The Editorial Board recently interviewed Scott Elliff, finalist for superintendent of the Corpus Christi Independent School District. He is expected to be hired at tonight's board meeting. Elliff was accompanied by Louis Garza, board president. The comments have been edited for brevity and clarity.
Question: What do you bring to the position of superintendent?
Elliff: I bring the perspective of someone who knows this district inside and out as well as knowing some of the challenges that other districts around the country have faced and how they have worked through those. I bring an understanding of this community and a willingness to hear what the community's highest hopes and dreams are for our schools. I think I bring a solid knowledge of curriculum instruction.
Question: Knowing the district as you do, what needs to be worked on first?
Elliff: I think we've gotten a good start in the last two years on some important pieces that need to be finished. The district before 2003, when we had a curriculum audit, had no written curriculum for any of our subject areas. After several false starts, over a period of six months, with 400 teachers under the leadership of our staff, we were able to create curriculum guides for all of our core content areas, Pre-K through 12, English, math, science and social studies. The district had tried on two occasions to buy curriculums from other districts, because it was felt we wouldn't be able to do it. But our teachers showed it could be done.
What this really is, is the road map for what our teachers are supposed to teach in the classrooms in order for our kids to be successful. Without that, what the district essentially was doing was to give teachers a textbook and a list of objectives and say, "Good luck."
Now, 53 curriculum guides in core content areas have been developed; they are comprehensive.
The second big challenge is finding highly qualified teachers, particularly in mathematics and science. Starting with next year's freshman class, all students will have to take four years of math and science, in addition to four years of English, in order to graduate. That's going to put a press on us to be able to find the teachers to staff those classes.
Our district is only as good as our lowest-performing school. Right now, for a variety of reasons, Miller is our biggest challenge. We're taking some dramatic steps, some of which are required by law. We are reconstituting staff at the school. That is a big challenge for us. We know what we need to do. We know about strong instructional leadership, clear focus on mission, safety and security.
But there are things that impede the ability for those things to work. One is will. If you don't have the will to make changes, that's one. The other is sustainability. As a district, we've had considerable turnover. It's been difficult to keep people in key positions long enough for major reforms to take hold.
We've chosen to focus on a few things and keep doing them long enough that we believe they will make a difference. One is working on this curriculum and being relentless about our expectations that people will actually use the road map for instruction. The second is the relationship we have with the Schlechty Center for Leadership in School Reform (based in Kentucky) and what is called "Working on the Work." The curriculum guides are about what we're teaching. "Working on the Work" is about how we teach. We're in the third year of that program. Keeping some things in place long enough for them to take root is going to help us.
Question: You talk about the "will" to change. Do you have a mandate for change?
Elliff: There is a real sense of urgency to get some things fixed in terms of our academic performance, improving our graduation rate and getting our kids ready to go to college. I guess you can call that a mandate for change.
Our board hasn't established a set of goals yet. I have ideas and have articulated those to the board about things I think we need to be doing to be a world-class school district. But we all have to be on the same page about what that looks like. I had a conversation with a parent from Ray about whether I would be able to make tough decisions. Clearly, some things we need to change are going to make people feel uncomfortable; they are going to require people to think differently about what their roles are.
When it comes to making tough decisions, I'm trusting in the fact that the support I've gotten has been because people have seen who I am, and who we at the central office are, and they know we have their best interests at heart.
I'll give you an example of what needs to change. Our parental involvement and parent education program is all over the map. We don't have an organized, coherent strategy. We have people working very hard, but not in a way that is connected. A part of that is because we have people assigned out to every campus who have no connection to the whole. That's a support function that ought to be provided by the district and not left to chance. That's going to make people uncomfortable when we centralize that work.
Question: Are you going to have the autonomy to make decisions?
Elliff: Conversations I've had with board members lead me to believe that's the direction in which we'll be moving, particularly when it comes to personnel decisions. I've made it known that when it comes to selecting assistant principals and other posts, I don't see that as being within the realm of the board.
