THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 15, 1995 TAG: 9501140093
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: Short : 38 lines
The difference between the best person available anywhere for the job of superintendent of schools and the best person available in Chesapeake might be a very big difference indeed.
Yet the School Board has said it will limit its search for a replacement for retiring superintendent C. Fred Bateman to persons already in the employ of the school system.
Board Chairman Jessie Lee Jr. attempted to justify the decision by couching it in terms of respect for present employees. He sympathized with ``the frustration of working very, very hard and being overlooked'' and said he wants to make sure that solid local talent doesn't get lost in the glare of hotshots with flashy resumes from out of town.
Loyalty to one's employees is a fine thing, but the board's highest priority should be to hire the best superintendent it can.
If the best person for the job is already on the system's payroll, that's a plus. But if the best person is currently working for another school system, it doesn't just doesn't make sense to eliminate him or her from consideration.
Both Mr. Bateman and his predecessor, Kenneth E. Fulp, were promoted to superintendent from jobs as assistant superintendent, but both men came to Chesapeake after valuable experience in other places.
The School Board needs to be reminded that, while the career development of its employees is important, it is not the same thing as finding a superintendent who can make our schools even better than they are now. by CNB