take their focus into something else such as the naming of schools. If Sharifa wanted it this why do you even listened to her. No, no, no this is not going to work.
East Palo Alto
on Sep 2, 2019 at 9:24 pm
on Sep 2, 2019 at 9:24 pm
@Concerned Parent ... I agree, they are taking on way too much.
Gina is an interim, first-time Superintendent, with a sharply divided board, who has to close schools and downsize staff immediately. While at the same time, she is taking on a district-wide strategic plan and using 3 or 4 consulting firms, plus an interim, part-time head business officer completely new to the district.
And behind the scenes somewhere are big money (over $1 million dollars?), completely anonymous donors, paying for it all and pulling the strings. Where else are all the new consultants coming from, all from outside California???
This is just rolling all the dice and hoping it works out. It sounds more like a crap shoot than a rational plan.