Brandon new chief of Richmond schools
RTD reports that Yvonne W. Brandon will take on the job of superintendent of Richmond Public schools.
With Mayor Dwight C. Jones and a long list of other past and present school leaders in attendance, the School Board removed “interim” from Brandon’s title on a 9-0 vote and awarded her a 3½-year contract to lead the system. She will be paid about $170,000 a year. Other details of the contract were not immediately available.
The RTD article also outlines the “selection process”.
Brandon emerged as the top choice in a search that supposedly reached out nationally, though neither the board nor the committee it appointed to conduct the search produced any evidence of such. None of the candidates was named, and after a tepid attempt at transparency last summer, the board opted instead to exclude the public from the search.
It is a bit worrisome that no list was made public and the search was behind closed doors. Hills and Heights as always welcomes folks thoughts on this and another local blog Buttermilk & Molasses is also asking for thoughts on the fact the board ended up hiring someone local. There are no comments but it could develop into an interesting conversation.
I’m sure the new superintendant, Yvonne Braxton (editor: should be Brandon), brings something to the table. Experience for starters, primarily with Richmond Public Schools. But doesn’t she also bring 30 years of baggage, and of being part of the very problem she’s now being hired to fix?
It would be nice if the process had been more transparent. Although someone with 30 years of experience is valuable, I think our system would reap more benefit from 30 years spent at least one other school system than our own. Either Ms. Brandon really knows the system inside and out and can see opportunity for change, or she can no longer see its faults or thirdly feels that the faults are so entrenched they’re unrootable. Our system is so fraught with issues that it could really use a firebrand to come in and administrate the crap out of it. New financial processes and reporting. analysis of current truancy and suspension practices etc etc etc. Are we in for more status quo?
I completely agree pagalina. Nothing specifically against Ms. Brandon, but one of the things I respected about Dwight Jones was his comment in the mayor forums about searching the nation for “the best” candidates to fill positions in the city. Sounds like it was just talk…