To: Birmingham Board of Education
I support Dr. G.
Recent talks by the Birmingham Board of Education (BOE) have included the possibility of firing Superintendent Dr. G.
I oppose this action and support Dr. G.
Why is this important?
In August the BOE gave Dr. G an evaluation of average/satisfactory across all metrics measured. Average performance does not constitute firing the Superintendent. She has been Superintendent for one year; one year of working in the District after much turmoil where there is a historical lack of parental and community investment, a population of extreme poverty, and a long history of micromanagement by the previous BOE where all but two were voted out. It is absurd to think that anyone could control all of those factors and magically turn that history around in one year.
Firing Dr. G is not only unwarranted, it is irresponsible.
The students and teachers need continuity of strong leadership by both the Superintendent and the BOE. Such a change after a short time at the District would put the District on the wrong path. Over the last year, Dr. G has built an excellent executive team and has shown vision and leadership in developing the reading initiative, coordinating many partners and all schools onto the same reading program and focusing all partners onto a common means to a common goal. All of this while a lot of politics from the Mayor regarding the City’s support and many people still at the District who were and are part of the problem in causing such poor performance and a State takeover. In the last 6 years, State legislators have been harmful to the future of education in Alabama by enacting laws that have nothing to do with what is known in education policy or supporting schools and everything to do with naming and penalizing poor performing schools through the Accountability Act, the A-F school grading system and charter school law. None of these aforementioned items are under the control of Dr. G.
Stand up and support Dr. G. I know the Board of Education can get back on the right path; they have shown good leadership over the past year. The BOE is not perfect and not all problems are solved. But that doesn’t mean that I advocate for them to all be voted out.
The BOE meets Sept 22nd at 5:30.