Sources: Hairston Won't Seek Contract Renewal
Baltimore County schools superintendent's announcement could come as early as next week.
UPDATED (6:42 p.m.)—The nearly 12-year era of Joe Hairston as superintendent of the Baltimore County Public Schools system appears to be approaching an end.
Hairston himself, however, is declining to comment on the possible end of his tenure of the 26th largest school system in the country.
Multiple knowledgeable sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they’re not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, have told Patch that Hairston will announce he is not seeking to renew his contract. The announcement is expected to come possibly as early as Hairston’s report to the board at its Oct. 11 meeting.
Multiple sources also confirmed that Hairston’s decision may have been hastened by the fact that the board recently voted to not offer an additional four-year extension.
Hairston is in the final year of his third four-year deal. His current contract ends on June 30, 2012.
A spokesman for the school system said he had no immediate comment.
Hairston declined to comment on his possible announcement when asked tonight by WBAL TV.
Hairston told reporter Tim Tooten "right now it's business as usual for Joe Hairston. At the appropriate time, we'll certainly make some further comments but right now I'm thinking of moving on and getting the job done."
Stay with Patch for updates on this story.
George W. Nellies
1:40 pm on Tuesday, October 4, 2011
What great news! Now let's just hope that Kamenetz doesn't try to put one of his political cronies into the position.
K Blue
2:00 pm on Tuesday, October 4, 2011
What is the protocol for searching for a new superintendent? Is there a formally appointed search committee? If so, PLEASE make sure that there are qualified individuals on that search committee other than the usual suspects or tied to the usual suspects. They are out there. Find them. No politicking please. This could be the most important committee this County selects in a long time.
Joan Wood
2:19 pm on Tuesday, October 4, 2011
This is REALLY good news. But, I agree with both George and K Blue. It woudl be good to know how the next person will be "selected" and possibly be allowed to attend the meetings and submit input.........but somehow I really doubt that will ever happen. Kamenetz most likely has already selected a replacement.
George W. Nellies
4:29 pm on Tuesday, October 4, 2011
From what I hear, you're right. And the initials are DM!
K Blue
7:26 pm on Wednesday, October 5, 2011
I hope he has not already selected a replacement. I could care less if the final selection ends up being someone "connected," as long as the search process is fair and unbiased (and the search firm and any community members chosen to serve on a Community Committee evaluating the finalists are politically unconnected and qualified), and as long as the person chosen for the position is the most qualified and available at a salary this County can afford. As for the rumormill George, I heard $215k Foose was the frontrunner.
Pez
10:47 pm on Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Seems to me that DM wanted to be a candidate previously and was deemed to not have the correct credentials for the position.
Bart
2:48 pm on Tuesday, October 4, 2011
We really need to let them know that we won't stand for KK and Jim Smith pulling their old tricks like they did on the school board committee. The jig is up, boys!
Tom Bolander
3:40 pm on Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Just wondering if this decision is connected to the No-Bid roofing contracts on multiple schools ???
Baltimore County Parent
7:52 pm on Tuesday, October 4, 2011
And SO much more.
Concerned Citizen
4:03 pm on Tuesday, October 4, 2011
I just hope the person chosen for the job can pronounce WITH correctly. There is no "F"!!!!!
Kathy Berlyn
4:32 pm on Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Good! I hope the new superintendent will be more responsive to parent complaints about teachers.
Roxane
9:31 am on Wednesday, October 5, 2011
You know, Kathy, perspective is a funny thing. I was a teacher in the county for 30 years and felt the parents' opinions were the only ones listened to by the powers that be over the last 10 years.
Local Girl
9:54 pm on Wednesday, October 5, 2011
I agree Roxane. As a teacher, I felt they listened to parents more than us.
Diverse
11:57 am on Tuesday, October 18, 2011
And administrators...
Some teachers are only as good as their leaders.
John
4:59 pm on Tuesday, October 4, 2011
This is wonderful news. So sad that Mr. Hairston allowed the influence of one to destroy the last few years of his career, marked by ethical concerns and questionable decisions/behavior. I only hope that whoever becomes superintendent has zero ties to the "retired" one and anyone connected to her. I am so ready for a superintendent who cares about the best interest of our children.
walker
5:24 pm on Tuesday, October 4, 2011
ITS ABOUT TIME. what took so long.
Roxane
5:55 pm on Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Mr. Nellies, I bet you're right. Although I think DM is after the State Superintendent's job as opposed to the county one.
Bart
6:11 pm on Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Oh, so this will be the reward for DM causing the flap with the ADA, and the ensuing lawsuit? Great, just great.
