This deal will allow Kathy Osborne to remain as Interim Superintendent for the rest of the school year if needed.
Here’s the statement from Danville Public Schools…
The Danville School Board voted unanimously last night, after a closed session on personnel, to name Kathy Osborne as Interim Superintendent until a permanent Superintendent takes office. The Board’s action authorizes Dr. Osborne to continue serving as Interim Superintendent through June 30, 2015, if the new Superintendent is not available until July 1. School Board Attorney Alan Spencer will be working on a written contract to formalize the arrangement, which will then be signed by Board Chairman Ed Polhamus and by Dr. Osborne.
The Board had voted on June 30 to name Osborne as Acting Superintendent for a 10-week period, which ends this weekend. The new contract, with the title of Interim Superintendent, will be effective Monday, September 8.
According to Chairman Polhamus, “this contract will ensure continuity of leadership for our schools throughout the time period of the national search process.” Earlier Thursday evening in their regular monthly meeting, the Board had voted to utilize a national consulting firm to assist with the search. The costs of the search will be paid for by The Future of the Piedmont Foundation. A tentative time-line for the search was discussed, finishing with a projected naming of the next Superintendent by December 20th, within the 180-day window mandated by state law.
Developing…
This is very good news for our schools. Stability this year is so needed. I also hope Dr. Osborne will be a candidate for Superintendent during the search.
they can do all the searches—interview—-and include Osborne in the interviewees to cover themselves and if majority want Osborne then she will get the job—-be rest assured she will go thru formality of getting interviewed to protect themselves..
I do not see the “new” board that way. I believe Steven Gould and Sharon Dones will benefit DPS as board members. Both seem passionate and informed. I believe this board will get it right this time! They have to…. Way to much at stake!
Although I am very skeptical of the idea that the best option for the position in the long term is Osborne, I do think this is a very sensible choice in conjunction with the national search to maximize the number of well qualified applicants who will consider the job.
Does it really matter what title they call it? Is this such really big news that the school board has to issue a press release? Yet an issue last week (the Purge) arises and the acting superintendent is MIA when the press wants info? First test of leadership-Fail.
Good point. For that matter where is the crack Register Bee supposed rock star investigative reporting on the Purge incident and how the school system reacted there? I don’t believe that Newsome ever had a single day where so many kids were MIA.
I do think coverage of this is warranted because it is a material change from the talk of how there would be a hire in place relatively quickly.
Quite true. the R&B didn’t even touch the “purge” story. Tried to get to publisher Steve Kaylor to ask him about that at the Shrimpfest but he got away. 😀
Brittany Hughes was the one at the Register & Bee that did the investigative stories last year. She’s working in DC now.
Is she the only one there who was competent enough to do journalism or is it possible that the newspaper cared to create a controversy out of not much during the Newsome era and doesn’t really care to do anything to question Osborne? They seem to pick sides quite a lot and have a clear history of ignoring news that dates back decades now.
I think it’s more a matter of the amount of time to do a good investigative story. Corporate owned newspapers just don’t want to devote the days necessary to get the job done.
Do you really think the Acting Superintendent was MIA during this Purge issue? The same issue that some of these same commenters were saying did not need coverage (specifically you, Bruce), yet you want to bash because you did not get what you stated you did not want? Can’t have it both ways.
Do you really think she was ignoring this? Ask around, and make sure you ask those in the know and not just those in your clique. Just because we don’t get updates on all activity doesn’t mean there is none. The same person who you, Bruce, stated was the only one who discussed it at the board meeting… But then again, you didn’t offer what you meant by making that statement.
As far as what the title is you absolutely have to have the correct title. Acting is usually in absence of the “sitting” position holder for a short period of time with an anticipated return of the sitting position holder, and never should have been used as there was no sitting Superintendent who was unable to carry out the responsibilities of the position. Interim is just that, in the interim; between (look it up if you don’t know the definition).
