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Who Will Pick Escambia County’s Next School Superintendent? These 22 People Will Play A Major Role.
April 20, 2020
The Escambia County School Board is set to vote Tuesday to appoint the members of the Superintendent Citizen Advisory Committee.
In November 2018, Escambia County citizens voted to move from an elected to an appointed superintendent. Malcolm Thomas, the current elected superintendent, will retire in November.
The search committee will consist of 22 members “with representation from all areas of the county,” according to a resolution to be considered Tuesday. Each of five school board members nominated four people to for the search committee, plus there are two union representatives.
Those nominated for the Escambia County Schools Superintendent Citizen Advisory Committee are:
District 1 – Kevin Adams
- Keith Hoskins, Pensacola, senior vice president of Greater Pensacola Navy Federal Credit Union, former district manager for Gulf Power, retired as captain United States Navy
- Brad Huggins, Pensacola, longtime communications engineer currently at AT&T
- Willie Kirkland, Jr., Pensacola, president of trucking company, president of Northwest Florida Guardian ad Litem Foundation, members Escambia County Board of Adjustment, vice chairman Escambia County School Half-cent Sales Tax Committee
- Matthew Taylor, Pensacola, assistant principal Beulah Elementary School
District 2 – Paul Fetsko
- Ronnie Arnold, Pensacola, 25-year veteran of Escambia School District serving as teacher, coach and administrator.
- Nettie Eaton, Pensacola, over 40 years in education including high school principal and assistant principal, director of middle schools and elementary school principal. Member or board member of several organizations including Escambia Association of Administrators and Florida Association of Secondary Administrators.
- Ronald Rivera, Pensacola, director of development Chip Simmons for Sheriff, member Escambia County Tourism Development Council, advisory council member United Way
- Joe Snyder, Pensacola, principal Brown Barge Middle School, board member Escambia Association for School Administrators
District 3 – Laura Edler
- Dr. Joseph Herzog – Pensacola, professor in the UWF Department of Social Work
- Diane Mack – Pensacola, resident of Diane Mack Advertising, former Pensacola City Council member
- Carol McIntosh – Pensacola, retired Escambia School District administrator, board member of Movement for Change.
- Rev. Carl Reeves – Pensacola, pastor of the Greater Mount Lily Missionary Baptist Church.
District 4 – Patty Hightower
- Dr. Kimberly Krupa, Pensacola, director of Achieve Escambia
- Chuntell Patterson, Pensacola, real estate professional
- Russell F. Queen, Pensacola, 30 years with the Escambia County School District including 19 years as elementary school principal
- Walker Wilson, Pensacola, lumber broker, member of Escambia County Planning Board and multiple organizations
District 5 – Bill Slayton
- Walter Jay Armstrong, Cantonment, commander US. Coast Guard with two children at Ransom Middle School
- Jennifer Grove, Pensacola, vice president external relations Baptist Health Care
- Regina Lipnick, Milton, principal Ransom Middle School
- Robin T. Venettozzi, Molino, retired 35-year Tate High School teacher
Union Representatives
- Donna Harper, Pensacola, educator for 47 years, present of the location teachers’ union Escambia Education Association.
- David Elzbeck, Pensacola, president Escambia School School District Educational Support Personnel union.
The school board meets at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 21.
Comments
23 Responses to “Who Will Pick Escambia County’s Next School Superintendent? These 22 People Will Play A Major Role.”
Haven’t we seen enough nepotism in this county?
Dr. Lipnick is an amazing representative to be picked for District 5. She has given her life to education and if you have crossed paths with her, you know that she is as good as gold. She has multiple experiences at the elementary and middle school level in various schools. Her ethics and professionalism are beyond reproach. She will be a great representative for District 5. Well done Mr. Slayton!
There needs to be a representative for District 5 that has history and a working knowledge of the schools north of Tate. There needs to be someone assigned to that area from that area. Life does exist north of Tate and those students deserve just as much support, programs, and opportunities as the rest of the county.
District 5 (the north end ) doesn’t have enough people to pick from ? Bill Slayton goes and picks his son in law and a Santa Rosa county resident who happens to be his grandkids principal. The same principal that the state of Florida forced Malcolm to move from Warrington. Mr Slayton is an embarrassment to this district.
Big conflict of interest. Put in your own boss????? Sounds like congress and the senate, vote yourself a raise.
i’m going to wait on the raises and taxes to go up.
For those of you that are not aware, teachers are not only constituents in Escambia County, FL, but some are parents, and all are heavily impacted by the decisions that are made regarding the future superintendent of this county. To suggest that it is a conflict of interest for teachers to be involved in the process is ludicrous. I did not vote in favor of this process, nor do I have high expectations that education pay/benefits in this District can be made attractive enough to keep our highly effective teachers, much less attract new ones. We will expect that our Sunshine Laws will be observed and look forward to transparency in this process.
A race to the bottom with the ECSD.
Please folks, remember that this is an advisory search committee. Members of this committee will not hire anyone. When they are given their instructions they will be told how they are to operate as a committee and how many of the candidates they are to forward to the school board for consideration. Then it’s up to the school board to have a process whereby they screen the recommended candidates any then make an offer of employment to the school board’s chosen candidate.
