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Home > Blogs > Get on the Bus > Archives > 2008 > June > 10 > Entry
Jane Rafal, Norris Brown seek interim post
The Dayton school board interviewed two candidates Tuesday for interim superintendent and hopes to interview two more.
Deputy Superintendent Debra Brathwaite will not be among them.
Jane McGee Rafal, the district’s executive director of elementary education, and recently retired Jefferson Twp. Superintendent Norris Brown interviewed Tuesday. School board President Yvonne Isaacs said the board is looking to add two more candidates before week’s end with the goal of naming Superintendent Percy Mack’s temporary replacement by early next week.
Rafal returned for a second stint with Dayton schools in 2005. She formerly was a principal and administrator here before becoming assistant superintendent in Warren, Ohio. She later won the top job there and then went on to Mesa, Ariz., as assistant superintendent.
Brown, a 41 year educator, returned to Jefferson in 2003 after retiring from Middletown schools. Brown was a teacher, principal, coach and assistant superintendent in Jefferson for 27 years before a 10-year stint in middletown as pupil personnel director and interim superintendent. Since 2003 he has guided Jefferson schools through academic and budget crises.
Superintendent Percy Mack announced in May that he was resigning to take a job as superintendent in Columbia, S.C. He starts in Columbia in July.
Brathwaite has said she wants to be considered to replace Mack as superintendent but she declined the opportunity to take the interim job. Brathwaite has been a finalist for superintendent of Toledo, Akron and Princeton schools.
The school board has said it wants an interim superintendent while it conducts a national search for Mack’s permanent replacement. The board also has said it expects to place a levy on the November ballot.
Permalink | Comments (4) | Post your comment | Categories: Dayton Public Schools
Comments
By Eve
June 12, 2008 8:02 PM | Link to this
That’s where Franklin Smith went. Looks like DC must have learned something from that sorry experience.By Scott Elliott
June 12, 2008 4:21 PM | Link to this
Terri, Michelle Rhee is a fascinating character. She’s younger than me, first of all. I saw her speak in April about what she has done in D.C. I got to ask her a question during Q&A. I wanted to know, how did she know who to fire? Shortly after taking the job she got the law changed to allow her to dismiss non-union workers at will and then she fired a slew of people. When you don’t know anyone, how do you know who should go and stay? Her answer: “I’m a very good judge of character.” She said she brought people in for short 10 or 15 minute interviews and based on those meetings decided who to fire. Wow. D.C. is in desperate need of major reform. She is doing a lot of interesting things. Some people don’t like her tactics. But it remains to be seen if all this can actually improve student achievement there.By Terri
June 12, 2008 3:58 PM | Link to this
Scott, have you been following the developments in the Washington D.C. school district this pass year. The mayor was elected on a platform of school reform and promptly fired the superintendent and removed the school board. He then hired Michelle Rhee as the new “chancellor” of education. She came in and promptly fired a bunch of administrators, principals, teachers and other personnel that were deemed not performing. CBS news has been following her and her efforts. The latest report was given last night. She was definitely an outsider - had never been a superintendent but had been a teacher and then headed a charter school of some sort. What have you seen/heard about her?By jeffersonresident
June 11, 2008 12:26 PM | Link to this
Does Dayton need Brown. Hes superintendent at Jefferson and they are spending $2.5 million too much each year published in state audit in DDN today. He should have fixed Jefferson first. http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2008/06/10/ddn061108jefferson.html The schools has fewer students than ever and empty buses running around. They want a new building and more tax money. Wait. Maybe he would fit in Dayton.