THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 25, 1996 TAG: 9602230151
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 07 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Guest Columnist
SOURCE: BY NORMAN J. FULLER JR.
LENGTH: Medium: 76 lines
The series of back-to-back errors in judgment and management that derailed the Virginia Beach school system has produced dangerous side effects that could hinder recovery efforts, and further damage the harmony and credibility that exists between the school system, City Council and the Beach community. Each new revelation of malfeasance has brought finger-pointing, blame-shifting and conflicting accounts as to what happened.
As of late, the injection of racism into the matter has not helped. All four minority members of the School Board voted to reinstate the budget director, Mr. Mordecai Smith, who is also black. Harsh public reaction to that decision prompted some prominent area ministers, also Afro-American, to complain that Mr. Smith is being unfairly singled out and scapegoated. They could be on target. It is difficult to believe, however, that the ministers are not acting, at least in part, out of concern for Mr. Smith's race. They would do well to realize that mistakes, bad judgment and incompetence are not respective of race, which clearly should not be an issue in this case.
The perplexing question of who is responsible is compounded by curious and convenient denials from those in the best position to know; it is doubtful, however, that a single entity, or even the most oft-mentioned triad - Dr. Faucette, Mr. Smith, the current School Board, is solely responsible for the system's problems. The blame must and should be shared by past and current school boards, external and internal auditors, key school administrators, and finance personnel who, by force of tradition, habit, and patent complacency, long tolerated a lax and flimsy accounting system that was doomed to eventual collapse.
The news is not all bad. Contrary to the thinking of local pundits, the system is far from self-destructing, and premium education is still intact. Conventional wisdom, the system's track record for weathering crises, and the sheer gravity of the situation dictate that, having recovered, Virginia Beach schools will emerge better organized, stronger safeguarded, with a more resolute and disciplined finance system than ever before. This will happen with or without a merger with city finances. In the interim, the system will have learned some valuable lessons in finance management and personnel efficiency.
The healing process can be hastened, however, by some common-sense recognitions by the city and school leadership.
First and foremost, Mr. Smith should resign. Even if one could dismiss the allegations of incompetence, the yet-to-be disclosed grand jury results, and the dissension among school personnel, the furor caused by his reinstatement is such that he would be blamed for unaligned manhole covers on school property. His continued presence in the budget office, even with a demotion, would be sensitive enough to counter any healing effort.
Secondly, there should be a serious attempt to harmonize school and city leadership. Bickering and backbiting between factions on the School Board, factions on council, and rifts between both those bodies must end.
Feedback from an ad hoc committee representative of community and lower-level school personnel might be routinely included in plans to restore funding via cuts in school programs. This would help ease negative reaction to such proposals as well as exercising the much-heralded ``shared decision-making'' concept.
Lastly, civic and educational organizations should meticulously scrutinize future elective candidates for the School Board prior to endorsing them. Since performance and rationale are not predictable, this is not ideal. However, the process should provide some insight as to their qualification for the office.
The timely arrival of a new school superintendent should be paramount in aiding and speeding the recovery, given his reputed expertise in financial matters. Until then, we should restrain our outrage and let trusted leadership prevail. MEMO: Norman J. Fuller Jr. is chairman of the Social Studies Department at
Tallwood High School.
by CNB