Calls to fire Zolkoski

[Rico]

Originally posted by pmcalk.

"but I have yet to meet a single person that has a kind word to say about him."



Well we are all going to help Dr Z.... pull the ripcord on his "Golden Parachute"...

There that is so kind it hurts.....
[}:)]

[mamafrog]

Dr. Z needs to go.  He has however been poorly served by his staff at the ESC. No superintendent will be able to deal with the problems in TPS until they make dramatic changes to the staff at the ESC.

[Renaissance]

quote:Originally posted by PonderInc

Basic requirements for next TPS superintendent:

1. Understands subject-verb agreement.
2. Able to express coherent thoughts in speech/writing.

Is it really that hard to get a qualified superintendent?  Seems like we've been scraping the barrel for a while.

I thought the guy before him was really solid.  Just couldn't keep him around.

[Gold]

I thought Sawyer just got old and retired.  I didn't like everything that Sawyer did, but Floyd is right, he was solid.  He could also play the banjo.

[Double A]

Witch Dr. Z has to go. So do his biggest cheerleaders on the School Board who have co-signed his B.S., carte blanche, Gary Perceful and Matt Livingood. During their tenure on the School Board they have reliably demonstrated a failure to act in the best interest of parents, teachers, students, and support staff, as well as poor judgment in their decisions(not only in regards to the TAC scandal, but on numerous other issues), often in the face of overwhelming public sentiment against their decisions or positions. If public officials aren't representing the will of the public, then who are they really representing? They are both piss poor excuses for public servants who should do the honorable thing, take responsibility for their incompetence, and resign effective immediately so elections can be held to replace them during the regularly scheduled upcoming elections, that way the public can be spared the costs of a special election. I doubt with egos as big as these two have, that either of them will do the honorable thing. They have just about the worst cases of SDS syndrome I've ever seen. It almost takes dysfunction and denial to a whole new level. If they won't resign, they deserve a recall.

[chlfan]

I've only had one opportunity to work near the man and he was pretty much an a$$- I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and say that maybe it was just a bad day but I've heard similar things from other people- So, IF he's that way all the time, adios.

[Conan71]

Okay, sounds like there is cause for people to question our superintendent and the school board for a an outright lack of oversight or very lax oversight of the TAC.

These are the most at-risk students, so it would stand to reason that there should be more interest in this program unless the whole unspoken intent in the first place was to warehouse these kids until they dropped out or squeaked by and graduated.

That's all fine and good, I get that.  But aren't we really saying we expect someone else to look out for our kids when we assign blame to someone like Zokolski?  Politicians keep promising more funds for education and deliver sometimes on those promises, but more funds and someone else's shepherding of our kids doesn't make two whits difference if the parent is not interested nor involved in the child's education.

This is an "alternative" program.  Why do most kids wind up in alternative programs?  What sort of families do these kids come from?  Granted there are some kids who come from "perfect" families who take interest in their education, but not the majority.

What happens next is that parents with limited interest and input in the ultimate success of their children will find a sleazy attorney who will get a class-action settlement against the school district, which will take away funds from programs that help kids who really care to be in school and whose parents care as well.

The whole deal stinks, but if parents would take their responsibility more serious, there would not be a need for alternative schools in the first place.

[PonderInc]

quote:Originally posted by Floyd

quote:Originally posted by PonderInc

Basic requirements for next TPS superintendent:

1. Understands subject-verb agreement.
2. Able to express coherent thoughts in speech/writing.

Is it really that hard to get a qualified superintendent?  Seems like we've been scraping the barrel for a while.

I thought the guy before him was really solid.  Just couldn't keep him around.

You're right.  I think Sawyer was capable and well-respected.  I was thinking of the guy before him.  And it just seems like the last batch of candidates wasn't that impressive.

[Conan71]

quote:Originally posted by PonderInc

quote:Originally posted by Floyd

quote:Originally posted by PonderInc

Basic requirements for next TPS superintendent:

1. Understands subject-verb agreement.
2. Able to express coherent thoughts in speech/writing.

Is it really that hard to get a qualified superintendent?  Seems like we've been scraping the barrel for a while.

I thought the guy before him was really solid.  Just couldn't keep him around.

You're right.  I think Sawyer was capable and well-respected.  I was thinking of the guy before him.  And it just seems like the last batch of candidates wasn't that impressive.

Wasn't that Thompson?  He was really good, but it was pretty clear Tulsa was just a stop on his career path.

[YoungTulsan]

They should promote/elect a superintendent from within TPS IMO.  Bringing in these people from around the country does no good.

If you bring in someone from a city larger than Tulsa, that person is likely being run out of his previous city for being a complete failure.  Thats what I always think when these goofballs show up in Tulsa boasting about how they ran Detroit or some damn place.

If you bring in someone from a city smaller than Tulsa, it may actually be based on success, but they might not have any experience dealing with a school system the size of TPS.

I'm sure there are many qualified, dedicated people currently working in Tulsa who know from first-hand experience what works and doesnt work here, what the needs are, etc.  Look at in-house candidates rather than importing another failure.

[Gold]

quote:Originally posted by Conan71

quote:Originally posted by PonderInc

quote:Originally posted by Floyd

quote:Originally posted by PonderInc

Basic requirements for next TPS superintendent:

1. Understands subject-verb agreement.
2. Able to express coherent thoughts in speech/writing.

Is it really that hard to get a qualified superintendent?  Seems like we've been scraping the barrel for a while.

I thought the guy before him was really solid.  Just couldn't keep him around.

You're right.  I think Sawyer was capable and well-respected.  I was thinking of the guy before him.  And it just seems like the last batch of candidates wasn't that impressive.

Wasn't that Thompson?  He was really good, but it was pretty clear Tulsa was just a stop on his career path.

Dr. John Thompson.  His only achievements as superintendent were wearing a funny looking hat and closing campuses after students were killed in a freak shooting at Wendy's.  The folks in the media who tried to make him a hero deserve a career in the panhandle.

He was a fraud by and large.  I had a teacher tell me about how he lied on his resume.  He also was quite adept at getting a new contract and Jeep Grand Cheroke every year or two.

I think Thompson ended up in Pittsburgh after Tulsa.  Here is a faitly recent article about him.   http://www.ajc.com/Metro/content/shared-blogs/ajc/claytontalk/entries/2008/03/24/meet_john_thompson.html

It's amazing how TPS keeps finding the wrong people (Sawyer aside).