If the board is going to hold me accountable, then I need to be able to have people in key leadership positions who I believe can move forward with me as the leader of their team. That will require a change in policy. There's a policy that previous boards adopted that required certain positions to be taken to the board for action.
Question: Will you ask for that policy to be changed?
Elliff: I will.
Question: The school board approved the hiring of a Miller football coach the other night, so football coaches apparently are on the list of positions that require board approval.
Elliff: Yes, and assistant superintendents, executive directors, directors, athletic coordinators, principals and assistant principals are on that list. In some school districts, it's in the superintendent's contract that the board employs the superintendent, but the superintendent employs all other people.
Question: Is that what you're seeking?
Elliff: No. But, the existing policy reaches too far into the organization. I think there would be consent of the board on some positions, but I don't think the board needs to be voting on assistant principals or a football coach.
Louis Garza: I can't remember that we ever said "no" to any recommendation brought by the staff.
Question: Well, it doesn't work that way. What happens is that a trial balloon is floated and if the superintendent decides he doesn't have enough votes, the name is withdrawn. We know that goes on. We're advocating that you (Elliff) have the accountability so you can state your objectives and provide a report card to the community.
Elliff: Let me say something about that (accountability). If the state tells you you're doing a good job, they give you a label and that's the label you report out. I've come to believe parents aren't as gratified by "exemplary" and "recognized" as we are. I want us to develop - with input from the community to tell us what they're looking for - into a world-class system. There isn't anything that should keep us from being as highly regarded as a Plano or an Aldine (near Houston) or a Northside (in San Antonio.)
Question: Not long ago we had a debate in this community about dropouts. What would you do about dropouts?
Elliff: The district does not have a well-coordinated strategy to prevent dropouts. One thing in the next 100 days would be to bring that together and probably have a lot of activity working out of Coles High School. Coles is truly to be a center of options.
Question: Will we need to close more schools?
Elliff: I think we're going to take a serious look at facilities across the district. This may mean consolidating or replacing some aging facilities. We know because of the growth (on the Southside) that we're going to need a couple of elementary schools there sooner rather than later. There's going to have to be a question put to the community about how we do that.
Question: What do you see as impediments to your success?
Elliff: Low expectations. People have high hopes, but low expectations for our district. There is no reason we can't have a great system of schools. I'm not saying that money is the answer, but we're kind of static in terms of funding from the state. We don't get any less money than we got in 2005, but we don't get any more, either. That's going to present challenges.
If all we talk about is TAKS scores, then I think the focus on TAKS scores as an end in itself begins to eat away at the soul of what our organization is supposed to be about. There's nothing exciting about getting ready for the TAKS test.
Nick Jimenez is editorial page editor of the Caller-Times. Phone: 886-3787; e-mail: HYPERLINK mailto:jimenezn@caller.com jimenezn@caller.com.
Sisters, and the family of one another. If you want to shoot, JOIN THE MILITARY! As a force of uniting FAMILIES and Communities, the Corpus Christi Public Endeavors to Achieve Peace in our Corpus Christi Barrios and throughout our Communities.
PAX Our City, The Body Of Christ (Corpus Christi) is Sacred.
The Virgin Guadalupe, do you wear her for protection?
Our Turf is Your Turf.
Shout out to all in La Quadenta, Midway, Lulac, Southside, Molina, ABC's, Los Encinos, Chula Vista, Vestal, Karen, LA, RU, Spaiders, and the Suits who control; this war, the death and the tagging etc. This behavior is bringing the focus to your world. These little gangsters must be brought into check. The little taggers and the little drive by cowardice that is being conducted without the permission (the OK) of the Suits; is going to "bring the heat" to the upper levels (the suits) should the behavior be allowed to continue. You guys know who you are AND you know who is causing the trouble. Is it not disrespectful to disrupt negotios ? Must the city bring it to your doorstep and your pocketbook. It (PAX) is to be respected as you respect your FAMILY. Why wait till LA LEY starts kicking down doors and taking your possessions?