DOC
6:35 pm on Tuesday, October 4, 2011
NOW MAYBE WE WILL GET A SUPER THAT CARES ABOUT THE ENTIRE SYSTEM AND NOT DRIVEN BY JUST THE "STATISTICS" HE HAS DECREASED GT AND FORCED KIDS IN AP JUST FOR HIS OWN GLORIFICATION!
suzanne castle
8:32 pm on Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Perhaps the present system of choosing a super, that of ignoring the hundreds of people loyal to Baltimore County Schools, its students and its teachers, and seeking nationwide for some hostile, controversial dictatorial bore, may change. Long overdue!
K Blue
9:09 pm on Tuesday, October 4, 2011
If the County uses a search firm, I wonder how much that will cost the County and what amount was set aside in the budget for that purpose. Or does the State Board pay for that? If the County pays for it, which budget does it come out of --- County or BCPS? If they hire a search firm, I hope they keep a close, close eye on the search firm's contract terms and its expenses past a certain amount. This could be rather costly otherwise.
jocyln patterson
10:01 pm on Tuesday, October 4, 2011
After a VERY LONG day......this just made me feel like tap dancing!!
Diverse
9:13 am on Wednesday, October 5, 2011
I would hope that the next superintendent will not only listen to parents complaints regarding teachers; but employees complaints regarding their administrators. Too many are allowed to mistreat their staff without any consequences. Someone with high morals and a true love of making Baltimore County a premier county in education and employment would be great.
JDStuts
9:37 am on Wednesday, October 5, 2011
How long before Jim Smith gets involved with this. It's like the guy never left.
Bart
10:22 am on Wednesday, October 5, 2011
He's probably lurking in the halls right now.
Jean Suda
5:01 pm on Wednesday, October 5, 2011
I believe the Board of Ed members select the next superintendent. Another reason why there should be some elected members of the Board. It would increase stakeholder (parents, guardians, former students, teachers) influence on the ultimate choice.
K Blue
7:41 pm on Wednesday, October 5, 2011
If the Board gets to make the final selection, I hope they will consider televising or taping the interviews of the semi-finalists and giving the community an opportunity to comment. I say reserve a large auditorium now at one of the colleges.
Cheryl
5:28 pm on Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Correct me if I am wrong, but the last appointment was a specific veer from cronyism and it got us Joe Hairston. Perhaps there is nothing wrong with an appointment of a superintendant who has an extensive knowledge of education and politics. If the only reason for not liking someone is because they have friends who are also knowledgeable about education and politics, well that is just stupid. I don't know who DM is, but if he or she is someone who cares about kids, listens to parents, respects the board of education and values teachers, count my vote. I would vote for anyone who puts money back in the classrooms instead of wasting it on corrupt projects like AIM or $250,000 positions that only pad the top. Good Riddance!
Pez
12:07 am on Thursday, October 6, 2011
Trust me, Cheryl, that is not a description of DM!
Buzz Beeler
11:14 pm on Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Once again the media looked at the many issues that Mr. Hairston was involved in and the results were not always favorable.
In the end the damage control was too little and too late. Nowadays there are a lot of eyes out there watching. In the end it boils down to accountability.
Liz
9:06 am on Thursday, October 6, 2011
Pez, if you are talking about Don Mohler, I couldn't disagree more. I happen to be an educator that worked in Don Mohler's area when he was area superintendant in BCPS. He cared very much about teachers and parents, and most of all, students. He had no tolerance for mediocrity or those who didn't want to do what is good for children or schools. He wanted excellence in education and I respect that. It is a trait that I think is missing in education today. I have a friend that teaches at Catonsville High School and she still refers to him as the best principal ever. He started as a teacher and dedicated his entire career to education. He knows the system from the inside out. If you sit on the side of politics, maybe you have your own opinion, but from the world of education, he is the type of guy educators and parents want to clean up the current mess. I want someone who not only understand education, but who understands politics as well. I want a guy who knows who to call to get things done. I want a guy that can call in a favor, make the right connections, and move through the political system quickly to get results. Education will never be rid of politics. Education is funded by state and local governments and governed by federal laws, all of which are run by politicans. Since you can't separate the two, why not have a person that can span both?
Baltimore County Parent
8:02 am on Friday, October 7, 2011
Liz - I hear what you are saying and it's good to know but it's also important to remember that Don Mohler currently works as the County Executive's Chief of Staff. It will be extremely difficult for him to go up against the C.E. on any educational funding issues. With the infrastructure problems in our school buildings today, the new Superintendent will need to fight for more county school funding, even if it's an unpleasant fight. I don't see that happening with their cozy relationship.
