New SAU Super Dodges Pesky Parents
The new Superintendent of government schools for SAU 13, Jay McIntire, after introducing himself at tonight’s Selectmen’s meeting as one of the more highly paid taxpayer-funded employees, stated that as part of his new job, he was looking to cut costs at the administrative level and find a new, more economical home for the SAU’s operations. As long as we’re going to have government schools, they might as well be slightly less expensive – good for Jay so far. Upon Selectman Farnum’s suggestion that a portion of the local sinkhole of taxpayer money, the K.A. Brett elementary school, could possibly be used for the SAU’s operations, Superintendent McIntire stated that it would be far too easy for a child’s parent, displeased with something or another to do with their child’s education, to be able to go right to the Superintendent’s office down the hall if the principal couldn’t or wouldn’t tend to the parent’s concerns.
If Jay has unhappy parents at his schools, and he apparently doesn’t fancy dealing with their problems, it would seem to be a simple solution for everyone involved if parents could keep their earnings taken from them to fund the government school system as well as Jay’s paycheck, and instead send their child to a private or home school that would perhaps meet their needs better. Not every family can afford to be required to pay for a government school as well as a private school at the same time, and thus unhappy parents without extra funds are left to send their kids to a school whose Superintendent objects to having to deal with them at their convenience.
Update: Superintendent McIntire responds, stating lack of financial freedom for parents in school choice is unfortunate, and he really doesn’t object to parents…
Dear Live Free:
I’m afraid that my comments at the recent Tamworth Selectmen’s Meeting were misconstrued. While I certainly agree with your point that it is unfortunate that school choice is not practical for the many who cannot afford a private education or to home school, I do not find talking to parents about their concerns or problems to be unpleasant at all. To the contrary, I relish the opportunity to hear from community members. That is why I made an effort to find a home in Tamworth. I make it a point to pay the taxes that my actions influence and to be available in town so that I can hear from everyone. I attempted to make these points at the meeting, but apparently did not do so effectively.
I should have been more clear in stating that I believe problems should be addressed as close to the source as possible and am a supporter of site-based management. In this day and age, most educational and disciplinary decisions are made in the school and questions about them can best be answered there. The office (and position) of superintendent deals largely with business management, policy development and implementation, and keeping up with the many expectations placed on school by the federal and state governments as well as local school boards. Solutions to problems/concerns raised by parents are almost always at the classroom or building level. Parents who discuss building-level concerns with me typically find out that we need to go back to the school and address them with the people who work there. Not surprisingly, when superintendent’s offices are co-located, it gives parents the false impression that their classroom and school-based decisions are actually made by superintendents and that superintendents will override decisions of those who are authorized to make them and who are responsible for them. Too often their questions become misdirected, which leads to less efficiency in an already efficiency-challenged industry.
Please note that I also expressed that I am open to establishing my office in a school, but that I believe it has disadvantages. Most importantly, it is necessary to find less a less costly site. School leadership is costly. Its facilities need not be.
Feel free to send any comments or questions to me at jmcintire@sau13.k12.nh.us and to make this e-mail address available to your readers. While I sometimes fall behind in my responses, I always appreciate hearing from community members.
Thank you for the opportunity to clarify my comments. I look forward to hearing from you both as a public servant and as a citizen.
Respectfully,
Jay McIntire
Superintendent of Schools, SAU 13