Is Ed Pratt-Dannals rewarding his friends and cronies on his way out the door?

Now, the entire community can visibly see the inadequate decision making that is occurring in the Superintendent, Deputy Superintendent and Chief of Schools offices. The decisions made by these individuals are filled with faults and cronyism. How can you justify Tony Bellamy's continued assignment as a Cluster Chief? A review of his previous academic leadership at Gilbert Middle School, First Coast High School and his current dual assignment (Cluster Turnaround Chief/Principal of Raines) indicate that he has never moved any school academically and his leadership at First Coast was a fiasco. His piano playing at Mrs. Willis' church and friendship with her allowed and facilitated his movement to the district level. Talking about the "Peter Principle" he is a prime example of rewarding incompetency by promoting him to a higher position.

Well it looks like Addison Davis has finally used his connection with Steve Hite and his brother (works with the DOE) to leap forward into a Cluster Chief position. I guess one year of minimum progress at Terry Parker High School warranted an Executive Director's position and after one year as an ED you become a Cluster Chief. Talking about movement up the administrative ladder...I guess it helps to have a brother who is working for the DOE with Turn Around Schools not to mention Steve Hite's influence.

Will someone ask the question, " What was Long Branch Elementary School academic performance under Dr. Lillie Granger?" It is clear that Mr. Pratt Dannals, Mrs. Willis and Mrs. Byrd did not look at the accounability grades at Long Branch under her leadership. But, now she leads the Office of School Improvement when she could not get her school's academic performance to a "C" accountability grade. Again, this district leadership are making decisions without looking at the performance data and results of school leaders. Why not look at the principal of Pearson Elementary which has a proven and documented record of school improvement with a challenged population?

When I look at all of the administrators listed in this article who has the reponsibility of helping school-based administrators move their schools, only Vicki Shultz, Carol Davis, Kenneth Reddick, Sylvia Johnson and Randall Strickland have a track record of improving their schools when they were principals. Others were at magnet schools or non-urban schools were a significant number of students were already performing at a high level. The Board should demand that the Superintendent share the academic performance for each recommended ED and Cluster Chief when he or she was a principal. Better still, why not ask the question why was Mrs. Willis promoted to a leadership position after Gilbert Middle School received an F? The same can be said about Dr. Amy Lingren's performance at North Shore Elementary School.

The huge elephant in the room is - "How long will this Board allow Superintendent Pratt-Dannals to change this district organizational structure to reward incompetency by promoting some individuals and friends of out going Deputy Superintendent, Mrs. Pat Willis?" It is time for this Board to fish or cut bait and I hope that happens at the called Board meeting on Thursday