Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, September 22, 1994 TAG: 9409230097
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: By MELISSA DeVAUGHN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
They say the timing is not right for such a move. Not only did a divisionwide morale survey released in May show widespread dissatisfaction with Bartlett, but a petition signed by nearly 300 county citizens this summer urged the School Board to delay extension of the contract until next September, when it would be up for review once more.
The petition stated: "We the undersigned are concerned that the future of our school system is in serious jeopardy because of the poor performance of the Montgomery County Superintendent of Schools. We expect the School Board to take action to correct [these] concerns ..."
"I think there are a lot of parents who think the extension of [Bartlett's] contract was a betrayal of public trust," said Sandra Varner, an active PTA member in Blacksburg. "The parents and teachers have pleaded with the School Board, they have repeatedly expressed concerns over this superintendent. I know the School Board members were aware [of those concerns], but they've ignored the problems of the employees and the people they represent."
B.J. Mullins, president of the Montgomery County Education Association, said she doesn't understand the logic behind renewing the contract so early.
"It is common practice to have a standard contract, and at the end there is a time to renew the contract," Mullins said Wednesday. She said it seems like the board is adding to Bartlett's contract each year so that at any given time, he has several years left in his contract. "That doesn't seem to be a wise move," she said. "I'm not saying you shouldn't [extend] it, it's just too early."
Financially, says Regina Smith, president of the Montgomery County Council of PTAs, the decision to extend the contract makes no sense.
"It's a real unfortunate decision - it's unsound financially and it's insensitive to the people of the county," Smith said. "His contract is nowhere near ending. Even if you're new and even if you're wonderful it doesn't make any sense to do it."
However, Bartlett said he needed that vote of confidence to effectively run the school system.
"I think the School Board looked at the things that had been accomplished in the school system during the past year and made a judgment based on those accomplishments," Bartlett said when contacted Wednesday. "I believe that was a fair judgment.
"But I'm concerned about anyone that has difficulty with me and I certainly would like to have a unified effort in the county both from the patrons of the school system and the people employed in the school system," he added. "I would hope whatever difficulties we've got we can find a way to resolve them."
Smith said she is equally disappointed in Chairman Roy Vickers of Blacksburg, who made the deciding vote to extend the contract.
In June, Smith and other Blacksburg PTA members met with Vickers in a closed meeting to discuss their concerns about the School Board and the superintendent.
"There were two wishes we had," Smith said. "No. 1 was not to give Dr. Bartlett a raise and No. 2, that his contract not be extended. Every school in Blacksburg was represented and every school said the same thing. I think its unfortunate that Mr. Vickers ignored these people and did not represent them."
Blacksburg Middle School PTA President Beth Brown was at that June meeting.
"The vote [Tuesday] took any faith I had in Roy Vickers out the door," she said Wednesday. "I just sort of thought that with the climate survey, the board would not renew his contract this year. We expressed to Roy we did not want that contract renewed for another year, but he's not voting the way the people in Blacksburg - who he represents - would vote."
A weary Roy Vickers insisted Wednesday that he voted with his conscience.
"As a public official, you often are in a dilemma of making either a popular decision or what you believe is the right decision," he said. "I feel very strongly that for any superintendent to be effective he needs public support by his board."
The 5-4 decision, reached after a late-night executive session Tuesday, will add one year to Bartlett's original three-year contract. Bartlett became superintendent of Montgomery County Schools in July 1993.
Representatives Dick Edwards, Lou Herrmann and Bob Goncz voiced public support for Bartlett but voted against his contract extension because they thought the process was flawed. Annette Perkins, who represents Blacksburg, also voted against the motion.
"My reasoning was very similar to theirs," Perkins said of her colleagues. "He had a three-year contract and has only put in one year. That's hardly long enough to evaluate whether you should extend a contract. It simply makes good sense from a business standpoint to take your time."
by CNB