Please remember, this is a message of HOPE, LOVE and forewarning.
I hope and pray it is heard and respected.
After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
KRIS-TV
CORPUS CHRISTI - According to Corpus Christi police, there are on average, 19 gang shootings each month, and often times, innocent neighbors or family members are caught in the crossfire.
Corpus Christi police, for this reason, announced a one-of-a-kind program that allows the public to make anonymous tips on gangsters in exchange for cash. Police said to a gang member, a gun is a status symbol as much as anything else, and typically, they are happy to share that information with others.
It's that sort of public acknowledgement to friends or enemies that officers hope will also lead to their downfall. The idea of offering rewards for information is a proven tactic for Corpus Christi police.
"Crime Stoppers program is one of the most successful investigative tools we have," Chief Bryan Smith said.
The new program is entitled "Save our Streets." It's a variation of the Crime Stoppers model, and police are hoping to borrow some of the same success by also offering residents cash for tips.
For every handgun - $200. And $500 for every assault weapon. Ironically, some of those reporting gang members with guns may just be gang members themselves.
"You know, there's no honor among thieves or gang members, so I'm hopeful that they'll burn each other," SMith said, "and there's nothing better than that from our mindset."
In recent years, the overall number of gang shootings has gone down, but police said the severity as far as injuries and number of shots fired has been on the rise.
Corpus Christi is currently home to about 3200 known gang members. It's a number that police are hoping this program will drastically reduce.
"The bottom line is gangs are still operating in our community, and our goal needs to be to eradicate them to whatever degree we can, and to prosecute them at every opportunity," Smith said.
And when they're prosecuted, most will likely face charges of unlawful possession of a firearm, which for some gang members with a history, can be a felony.
Just to clarify, anyone can report a gang member who has a gun on their person. But someone who lives down the street from someone who they know has a gun in their house, might still be able to get a reward. It all depends on what kind of case police are able to make, based on the information provided.
The number to call, just like with Crime Stoppers, is 888-TIPS.
"Ours is to raise the awareness and nurture the expression of public opinions so as to forge community development"
If that makes us bad guys, good for you.
The Elected, the Appointed and the Publicly Funded work for us and are accountable to us, the problem becomes forming a unified consensus.
This is where discussion and dialogue prove invaluable. This is where the dialogue mandates a discipline that only the written word will enhance.
If it is that important after all of the passionate discussion, put it in writing.
Dialog or Discussion Posted on December 20, 2006 at 06:42:17 AM by Kenedeno 4 guess who said it
RE: Dialogue
There are two primary ways that groups can converse: discussion
and dialogue. Discussion is used to search for the best view to
support a decision. Views are presented and defended.
Discussion comes from the same Latin root as concussion and
percussion -- ideas banging away at each other rather like a game
of Ping-Pong. The purpose is to win, or to have your view
"an individual who enables groups and organizations to work more effectively" Posted on December 20, 2006 at 06:49:37 AM by Kenedeno Re: hiring from within
There are a variety of definitions for facilitator.
One is that a facilitator acts as "an individual who enables groups and organizations to work more effectively; to collaborate and achieve synergy. She or he is a 'content neutral' party who by not taking sides or expressing or advocating a point of view during the meeting, can advocate for fair, open, and inclusive procedures to accomplish the group's work" [1]
Another definition is "one who contributes structure and process to interactions so groups are able to function effectively and make high-quality decisions. A helper and enabler whose goal is to support others as they achieve exceptional performance" [2]
Yet another suggests "the facilitator's job is to support everyone to do their best thinking. To do this, the facilitator encourages full participation, promotes mutual understanding and cultivates shared responsibility. By supporting everyone to do their best thinking, a facilitator enables group members to search for inclusive solutions and build sustainable agreements" [3]
The facilitator will try to assist the group in achieving a consensus on any disagreements that preexist or emerge in the meeting so that it has a strong basis for future action. The role has been likened to that of a midwife who assists in the process of creation but is not the producer of the end result.
