Grier to make early exit; Ozment, Becoats named “co-interim superintendents”

DEVELOPING…

Thursday evening, the GCS Board voted unanimously to allow San Diego Supt. Terry Grier to complete his duties in Guilford County in mid-March.

In a meeting that was fairly routine, the Board continued their discussion on what traits they wanted in a new superintendent. This was at about 7:30. At 8pm, they went into a 2-hour closed session. When they emerged, they voted to accept Grier’s resignation.

Simultaneously, in a separate vote, the board voted 8-2 to name chief of staff Dr. Eric Becoats and chief financial officer Sharon Ozment as co-interim superintendents. Board members Garth Hebert and Darlene Garrett voted “ney,” presumably because both board members have bucked heads with Ozment off and on in the past.

Board member Anita Sharpe was absent Thursday evening; Grier was out sick and was also absent.

DEVELOPING…MORE UPDATES TO COME

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UPDATE, 2/8/08, 8:32AM: today’s News & Record story. Grier’s resignation is effective March 23; he will use personal leave time between March 14 and March 23 to aid in his transition. Grier’s still scheduled to start in San Diego in July. The Oz & Becoats show will start march 15.

N&R Excerpt:

“Their willingness to do anything they could to help the district … we’re extremely appreciative of and thankful for,” said board Chairman Alan Duncan.

[Board member Garth] Hebert said he realized Ozment and Becoats are in for a long and difficult job.

“You have my sympathies and blessings and best wishes,” he said. “Thanks for stepping up.”

Ozment and Becoats said they will be working with Grier and Duncan to learn their new responsibilities. Ozment has worked with Guilford County Schools since 1974; Becoats since 2005.

“It’s very flattering and humbling,” Ozment said about the short-term promotion. “And it does afford you the opportunity to look at the district through a different set of lenses.”

Jill Wilson, attorney for the board, will draw their contracts.

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Speaking of administrator contracts…as these are public documents, they should be posted somewhere on the GCS Web site.

More:

The board also laid out a checklist of leadership characteristics members want in a new superintendent.

The board plans to allow the public to comment on the list once it is formally compiled later this month.

Members did not decide this week when to schedule community forums or whether to employ a firm to interview candidates.

Several board members said they want someone who will focus on strengthening teacher instruction, particularly in elementary schools.

“We have an appalling and unacceptable number of kids in middle school and high school who cannot read,” Jeff Belton said.

A superintendent who can be visible in schools, integrate the various agendas of business and community stakeholders, and encourage transparency among employees is also important, board members said.

“Please look very carefully within the district for someone,” Deena Hayes said.

Duncan said the candidate would need “high energy” to handle the more than 10,000 employees and 71,000 students.

Not to mention, Alan, someone who has no problem dealing with a board that at many times has “low energy.”

Belton makes a striking point. Take a few minutes and read this week’s YES! Weekly about the runaway illiteracy epidemic in High Point.

It’s not funny anymore. We need a chief that will have thick skin to come in here.

And as usual, God bless Darlene. She said we need someone who will “listen to teachers and principals” and someone who will encourage them to talk to Board members because so many of them are afraid to talk.

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I think the Board is taking a good approach so far. Several of them have listed to the community and have read this blog and are publicly saying that we should look for someone from within GCS. I applaud that. There’s enough talent here.

On the Oz & Becoats show…time will tell how this dynamic will play out.

I probably would have likely voted for Becoats, but not Oz. I’m looking exclusively at the record of her not providing documents to the Board in a timely manner. Once or twice, that’s one thing. But it is a constant, and I have a problem with that.

However, Becoats, too, has a questionable history, specifically in his last position in Charlotte. Let me take you to Greensboro’s premier newspaper of record, The Rhino Times; March 29, 2007:

Another relatively new face to the school system is Chief of Staff Eric Becoats. Becoats, who joined the schools in 2005-2006, also has somewhat of an interesting employment history. Prior to joining Guilford County Schools, Becoats worked for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS). Becoats left in a hurry from his position as associate superintendent after CMS board members accused him of abusing his privileges by using CMS telephones, computers and an employee for his personal consulting business.

Becoats’ wife joined the Guilford County Schools’ staff during the 2006-2007 school year in Guilford County. Jocelyn Becoats was hired in July 2007 as an instructional improvement officer to work in Allen Jay, Brown Summit, Ferndale, Hairston, Jamestown, Kernodle, Kiser, Northeast, Penn-Griffin and Southeast middle schools.

According to last summer’s Rhino Times GCS school salary survey, both Oz and Becoats make $145,866. It was not disclosed how much of a step-up they would be pulling in as a result of the extra duties they would now be doing.

It will be interesting…

E.C. 🙂