Many well-meaning people. No one with experience of top school management, working with appointed superintendents, or functional understandings of the intricacies of public administrators. Pay close attention to the exit clauses of their choice.
Is there so few to pick from that they have to pick their son in law to be on the Citizens Advisory Committee. How about it Mr Slayton?
Dear Escambia County: it never ceases to amaze me that the “Good Old Boy Or Good Old Girl” System seems to never go out of fashion here! I mean seriously, just because a person taught school; English, Art, etc. or worked in some other capacity for the school board, does not mean the person is qualified to serve as a leader for a multi- million dollar corporation: and the sheer stupidity of some of these members is baffling to me! Have you all met somewhere and smoked something; and no I don’t mean an Alex Bradley with a glass of Bookers! You are idiots! And, one of you had the unadulterated gall to nominate your son-in-law! Good Grief! Let me try to understand this, if the person can order paper and staples for a classroom, teach a play, or basket weaving that qualifies them! I am so thankful that my own child graduated from this skewed, prejudice system, long ago; it is not what you know, how good you are, bright you are, or how much potential an individual has, it is about WHO you know! That is why your brightest and best leave Escambia County and find their futures elsewhere! They can’t imagine raising their children in such a system: so they leave, in order to give their children a better future! Would you please realize that a school board is a corporation and needs a business person! The person is not teaching a class, making macrame or pottery, and sorry, but your son-in – law needs to find his own job; not find in on the backs of our grandchildren’s futures!
Once again, Bill Slayton has failed the northern part of District 5. The District 5 public input meeting? At Tate High in the southern part of the district. His nominees? A lady from Milton. A retired Tate teacher from Molino (good choice!), an executive from Pensacola and a Cantonment man.
The resolution says “with representation from all areas of the county”. Once again, Bill Slayton and the Escambia County School board forget Walnut Hill, McDavid and Century. And Northview, and Ernest Ward and Bratt and Byrneville schools. Shame.
To those complaining about losing your right to vote: With this system, you elect board members to make the selection, and if the board members make a bad decision, the voters get to hold them accountable. This system also allows the board to fire an appointed superintendent for cause OR because of public opinion. You didn’t lose anything. This system ensures that a qualified and experienced candidate gets the job. Before, literally anyone could hold the position if he or she were popular enough to get votes.
It troubles me that there isn’t representation from any district paraprofessionals or classified work classes (bus drivers, custodians, meal service, IT, etc).
There does appear to be a large representation of white “influencers” (read: donors). Research the race of these people and then compare it to the demographics of the families in the district.
It concerns me that many of these people have no experience in the field other than “I went to school.”
It is a sad day when Americans freely give up their rights to elect their leaders and relegate the task to a few. However that is what the voters decided to do. Now a leader must be hired to do the job just like any other employee. This person must apply for the job. This person must meet the minimum job requirements and prove their experience level. This person must demonstrate they are capable of doing the job. This person will be interviewed. This person will be evaluated. Hey… This person will be just like the rest of the Escambia County School District employee’s. An employee.
If some of these people are current school employees, and especially if they are high-ranking school employees, this seems to be quite a conflict of interest. It is like you are selecting your own boss/supervisor. Surely there are other qualified citizens who do not have this conflict of interest.
It may be helpful for those that have questions to contact your district school board member since they are who have nominated the individuals listed. If I’m not mistaken, the invitation to be on the committee went out at a public school board meeting.
Also, regardless if one lives in the neighboring county, if they actually WORK for this district, they would have an interest in the choosing of the superintendent, but that is just my opinion. There are current principals and experienced educators on this committee.
As a citizen of Pensacola is saddens me that the people voted to give up the right to vote for this important job. I personally will never vote to give up my rights especially to vote. The people of Escambia County will learn within the next few years why an appointed superintendent isn’t as great as many made it out to believe. The sad part is once you give up a right… Getting it back is impossible.
They should have included a current teacher from every level (elementary, middle and high school) for each district and at least one minority representative admin/teacher in each district (if they haven’t already did that). Current teachers are on the ground and in the school everyday, they would be able to hear the voice of the teachers and parents and provide their input. Although some of the committee members have good resumes, some may be a bit out of touch. Teaching 20+ years ago is totally different now. I mean several of them may not use a cell phone, social media, computers ect… If you are not using those tools everyday, it’s hard to relate to the needs and problems for students today.
It won’t be the citizens of Escambia County and it wont be the parents of students who attend school in Escambia County….
Because YOU VOTED TO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE ANYMORE!!!!
So why is a Santa Rosa County resident on this committee ? And not one current teacher ? Sounds and looks like some typical ECSD BS.
Will the board be meeting tomorrow? If so, will it be open to the public? Asking because of social distancing and all that.
I’m wondering why there is a committee member who lives in MIlton representing the interests of Escambia County residents even though she may work in Escambia County?. I’m also wondering why it isn’t considered a conflict of interest to have current teachers/principals on the committee who will be instrumental in selecting their next boss?