No Decision Today

The Courier-Journal in Louisville Ky. and The Daily Independent in Ashland Ky. are both reporting that the Kentucky Board of Education did not make a selection for the new education commissioner today. According to the reports, the Board chairman, Joe Brothers, said that they still have four candidates after the day long meeting that began around 7 a.m. and didn't end until after 4 p.m. Brothers said the board will continue to do background checks on the applicants and review information and data it has requested from the four finalists. But he said he’s confident the board will choose the next commissioner at its next meeting, scheduled for Friday, July 17 at the board’s offices in Frankfort.

Both papers quote Dr. Holliday talking about the Kentucky Education Commissioner position. The Daily Independent reports: “This is my pinnacle job, this is the job I’ve always gone after, leading at the state level,” Holliday said. Holliday, who is 58, said if he’s hired he expects to remain in the job for at least nine years. The Courier-Journal reports: "This is the job I always wanted," said Holliday.

Isn't that just about what he has been telling everyone in Iredell County about the I-SS superintendent's position? And all this time he has been looking for his pinnacle job. Well I hope he gets that job. It won't take long for the citizens of Kentucky to realize where they want to stick that pinnacle.

Holliday, Going, Going, Almost Gone?

According to an article in today's Record & Landmark, Dr. Holliday is one of four finalists being considered by the Kentucky Board of Education to be the state's next commissioner of education. Click on the link below to read the on-line version of the article as well as some excellent comments.

I-SS superintendent in running for Kentucky job

Thanks to the person who mentioned the article in a comment to a previous post on this blog. We can only hope that Dr. Holliday gets the position. I just feel sorry for the citizens of Kentucky, especially since I am a native of Kentucky and have many relatives who live there. If you want additional information about the candidates for the Kentucky position you can check out the Kentucky School News and Commentary blog at the link below.

http://theprincipal.blogspot.com/

The blog also has links to two YouTube videos of Dr. Holliday speaking at the 2009 Quest for Excellence conference. In one of the videos Dr. Holliday mentions that one of the pivotal moments for the change in the I-SS leadership team occurred when he hired Brenda Clark. Dr. Holliday then goes on to say that he was able to save a couple hundred thousand dollars by changing her from a highly paid consultant to a poorly paid school district official. Of course, Dr. Holliday doesn't mention that Ms. Clark has a four-year contract starting at $129,900.00 per year. I guess that if your making over $200,000.00, then $129,900.00 may not seem like much. Try comparing that to what teachers and teacher assistants get paid. No wonder Dr. Holliday treats teachers and teacher assistants as if they are a dime a dozen.

Finally, how many times has Dr. Holliday mentioned that he really liked I-SS and that he has had offers for other positions but that he turned them down because he wanted to stay at I-SS until he retired in 2011. Now we learn that he has been actively seeking at least one other position. Don't get me wrong, I am glad that Dr. Holliday is wanting to move on. I hope he does, and that it happens very quickly. But, I think that it verifies what many have been saying for some time now. You can not trust what he says because he will tell you one thing and turn around and tell someone else something completely different. We need a superintendent who can be trusted to truly look after the needs of the students rather than bolstering his or her own ego.

2009 NC Child and Family Lobby Day

Join Us to Lobby for North Carolina's Children and Families!

Who: Sponsored by the Covenant with North Carolina's Children, Action for Children NC, Council for Children's Rights, Children and Family Services Association-NC, NC Association of Educators, National Association of Social Workers-NC, and Prevent Child Abuse NC.

What: Join us for a day of action at the General Assembly! As NC legislators consider devastating budget cuts, we must speak out for children and families. In addition to direct advocacy, we'll be holding a press conference at 1 pm to make our case to the press and the public.

When: Wednesday, 6/24, 11 am - 3 p.m.

Where: NC General Assembly (Specific meeting location inside the building is forthcoming)

Why: North Carolina's children are the foundation of our future prosperity. When we invest in our children, they will pay us back through a lifetime of productivity and responsible citizenship. Our future will be determined by how well we prepare our next generation for the tremendous responsibilities of adulthood.

Unfortunately, the current budget shortfall threatens investments in the health, education, and safety of our children. It's time to come together to make sure that short-sighted solutions don't jeopardize our future prosperity.

Info: For more information, contact Rob Thompson - info@nccovenant.org

I was sent a link to the this information and wanted to share it with everyone.

Iredell County Representatives

NC General Assembly

Iredell County Representatives

Rep. Julia C. Howard Email: Julia.Howard@ncleg.net

Rep. Darrell G. McCormick Email: Darrell.McCormick@ncleg.net

Rep. Grey Mills Email: Grey.Mills@ncleg.net

Rep. Mitchell S. Setzer Email: Mitchell.Setzer@ncleg.net

Senator Austin M. Allran Email: Austin.Allran@ncleg.net

Senator James Forrester Email: James.Forrester@ncleg.net

Senator Fletcher L. Hartsell, Jr. Email: Fletcher.Hartsell@ncleg.net

Would it be possible for the Governor and General Assembly to consider alternative cuts in education which do not directly affect the daily instruction of the children ofNorth Carolina? There have been many administrative positions created by NCDPI and local school systems whose impact is negligible considering the current education crisis. If we are reversing the strides made in education regarding class size, teacher assistants and other personnel who provide instruction or interventions in classrooms, then let us also do the same with costly administrative positions.

This post was written by Renee Dulin.