The Natchitoches Parish School Board will continue their interviews of the candidates for superintendent this evening at 4 pm. The interviews are open to the public.
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The Natchitoches Parish journal will live stream the interviews starting at 3:55 pm.
Last night The Natchitoches Parish School Board interviewed 5 of the candidates for superintendent. You can watch the PART ONE and PART TWO VIDEOs from last nights process below:
I watched last night and it was obvious, to me, that the board no matter how well-intentioned, does not have the educational background to determine the next superintendent! I did think that some candidates had some pertinent comments! One candidate commented that he had numerous candidates apply at his school! When questioned as to why they said that our system was too stressful! The board has to own those remarks as it was the board’s ultimate decision that created that environment! Not once, but four times!
One board member had to read, poorly, his question from a note!
Others asked about cultural diversity when they should have been asking about how do you plan on addressing the alienation of minorities and low test scores! How do you plan on working with a racially divided system and board! Just signing a statement of is intent is useless!
Benefield set the stage by asserting that no matter who gets chosen that the entire board will support the majority decision. That was a tactical decision, I believe, made up by the white majority of the board!
This decision should be a unanimous decision by the board so that it represents the entire population! Is it too much to ask of 12 people? Seriously? It’s going to be difficult! That’s why you were placed there-do your job based on what’s in the best interest of the system; not politics!!!
One question had to do with a candidate bringing in their own support staff! There’s a double-edged sword! Is the board protecting Central office staff or are they looking for new or perhaps better-qualified candidates? I can think of a situation where one board member might be concerned!
Why would you ask that question, when you have already gone out of the system to recruit a superintendent? Why hasn’t this system developed strong candidates within this parish, who would be qualified to be Superintendent? Or is the system deliberately ignoring qualified candidates already in the system!
Lastly, why are candidates without doctoral degrees being interviewed, when the board agreed that a doctorate is required? I think I know the answer! I believe that will become apparent in the next interviews! This decision, in my opinion, has already been made!
Yes, I agree with you they already know who they are going to choose so why these long drawn out interviews? Skinner is going to tell them who he want and they are going to pick that one. Smh because that’s how they usually do it. They been doing it like that for years and years. Natchitoches Parish need an entirely new board.
Rick, It would be a mistake to choose someone from within the system. We need someone that has experience in one or more successful systems outside of Natchitoches. That’s not to say we don’t have qualified people, but that experience is too narrow. We need a broader spectrum of experience. Also the job is hard enough without placing the person in the position of leading an organization comprised of their former co-workers