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Board Approves Six Escambia School Superintendent Semi-Finalists; Rejects The Addition Of Seven Others
July 22, 2020
The Escambia County School Board Tuesday night approved the semi-finalists to be the county’s next school superintendent. They systematically rejected all of the additional candidates from the applicant pool that were recommended by two board members, opting to move forward only the six candidates picked by a selection committee.
District 3 member Dr. Laura Edler had six additional candidate suggestions rejected. She unsuccessfully recommended Dr. Wayne Alexander, Adam M. Taylor, Dr. Michelle E. James and Dr. Brian T. Binggeli. Each of those motions by Edler failed due to the lack of a second.
Board Chairman Patty Hightower seconded motions by Edler to add Dr. Raymond L. Bryant, Jr. and Dr. Robert E. Schiller but each was voted down by board members Kevin Adams, Bill Slayton and Paul Fetsko.
On Schiller, Slayton commented, “It was ironic that I had family that was in the area when this gentleman was serving as a superintendent, and it was a bit of mess.”
Hightower made a motion to add Dr. Christopher N. Ruszkowski to the semi-finalist list, but failed due to the lack of a second.
The six semi-finalists moved forward in the selection process are:
Edler voted against the approval of the selection list candidates.
Up next, the semi-finalists will receive a list of questions to answer within a week, and complete background checks will be performed.
Comments
22 Responses to “Board Approves Six Escambia School Superintendent Semi-Finalists; Rejects The Addition Of Seven Others”
WE HAVE IN ESCAMBIA SCHOOL DISTRICT MANY LEADERS CAPABLE OF BEING MAGNIFICENT SUPERINTENDENT; IT SEEMS TO ME AN INSULT AN INSULT TO THE INTELLIGENCE AND ABILITY OF OUR LEADERS, THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK FOR LEADERS WHO KNOW NOTHING OF ESCAMBIA.
It seems that Escambia County continually brings in people from the outside. I’m not sure if they think the grass is greener or if they somehow believe the good old boy system is running amok. The last 2 jail Superintendents have been total failures. Same for county and city administrators. Why should the school board be any different. It would seem that someone on the inside who knows our system and ways to improve it would be marginally better than an outsider.
Mr Leonard has not only served ECSD with distinction, but is a man of integrity and honor. He has an impeccable work ethic. Mr Leonard encourages a positive attitude and dedication to the job you perform. I don’t like the selection option and voted against it. But if we are stuck with it, the board could do no better than to bring on board Keith Leonard as the next Superintendent of Escambia schools. Most of these outsiders will float through and then on to the next offer. This is Keith’s home, he is invested in Pensacola and will make ECSD schools the best they can be. What we don’t need in Escambia county is an outsider who does not have his heart invested in our communities, our neighbors, our churches, and our children. I assure you, Keith is invested in all of these things. Keith Leonard for Superintendent.
After reading comments I’d like to say that I love the “good ol boy” system. I didn’t notice a problem until the late 90s-early 2000’s when people started trying to break it up and fight against it. That’s when stuff started going down hill. Folks scream about Trump, this one or that. One thing about it, nomatter who you put in any position, there will ALWAYS be a clique. Whether it be the “good ol boy” clique or a new one. Better the devil you know……
The problem with our county is and has been the “good ol boy” system. PLEASE get us a superintendent who has been successful in other counties! Being known in this county, or related to somebody in the same old loop gets us nowhere! Our schools are and have been shamefully lacking in bringing our system into the 21st century. Need examples??? Ask any parent who came from another county or state what they think: our schoolchildren are painfully behind in every subject being taught!!!
I agree we need someone besides Keith. He is wonderful but the perception is as said “the good old boys”. We need someone that all citizens perceive as shaking up this system. Keep the good and get rid of the bad. Easier to do if you do not have the long term ties. Keith will be a great asset to new superintendent.
Keith Leonard would be an excellent superintendent…he knows and loves the community. Paper degrees are not always a measure of success.
More good ole boys! Nothing changes just
This time the good ole
Boy will be in the school boards pockets and payroll. ESCD just can’t open the doors to new leadership! Not going to happen!
I just learned today of what was in effect the forced retirement of an excellent, veteran teacher at our schools.
She had been assigned remote learning and thought that had meant she would be teaching remote.
Instead, she found out that, despite Malcolm Thomas’s warm and fuzzies to media about he needed to be more flexible with teachers and parents both, she was going to be forced to go back into the classroom so she could be *filmed* remote.
