Leadership Inquiry Insightful

The Oakland PRESS

Second Pontiac superintendent candidate interviews with board

Friday, February 27, 2009 9:08 AM EST

By DIANA DILLABER MURRAY
Of The Oakland Press

Brian Ali, one of two candidates seeking to become superintendent of Pontiac schools, said the “Effective School Movement” he has used in other districts could help bring the Pontiac district back to academic achievement.

Ali, special assistant to the superintendent of Matteson Consolidated Schools 162 in Illinois, met with community members for a question and answer session Thursday morning and had a second interview with board members in the afternoon.

T.C. Wallace, superintendent of Lansing school district, had a similar meeting with the community and board on Monday. Wallace was superintendent of the Mount Clemens school district before he went to Lansing in the 2007-2008 school year. Ali was superintendent of the Kankakee, Ill., school district before he moved on to the Matteson district in summer 2008. Both are near retirement age.

Next, said board President Damon Dorkins, a trio of board members will visit and assess the school districts where the candidates work and talk to employees and community members. Before the board makes a decision, an evening meeting will be scheduled so community members and employees have another opportunity to meet with the candidates, Dorkins said.

Asked what ideas he uses to ensure children learn, Ali said the “Effective Schools Movement,” promoted by Ron Edmonds, is one that he has found most effective.

“It is one thing I subscribe to and have used in the districts I’ve been in. Leadership matters at every level,” from teachers through the school board, Ali said.

In an article titled “Revolutionary and Evolutionary: The Effective Schools Movement,” Lawrence W. Lezotte, said the movement’s research indicates what works for children is a clear and focused mission, safe and orderly environment, climate of high expectations, frequent monitoring of student progress, positive home-school relations and opportunity to learn, and student time on task.

Trustees and community members have focused on a report on the district done by the Chartwell Group, operated by Rod Paige, former U.S. Secretary of Education. The detailed report covers an in-depth study of the district. The board has created a strategic plan to deal with the report and has been especially focused on spending money only for things that will increase student achievement.

Among the things Ali said are called for in the report include improvement in finances, restoring confidence, halting the exodus from the district and improving morale.

Both men said they would come up with a way to implement the plan to improve the district.

“This is ground zero for the school district,” said Fran Fowlkes, community activist. “This is make it or break it. There is no wiggle room. However, we are not asking for the stars and the moon.”

Ali said he felt a sense of urgency from the community members, such as community activist Beverly Garrison, to make the improvements called for in the Chartwell report.

“To say I could get things done overnight would be totally misleading; it didn’t happen overnight,” Ali said. “We can tackle it immediately. Those are huge issues. We have to get the train out of the station and get it moving in the right direction.”

H. Bill Maxey, vice president of the Pontiac branch of the NAACP, said he wants to see something done to keep 10th- to 12th-graders in school and involved in internships.

Ali said he thought children from sixth grade and up should have opportunities to be exposed to post high school education and careers. But he said it will take community partnerships to bring about change.

“What about a No Child Left Behind community mandate,” Ali proposed.

Rick David, from United Way, suggested there be a report card so that the community can judge the district’s progress.

Ali agreed. He suggested measurements he could be graded on could include the degree of parental involvement, the number of partnerships established and how viable they are, the number of students in internships, the number of students taking advanced placement courses and more.

“It is important to reach out and establish partnerships to serve students at every level,” Ali said, including community colleges, the labor market and laboratories for middle schools.

“Businesses call it their annual report and we can do that,” Ali said.

Some residents have voiced concerns about Wallace, using terms such as nepotism because he has worked previously with Pontiac’s former superintendent, Mildred Mason, who left in the midst of controversy with some trustees and employees.

However, Dorkins points out Mason is no longer with the district and that none of the board members have a relationship with Wallace or Mason.

Some employees also are concerned about Wallace’s habit of bringing administrators with him when he moves from one superintendent’s position to another — something he acknowledged during his interview.

Ali, who hails from Illinois, said he doesn’t know anyone from the Pontiac district.

“It would be presumptuous of me to begin talking about bringing people here,” said Ali, who explained he would want to assess the talent already existing in the district before he made any employment decisions.

Irma Collins, president of the Pontiac Teachers Association, is not yet convinced either candidate would be good for the Pontiac district.

Both have had some controversy in their previous district, she noted.

“We know that a change must come. Someone must be hired in the district. We’ve got to get rid of all these consultants.

“It is going to take some sort of person to lead this district. There is a question mark about Ali, but not the way we feel about Wallace. He should stay in Lansing.

“We don’t know Ali. We will have to do more research on him at the previous district where he worked.

“We’ve had so many bad superintendents, especially late in their careers, and they want to come here when the district is not in full bloom. So many have promised they can get us there. … and they leave us completely devastated.

“We know what we have and we are afraid of what we might get,” Collins said.

Contact staff writer Diana Dillaber Murray at (248) 745-4638 or diana.dillaber@oakPress.com.