Lee Smallwood, I am surprised (maybe I shouldn’t be) at some of the comments you post on this blog (yes, it’s a web log full of comments, not a news outlet; sorry Bruce, you are not a reporter). Some of your points are well made, but some of your comments are not those expected of a well-educated attorney. As a matter of fact, some of these same comments sound as if they come from ill-educated people who don’t have all the facts. I know you’re well-educated, but you nor anyone else who posts on this blog (including myself) don’t have all the facts on any issues discussed here, educational or otherwise.
This is why this once-proud city will continue to go downhill: the overwhelming desire of it’s citizens to tear down instead of build up, including its elected officials. If it’s so bad, and you have a better way, get elected to the city council or the school board. Otherwise, it’s no different from the Monday morning quarterbacks who gripe and complain on sports talk radio: a lot of sound and fury signifying nothing.
No, I don’t think the Acting Superintendent was MIA. I never said that. What I did say is that I could have used faster and direct access to work on the story as it developed.
As for me not being a reporter? That’s your opinion and you’re welcome to it. You can criticize SouthsideCentral all that you want under a fake name, but the results show that you’re quite wrong. People like you don’t seem to understand how the landscape is changing in journalism… or you’re not liking the landscape as it’s changing.
Didn’t say you said the Acting Superintendent was MIA; one of your commentators did. My reply responded to several posts, not just yours or Lee’s.
You’re right; it is my opinion that you are not a reporter. You are the founder, editor and sole source of information for Southside Central. That makes the comments coming from Southside one-sided. I didn’t criticize you, either. I simply stated that you are not a reporter. You run a blog. You offer snide comments about traditional news outlets and their employees. That is disrespectful and immature. Respectful journalists don’t do that. You put yourself above the R&B, which I am not necessarily a fan of. While you do offer good insight at times, as do some of your posters, the way you conduct yourself with comments at other times is not reflective of a professional, responsible journalist. When you can offer opinion without the insulting comments, then maybe you can be considered a journalist or reporter. Until then, you run a blog. A good one, but a blog nonetheless.
Didn’t criticize Southside Central; I think it is a good outlet for those who want to offer their opinions to do so. I repeat, I think it is a good outlet for those who want to offer their opinions to do so.
As for fake names, if your blog did not allow pseudonyms, if it required proving who you are (as respectable news outlets do) you would have about 40 – 50% of the comments you do now. Do the math; it will add up. Half of the comments remaining (by real names) would be from the same people. If you don’t believe me, require proof of who the poster is. It will be a lonely blog. Also, you only mention fake names when those people do not agree with you. Fact.
All that criticism, yet you’re not criticizing. And you come back anyway.
Reporters can have their opinions too. I get to express mine here.
Just stating facts. You are negative in a proactive way. I will respond in kind.
Did you give Newsome the same leeway during the difficulties at one school last year? Did you suggest that perhaps the lack of transparency was an asset at that point, too? It’s difficult to know because unlike me you and many others here, you have chosen to not take ownership of the things you say.
You’re right that I don’t always have all the facts. That’s no reason for people in this community to not have opinions based upon the facts available. My opinions are subject to change based upon the available facts and are not set in stone. I also have little trouble with the idea of saying I’m wrong if I’m wrong. That’s how having opinions and using reasoning skills
.
We have for instance on the Centra bond issue at least one councilman suggesting that LifePoint has to finance projects on the open credit market so it isn’t fair that Centra might get better financing. This happens on essentially the same day that it gets announced that the LifePoint-involved tower project which is getting financed on the open market is getting the City’s full allotment of tax credits under a certain program which amounts to a free $20 million with more credits being applied for under other programs. In other words, horse crap.
If you think for a moment I’m here to tear this community down, you have another thing coming. I’ve been here coming up on 8 years. I could be elsewhere. I chose Danville, and I chose it because I fell in love with this type of small city when I spent a lot of time in Petersburg in law school. It reminds me of the formerly glorious cities like Welch, WV and Bluefield, WV that lived and died during the 20th century coal boom. A big part of that is having expectations and expressing disapproval when those expectations are not met. As to public office, I’m not sure I’m the public office kind of guy. I live in Tim Barber’s district. I will happily support somebody who runs against him, but I have decided I will have to step up if nobody else will because the other alternative is four more years of the person who used the Chamber of Commerce platform to tell outsiders we don’t need their money around here. That’s where I’m at in all of this, and I take ownership of it with my name. That’s that.