How many more will we lose?
And now we see that Gaetz is trumpeting there won’t be another stimulus package because people need to stop loafing and get back to work. On the same day that Trump announced he wants gabazillion dollars to force human beings back into a life-threatening situation in our schools.
I public records requested the state planning document that Malcolm Thomas was withholding from school board members and got it out to media in advance of the workshop. Then, at the workshop, there were two other docs mentioned–some planning doc that Thomas’s administration had cooked up for our area, and a planning doc that had gone out to teachers.
I PRR’d those in the midst of the planning workshop. They didn’t send the opening doc to me, but they did at least send it to board members.
The planning doc to the teachers that Malcolm claimed was only accessible through an embedded link in some software that he didn’t know whether they could pull it from?
That wasn’t forthcoming, perhaps because, I as suspected at the time of listening to his flustered response to it, it doesn’t exist.
And I thought the transparency at the BOCC was bad. If this overt and continued takeover of the Tate High gang is allowed to proceed unchecked, this county is lost. And I don’t mean that on political results. I mean that on the destruction of our schools and economy and on widespread illness and death.
Now I understand why there is an alternate plan to try to tax grab into a private non profit to try to get control of this. I still don’t support that. But watching the goings on between Malcolm Thomas, Keith Leonard, and some of the school board members this week, I can certainly understand why there are a lot of people in this community who feel that anything that can possibly be done to wrest control of this situation needs to happen. I have never in my involvement in County politics witnessed such brazen GOBing. And man, that’s saying something.
We should not have Keith Leonard for the new Superintendent. We need someone outside of the district. The Good Ole Boy network would be in full effect. No person not in the Good Ole Boy network would have a chance at any position no matter how qualified you was. If you know Keith Leonard and your family is in the good ole boy network you get the job. That’s why all of these folks want Keith Leonard. We need someone outside the district!!!!!! New ideas. Not Good Ole Boy ones!!!
Keith Leonard should be our nest superintendent. We do not need outsiders that think they know how to run our district only to watch them fail.
Keith would be a good assistant to the Superintendent, but he brings nothing academically to the table. Escambia County needs an individual with academic experience to move this district forward. Keith is a great guy, but his resume doesn’t compare to the other candidates. It’s not even close.
For everyone going on and on about the candidate who has has spent his entire career in the ECSD. Is that really a selling point? Is it a positive to say I have spent my entire career as a top person in one of the lowest ranked school districts in the entire country? In a district where 40% of High School Seniors at Pine Forest are reading on a 3rd grade level. If you or your kids graduated from ECSD, how are you doing? Do you have a high paying job or are you making minimum wage? Can you think of anyone who graduated from these schools and went to a top University and is now in a high paying job? One, maybe two people you’ve heard of? How about someone who is NOT from here and has actually been working in a successful district where students regularly go to good colleges and get high paying jobs?
Apparently folks didn’t take Dr. Edler’s promise seriously. It didn’t appear to me she was messing around.
>>Get it right wrote “Mr. Keith Leonard is the assistant superintendent of the school system, not assistant director of HR. He was the director of HR, not the assistant.”
Get it right, you got it wrong. Or Mr. Leonard got his resume wrong. The story is correct.
I totally agree that case Leonard should be our new superintendent. Having been a teacher , coach in our district he knows the needs in this community. The fact that his family has also been members of our community, and school will also be a plus. I truly hope that our school board members will vote Leonard for our new superintendent.
Keith Leonard will be the best for District.
Mr. Keith Leonard is the assistant superintendent of the school system, not assistant director of HR. He was the director of HR, not the assistant. He’s also the best and most in touch candidate for the job. Wishing him well in the selection process.
I can believe the majority voted for this process. I am already out of popcorn and now have to risk my life to go to the store for more.
DEEPEST of Prayers for the person who becomes OUR new Superintendent.
The Challenges are Great and the Way seems to be constantly changing due to nature and other unforeseen circumstances.
Bless You and Keep You, New Supt.
Keith Leonard
In my opinion, the only candidate on the approved list to become the next Superintendent is Keith Leonard. His father was the Superintendent of our school district for years. Keith, most of his adult years, has been involved the educational system of Escambia county. Coaching, teaching and HR. As I mentioned, his father served as Superintendent, Keith’s sister was a teacher and is currently working in the
School system and his daughter is an elementary school in our county. You will not regret appointing Keith as Superintendent!!]