Pez
8:58 am on Friday, October 7, 2011
Liz, I also worked as an educator in the NE area when DM was the Area Superintendent. People at my school found him to be a very egotistical and vindictive individual. If something was accomplished and he didn't get the credit for it, then watch out. I wonder why he no longer uses the title of Doctor in his present occupation the way he forced the issue in his previous one? He is just very self-centered and definitely not the correct person for the job.
Cheryl
9:37 am on Thursday, October 6, 2011
Liz that sounds the person for the job! He's got my vote! It's time to clean up our schools.
Diverse
11:56 am on Tuesday, October 18, 2011
I agree Cheryl. It is time to clean up the schools; but let's hope that the person who gets this job has good sound moral and ethics and not just great credentials. Someone who can be an excellent advocate on the education and politic side for our children. Let's hope too that the cleaning doesn't begin or end there at the top. There are some admnistrators who need to be cleaned out as well.
reader
10:02 am on Thursday, October 6, 2011
Whoever the final selection wil be, I only hope that he or she takes a good look at the bloated administration that exists only for the benefit of padding their retirement accounts and does some substantial downsizing. Then there won't be signs on lawns proclaiming "fund our schools". There will be sufficient funds for the kids.
Diverse
12:01 pm on Tuesday, October 18, 2011
I couldn't agree more Reader. I truly believe that many are just trying to pad their retirement accounts and it's not just Hairston. It's many of the administrators in the main building as well as in the schools. I know of one in one of the elementary schools who is allowed to mistreat those that she supervises and gets away with it. Downsizing or replacing some of these people would also benefit the system.
wade garrett
10:22 am on Friday, October 7, 2011
Let me see if I understand the situation- there is a potential candidate who:
was a teacher
was an asst. principal
was a principal
was an area supervisor
was a spokesperson for the school system
has a Doctorate degree
transitioned to spokesperson for the County and the chief of staff position
all of this within Baltimore County
and this person is unacceptable to some? please, you must have another agenda or do a search and find another person with similar or better credentials- if you can't I would think you'd want to hire this person and I just moved here
K Blue
11:33 am on Friday, October 7, 2011
I dont know much about Mohler, but if those are his credentials, if the choice is between him and Foose, I would prefer him over Foose any day. She has been here for months and the only thing I read coming from her is, more or less, "we are looking at the data." I have no idea what she does and how long her contract is, which contract was ridiculously sprung on taxpayers and legislators in this County and the financial terms of which I find to be outrageous given the economic climate and her lack of credentials. I also don't like some of the things I have read from Montgomery County parents which is where she was last.
Roxane
12:38 pm on Friday, October 7, 2011
I wonder if she started in Prince George's County like Mr. Hairston? Is she a crony of his from those days? The task force (Klausmeir, et al) has already decided not to change the structure of the board, so here we go again.
K Blue
1:25 pm on Friday, October 7, 2011
Not sure, Roxanne. These are things the search firm or search committee will hopefully look into as well as the Board. At one point, she may have been in law enforcement, but I am not positive. One thing that would have been nice months and months ago would have been the release (with or without a formal request) of Foose's curriculum vitae since she was given the Deputy Superintendent job and all. But since the PIA at BCPS was so difficult with just the salary figure, no wonder no one ever got to learn a thing about Foose's resume. I hope that the search firm will leave no stone unturned in its examination of any candidate and will present any documents or other information it finds about any candidate over to the Board, positive, negative, confirmed or unconfirmed, and the candidates given an opportunity to explain it.
Diverse
11:54 am on Tuesday, October 18, 2011
What does credentials have to do with with good sound morals and ethics? One can look stellar on paper; but what about his/her character? That still should hold for much in this day and age.
stein
4:32 pm on Thursday, October 13, 2011
Who cares if he leaves. Are so many of you so forgetful of the overwhelming spending and doctored expense accounts that he has been accused of and proven to have used and approved. Not to mention the fact that the reason he was untouchable was because he was a minority. Should this give any person a blank check and a get out of trouble card just because he is a minority. As a Baltimore County Resident, I say we should be glad he is leaving and in addition, we should be careful not to bring in anyone that will be unaccountable to the taxpayers.
Concerned Citizen
4:46 pm on Thursday, October 13, 2011
If you read ALL of the comments, you'd see that not one person that replied is sad to see him go.
Diverse
11:53 am on Tuesday, October 18, 2011
To Stein:
I haven't forgotten about the overwhelming spending and doctored expense accounts that he has been accused of. I believe he should be investigated if there's any truth to it; however him being a minority has nothing to do with why he stayed so long. It's pure politics. I know of an administrator in one of the Catonsville elementary schools who has been allowed to mistreat those that she supervises up to and including harassment and discrimintation without so much as a handslap. Guess what? She's not a minority. It's pure politics and has nothing to do with race.