Never mentioned lack of transparency. The school system is not responsible for providing updates to this blog as they work to deal with the issue. They are responsible for updating in a timely manner, including if and when things take a turn for the worse. Not when a blog demands it.
Newsome was not responsible for providing updates as the public clamored for it, so yes, I did give him some leeway on that. More than most people who did not support him, which I didn’t because he seemed aloof andhad no respect outside of the black community. If that sounds harsh, so be it. I’ve stated in not so many words before that the main issue in this town is the racial divide. Those rarely get better unless it’s over a longer period of time than this public seems to want to allow. Either side.
Probably more to the Newsome deal than we’ll ever know, for privacy and settlement issues. Otherwise he would still be here.
Opinions without all the facts are not good if the intent is to spread vitriol. Not saying you specifically; those who post comments for the sake of disparaging others, whether it’s Newsome, Osborne, Vogler, Polhamus, Sherman, whomever. Not good for anything except stirring the pot.
I commend you for being able to say you are wrong when you discover it. Not many people do that anymore.
Didn’t say you are here to tear down the community. “Overwhelming” does not mean 100%. I have no reason to believe you don’t have the community’s best interest at heart. If that is indeed the case, two points: (1) it’s unfortunate that you did not arrive sooner to work with the community when it started going downhill; may have tempered some of what we are suffering through now. (2) If you have been here eight years and don’t agree with the status quo, maybe you should become a public office kind of guy. Hope you do.
The formerly glorious cities you mentioned that suffered from the demise of the coal industry are similar to tobacco cities suffering the demise of tobacco. Apparently, the people who have been running this city didn’t learn from stories such as those cities’, so if there is someone, anyone (including you) who can do better, and they care enough, do something besides offer opinion on a blog.
The council itself is a mess, also. I agree. Again, if there are those commenting that feel they can do better, run for office.
That’s that.
Well, DPS finds itself in an even greater mess than usual. No one replied to one of my earlier posts this summer….Who exactly are you going to get with this timeline? Current Superintendents are contractually obligated to finish out their current school year. Assistant Sup’ts also don’t make the jump during the middle of a year unless they’re about to get fired….it’s bad practice for anyone in education to leave during the middle of a school year. So, you’re likely to get either a retiree or someone out of work……SC, you seem to know the law better than I…..if the School Bd. has to hire someone within 6 mos, how can you get a choice who isn’t either a reitree or out of work?
You’ll get somebody who will leave their school system at the end of their school year and start in Danville on July 1st.
Like Bruce indicates, this move is actually Danville digging themselves out of the same mess you have just described. This is about not having to get somebody who starts within 6 months because they have a Superintendent under short term contract and don’t have to deal with the six month requirement. Under this arrangement, Osborne is the Superintendent that they have to have in place within the time limit, not just somebody who is filling in while that hire is made. The difference is that her term ends on June 30 or sooner if they can replace her before that instead of needing somebody in place at the end of that window.
Was Osborne MIA? She certainly was! No statements from the central office about the issue, no addressing it by her, no plan of action communicated. Instead she lets high school principal take the heat and allows him to say any student who stays home will be excused. Wow, and that’s leadership? Next……
assistant, associate superintendents, directors, and coordinators in school system central offices ( school board offices) are more likely to appy for superintrndent jobs. they want to elevate and improve themselves. what school system wouldn’t want to see one of their own improve themselves professionally??? think about it.
as far as a superintendent leaving one place to come to another? going from a smaller to a bigger system that pays more , a school system = in size that happens to pay more. someone wanting to get closer to home who has family near Danville ?
reasonable reasons exist. some people retire from one state and move to others. Newsome did that more than likely.
time will tell
The only reason the Danville paper writes any thing negative is because Bruce lays it out here. It mr. Buffet knew what his paper did he mY realize they they have no back bone in the news room. They finally did something about the utility dept story. Yea! I hate to think that we don’t have qualified people locally to run our schools that $$ has to be spent for a national search