The Observation Deck

USA TODAY: School superintendents are overwhelmingly male. What's holding women back?

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/edu ... 798754002/

Dan-- it might but I would have to suggest that women have to take the initiative and apply.

And who is to say they haven't?

good point

Boys, boys boys

Lakewood has been a fertile ground for female administrators, and a great farm system for female administrators.

More than one woman was considered deep into the last Superintendent. One the assistant Super Roxann Ramsey, now the a successful and much loved Super in North Ridgeville. Here we have Maggie Niedzwiecki as our Assistant Superintendent. We also have a couple more people in the system with Superintendent accreditation including the most improved school in the system, Lakewood City Academy's Terri O'Neill.

Then dig deeper into the make of the administrations on all levels and you see a diversity that truly matches the community.

To me it is like the Cleveland Indians being a farm team for the pros. We developed great talent, how do we hang on to it? How do we continue it?

Simple, pass the levy. Vote for continuing Lakewood's county wide brand. Dedicated to Education, and Knowledge.

Vote yes for smarter kids!

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Vintage O'Bryan sidestep of the question. But have any of them applied here? And what happened? And what of that non-transparent board vote for Dr. Barnes? He's a good man, but have they been a good board of ed?

Dan Alaimo wrote:Vintage O'Bryan sidestep of the question. But have any of them applied here? And what happened? And what of that non-transparent board vote for Dr. Barnes? He's a good man, but have they been a good board of ed?

Dan

I am not sidestepping. I know Roxann Ramsey did, but was also offered a job at North Ridgeville as well as two other locations. North Ridgeville needed to know 2 months before Lakewood finally decided. I believe and I might be wrong that Maggie applied as well.

Dan, transparency yes, but, out of the 13 applicants, I think 9 were working as Superintendents under contract negotiation. So to make it public really destroys the ability to bring in proven talent.

If the Lakewood Board of Education failed at any place on this IMHO was length of time it took to make a decision. Superintendent Patterson gave the schools a full year heads up that he was leaving. In the end, we were one of the last communities to fill that spot, along the way many people like Roxann had to make choices and drop out. HOWEVER, Dr. Michael Barnes has been a breath of fresh air in Lakewood Schools.

Not all things can be transparent, however perhaps the next Council selection could be.

With hiring a Superintendent, Finance Director etc. some privacy is needed for a time.

Is the School Board doing well? My belief only Favre and Callahan have been transparent and honest. Everyone else has been running secret agendas handed down from City Hall or other control freak group. However as witnessed in the last election, one member ran with no mailings, no door knockings, no yard signs, no meetings, no answer and was out of the country the last couple weeks of the election and won. I would personally take that as a message people must be happy.

FWIW

Sidestepping, what was that Gary used to say, oh yeah

Hi All,

Did somebody mention my name?

Recovering from pretty intense throat surgery, and a couple other medical issues. Doing better now, and better every day.

I can finally talk again. Doc just cleared me on Friday.

Plus, the growths were benign. Yay!

My return to talking will thrill some, and bring chagrin to others, I suppose.

Seriously, thanks all, for those thoughts and prayers.

I love our schools. The many opportunities afforded our students and the leadership provided by staff is phenomenal.

And my friends, THAT very much relates to Lakewood.

Back to the banjo...

Jim O'Bryan wrote:

Dan Alaimo wrote:Vintage O'Bryan sidestep of the question. But have any of them applied here? And what happened? And what of that non-transparent board vote for Dr. Barnes? He's a good man, but have they been a good board of ed?

Dan

I am not sidestepping. I know Roxann Ramsey did, but was also offered a job at North Ridgeville as well as two other locations. North Ridgeville needed to know 2 months before Lakewood finally decided. I believe and I might be wrong that Maggie applied as well.

Dan, transparency yes, but, out of the 13 applicants, I think 9 were working as Superintendents under contract negotiation. So to make it public really destroys the ability to bring in proven talent.

If the Lakewood Board of Education failed at any place on this IMHO was length of time it took to make a decision. Superintendent Patterson gave the schools a full year heads up that he was leaving. In the end, we were one of the last communities to fill that spot, along the way many people like Roxann had to make choices and drop out. HOWEVER, Dr. Michael Barnes has been a breath of fresh air in Lakewood Schools.

Not all things can be transparent, however perhaps the next Council selection could be.

With hiring a Superintendent, Finance Director etc. some privacy is needed for a time.

Is the School Board doing well? My belief only Favre and Callahan have been transparent and honest. Everyone else has been running secret agendas handed down from City Hall or other control freak group. However as witnessed in the last election, one member ran with no mailings, no door knockings, no yard signs, no meetings, no answer and was out of the country the last couple weeks of the election and won. I would personally take that as a message people must be happy.

FWIW

Sidestepping, what was that Gary used to say, oh yeah

Jim,
You seem to be making a "stopped clock" argument here. They are not doing so well and yet they made a good choice in Dr. Barnes. Now we are hoping they are right about the levy. Before we have wait until "tomorrow," how do we get through to them that we are not pleased? Again, I'm not playing the money card.

Dan Alaimo wrote: Jim,
You seem to be making a "stopped clock" argument here. They are not doing so well and yet they made a good choice in Dr. Barnes. Now we are hoping they are right about the levy. Before we have wait until "tomorrow," how do we get through to them that we are not pleased? Again, I'm not playing the money card.

Dan

Call, write, go to School Board meetings.

They are not doing so well, and yet they still made a good choice? Yes, even a blind nut gets found by some squirrels occasionally.

Maybe a better term is we got real lucky. We should all be happy Dr. Barnes is here.

Dan, makes no sense to play the money card. We all know how much things have gone up in 7 years since last levy. We also have finished the schools and now need to fill them with teachers, learning materials, etc. Now is not the time to take our Ferrari (one of highest financial outlay for schools) down to Gas Town, for low octane gas. That would just be insane. Lakewood stumbled into being dedicated to education, and that my friend is a very good thing.

I agree with Laura Carbone's article in recent Observer. I find it hard to not support a levy. Bond issue, maybe. Candidates, maybe. Levy it makes no sense.

The city needs engaged, educated, business and well trained children. FACT

When arguing levies, it is almost always a money card. For as Laura and I point out. It is not the kids fault money is not there.

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Again and again, I am not arguing money. This is a matter of decision making and transparency. There is someone else out there right now playing the money card big time - someone who could well afford to pay for it- and I think he is harming my particular viewpoint. Pursuing the Electoral process does not work here. The PTA lobby is too strong.

Dan Alaimo wrote:Again and again, I am not arguing money. This is a matter of decision making and transparency. There is someone else out there right now playing the money card big time - someone who could well afford to pay for it- and I think he is harming my particular viewpoint. Pursuing the Electoral process does not work here. The PTA lobby is too strong.

Dan

I am missing something here, what else is new?

Where is the transparency issue? Hiring superintendents or other employees have never been done in public. Virtually every record request I have ever made from the BOE going back to our first year was honored immediately. The Superintendent, Asst Super, Treasurer, and others love to answer questions and go over numbers. Believe me Kent Zemen our Treasurer loves it.

Th only issue that matters is how they threw in with the biggest mistake in Lakewood's history, and I do not see that as a board decision as much as personal decisions on their part.

So where is this transparency issue you speak of?

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it is conventional to hire Consultants to find candidates for Superintendents.