Saturday, May 9, 2009

New Bossier School Superintendent on the fast track

Bossier School Board members will interview the remaining 7 candidates for Superintendent Monday to narrow down the field.
The first to be interviewed will be . .drum roll . .big Gomer Pyle 'surprise, surprise' . . D. C. Machen, Jr., the current Assistant Superintendent for Administration.
Next up will be Scott Smith, principal of Benton High School and husband of Rep. (and former Superintendent) Jane Smith.
No need to waste any more time with this. The three finalists will be Machen, Debbie Hays and probably Scott Smith, unless the board, in an effort to show that they are looking beyond Bossier Parish, decide to name Ernest Reed, Jr. of College Station as a finalist.
Of course, if they do, he won't stand a snowball's chance in hell of being appointed.
Machen is pre-ordained by the board, and it is unlikely that any politicking from other quarters (the courthouse) will change their minds.
The Times said that "If a timetable worked out by the board Tuesday pans out, the new superintendent could be named at the May 21 meeting."
Betcha a dollar to a donut that it 'pans out', and that D. C. Machen will be named superintendent on Thursday after next.

Out, damn'd spot! out, I say!—One; two: why, then'tis time to do't.—Hell is murky.—Fie, my lord, fie, a soldier, and afeard? What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our power to account?
Macbeth Act 5 Scene 1

6 comments:

  1. What a dismal mess!!! Are we all asleep except you!

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  2. It appears you are correct, Jim. They took less than 24 hours last week to discard Dr Gloria Raines' application. Dr Raines has a PHD in "education administration" from the University of Alabama, but the board told Bill Tynes to reject any application that didn't currently have a superintendents certificate. Although Dr Raines is the administrator of a doctorate program at LSUS that, you guessed it, trains principals and school administrators to be able to qualify for superintendent jobs.
    Walter Lee (BESE board member) has stated that she can qualify as our superintendent with a waiver or a couple of classes that BESE recommends for superintendents.
    Word has it that at least 3 of the last 4 BPSB superintendents had to get such a waiver.

    The fix is in, unfortunately.

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  3. Like it or not Jim - Bossier Parish Schools are the best in north LA - and in the top 5 parishes in the state - i guess folks that look to tear it down believe it just got that way by happenstance - the good ole boy system is what made Bossier Parish what it is - this Air Repair did a lot of damage to the image - but i hope DC Machen gets the job and picks Scott Smith as his second - both strong leaders - and they will continue what has made this system the strongest in our part of the state - i am glad the fix is in - keep up the great work Bossier Schools - i wish people had not committed crimes and embarrassed us - but Bossier will continue to grow - others will continue to snipe from the sidelines - and before you guys say it - i dont work for the school system and am not related to any of the applicants - i am tuned in - not like the carpet baggers that try to attack everything good about the parish - if you guys dont like the good ole boy system - move to caddo or somewhere else - perhaps the nationwide search for supers that yielded such a fine slate of prospects is what you desire - for my family - 4 generations in Bossier - i am excited to see DC continue to lead the parish just as Ken, Jane, Tommy, Doug, and Big John did - the good ole boy way of excellence

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  4. No one has said that Bossier Schools aren't the best. You are willing to totally ignore the fact that during Machen's tenure as Assistant in charge of Administration, a million dollars was stolen, bid laws were broken and open meeting laws were violated.
    There should be accountability and it falls squarely on Machen's shoulders. To promote him is ludicrous.

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  5. the 5 criminals are going to jail - just like every person i have ever known that they caught their husband or wife cheating - to say it is their fault is ludicrous - if people you know and trust are conspiring and stealing - you cant catch it - hell -it took the sheriff's office 6 months to figure it out - you guys are completely out of touch

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  6. With a minimal amount of supervision, they would have been caught a lot sooner.
    Someone was asleep at the wheel. Unfortunately, Machen was the man who was in charge.

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