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Dayton Daily News education reporter Scott Elliott writes about schools, kids, teaching and learning.
Home > Blogs > Get on the Bus > Archives > 2008 > May > 30
Friday, May 30, 2008
Princeton passes on Brathwaite
The Cincinnati Enquirer is reporting Debra Brathwaite was not the choice for superintendent in Princeton schools near Cincinnati.
When I spoke to school board President Yvonne Isaacs on Tuesday, she said the board was inclined to named an interim superintendent and launch a wide national search for Percy Mack’s permanent replacement. She indicated there was interest in Brathwaite for the interim post and she would be considered also for the permanent job if she applied.
So it would seem Brathwaite is available, if the board wants to go that route.
At least one group within the district wants Brathwaite to replace Mack — the elementary school principals. Everyone one of them signed a letter in support of her, which was delivered to the board this week. Here’s what they said:
May 21, 2008
Dayton Board Of Education
Yvonne Isaacs, President
115 South Ludlow St.
Dayton, Ohio, 45402
Dear President Isaacs,
We have been honored to have had an exceptional leadership team: Dr. Percy Mack and Mrs. Debra Brathwaite. Now that we face the inevitable change that is too soon upon us, we are buoyed by the fact that Mrs. Brathwaite, the ‘wind beneath’ our wings, remains.
In the short while she has been with us, she has improved the way we do business in our schools. She has improved academic achievement for all our students by:
—Training us to be more effective as educational leaders
—Providing meaningful professional development for administrators and teachers
—Keeping us focused on one thing: Student Achievement
—Sharing her vast knowledge of procedure, knowledge of content and pedagogy from pre-k through 12th grade
—Supporting and enlightening us
—Being creative and risk-taking by offering more options to parents, students, and teachers (namely creating DBPA and CAEAG)
—Taking away the minutiae of endless paperwork/reports so that we could get into the classrooms and know what is going on
—Making sure we formulated CSI plans that made sense
—Making sure we were data driven
She has been very hands on and purposeful. Her door has always been open to us. She had a plan, a vision. We bought into the plan and we still share the vision.
So often in a complicated urban district, such as ours, the education of students is the last thing on the agenda. She made it clear, from day one, that the education of our students was the first thing on her agenda.
By being just who she is: Brilliant, hardworking, earnest, fair, and generous, she has earned our respect and undying loyalty. This letter is to let you know that we have utmost confidence in her and her ability to lead not only this district, but any district.
Professionally,
The Elementary Principals of DPS
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Domineck’s injunction denied again
(Donald Domineck (left) leaves the courtroom after his appeal hearing Thursday.)
Ohio’s Second District Court of Appeals this morning denied Thurgood Marshall High School parent Donald Domineck’s motion for an injunction to stop graduation Saturday unless students who did not pass the Ohio Graduation Test are included.
The court’s decision hailed Domineck’s “concern as a parent” but found “no basis in his argument to enjoin the Dayton school board from prohibiting students who have not passed the Ohio Graduation Test from marching in their respective schools’ graduation ceremonies.”
The court cited several precedents that the judges said prevent courts from interfering with school board decisions unless the board’s actions constitute an unreasonable abuse of discretion and noted that the court is prohibited from substituting its judgement for the board’s judgement on questions the board is authorized to determine.
Domineck said after Thursday’s hearing that he would seek financial and political support for an appeal to the Ohio Supreme Court if he lost this round, but with DPS graduations happening tonight and Saturday, it’s hard to see how he would have time to file another appeal.
(Image credit: Teesha McClam, DDN)
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