Ludington School Board Chooses Superintendent Finalists, Hears Concerns

[XLFD]

Throughout Monday afternoon and evening, the Ludington School Board held a special meeting with a few purposes.  Primarily they were there to review the candidates for superintendent who applied for the position,   They would do this after a lengthy closed session, a session where they also reviewed two disciplinary hearings for students. 

In the early part of the meeting they would also decide whether to modify their quarantine process for students who are identified as close contacts to positive Covid cases and are asymptomatic.  This was passed unanimously, such students and staff will now have the option to test negative by rapid antigen testing each school day prior to attending class for 7 days past the date of their last exposure, instead of the alternative quarantine for two weeks. 

While it will be effectively unclear to the general public what were the facts and disposition of the student disciplinary hearings held in the closed session, the board did announce the three finalists to be the next superintendent, they are:

Kyle Corlette, superintendent of Delton-Kellogg Schools

William Roderick, senior director of student services, Lakeport, California

Jason Misner, (pictured below) superintendent of Parchment School District

In two more open special meetings where the public is invited, Corlette will be interviewed next Tuesday at 5 PM, Roderick and Misner will be interviewed next Monday beginning at 5 PM.  Like this meeting, the interviews will be held at the administrative office boardroom at 809 E Tinkham.

Each candidate has prior experience as teachers and principals, with Corlette having the additional distinction of losing out to Ludington's former Superintendent Jason Kennedy when they both applied to be Fruitport's next superintendent and were finalists.  None of them appear to have any controversies in their past careers that might taint their brand.  They will likely take over the position at the beginning of next year if everything goes according to schedule at about the same time the new elementary will be ready.

At this late-called special meeting in the close-quarters of the administrative boardroom, about a half dozen concerned citizens and parents showed up.  A couple of those would speak up.  One was a father of a senior at LHS who related a personal story of the difficulties he has had with the school district's mitigation policies, primarily with the intrusive aspects of regular testing just for his son to participate in the football program and other activities.  For him and many other parents of local high school students who are in sports or in advanced learning programs it's a very hard decision to make to either comply with the odd protocols local schools burden students with or yank them out of the craziness.  His wife is a member of our sister group on Facebook, the Ludington Pitchfork (she posted about this meeting being held), so perhaps she can share that comment with a larger audience.

His speech ran about 5-6 minutes and may have wore a little on the patience of the board chairman, who knew they had a long night ahead of them.  I would be the only other member of the public to speak, with a comment that was only a little over two minutes long, after which the board voted to go into closed session to discuss the two disciplinary issues and review applicants:

XLFD:  "I was emotionally touched by the twenty or so LHS students who peacefully protested outside the auditorium before the last board meeting for their right to choose whether to mask up or not.  When the six young ladies from LHS commented at the beginning of the meeting, delivering a message of mental anguish, physical agony, and spiritual suffering, I can only hope it emotionally touched each of you at least half of what I felt.  

The district is eligible for and has received a lot of ESSER funds from the federal government for dealing with pandemic issues.  There is effectively a financial benefit for keeping these pandemic issues alive in our schools.  LASD has been taking advantage of those benefits, as evidenced at this last meeting in the discussion over a new position of health liaison officer, and by other purchases made since last year that I reviewed after receiving a FOIA response. 

I can present you with over a dozen longstanding peer reviewed randomized control trials that indicate face coverings do not significantly affect community spread of respiratory viruses like Covid-19.  I can present you with dozens of LASD students who have suffered definite negative effects from mandated mask wearing.  I have presented you with 2020 statistics from Sweden showing that open schools without mask mandates had no effect on school age children dying, and a significant positive effect when less teachers died than expected for a normal year.   

An honest risk benefit analysis of mandated mask wearing in our schools will always point towards relaxing the mandate to allow for choice.  Unfortunately, there's no ESSER money available for our school if they don't buy into the fear, anxiety, and hysteria running viral throughout American schools.  [END comment]

While the millions of dollars of ESSER money the district is eligible is definitely a seductive carrot on a stick for the LASD Board, it is essentially only a catalyst for the progressive forces on the board (Nagle, Autrey, Reed, and Carlson) that actively desire to exert more control over your kids than you could ever lawfully exercise.  

[Sidney Johnson]

As always just follow the money and everything becomes clear.  Using our children as pawns is unacceptable and should spur every concerned parent, grandparent and caring citizen to move into action.

Thank you Mr. LUFT for continuing crusade.

[shinblind]

WE'RE # 2551

This is Ludington's HS ranking at the National level.

The 3 individual's plying for the super's gig HS's ranking  : Kyle Corlette  #6,311                       

                                                                               William Roderick #10,604

                                                                                    Jason Misner #7,701

The first question I would have for these candidates is, Aren't you using LHS's academic credentials as a stepping stone to further pad your resume?

Second question, In a city with a falling population mired with $150 Million in debt, what would you have done different about handling the school bond? 

Question 3, Did you support Biden or Trump in the last election and why? And are you now sorry you supported Biden?

Question 4, What is your personnel opinion on gun control? 

[Epictetus]

Having a list of questions makes a lot of sense. However, this list seems a bit silly to be asking a Superintendent who only controls the school district they oversee. 

The first question is a legitimate one, but also should serve as a question for the school board and district to ask themselves. Is LASD a place where someone could stay their entire career? Or is it more of a resume builder? I don't think it is inherently bad, just different career stages for candidates.

The second question requires the candidate to speak poorly about their predecessor, as well as fails to understand that the district is much larger than the City. In fact, Mason County gained population according to the most recent census, including within the LASD area.

The third question has no bearing on running the day-to-day operations of a school district. Mr. Biden nor Mr. Trump should be controlling education policy from the federal government (state/local school board issue) and even the items mentioned previously dealing with federal funding are determined by the school board, not the Superintendent.

The fourth question is outside the abilities of the superintendent to control and thus a waste of time to ask. 

[shinblind]

Epictetus 

I want to cut through their BS rehearsed answers. See what these applicants are made of. See how they respond to the unexpected questions. See if they are forthright, and if their explanations make any sense. See if they have any idea what the local community is like. 

[XLFD]

Shinblind, the members of the school board are the people who are asking the questions of the candidates.  A majority of those members appear to be politically left, in my estimation, and if there are any conservatives on the board, they are fairly moderate in their approach and rhetoric.  Epictetus, I think, recognizes  that the process is not unlike a city council seeking out a new city manager, or for that matter, a council seeking to appoint a replacement councilor. 

I've seen enough of the latter to know that the supposedly non-partisan council will avoid those with conservative values, even though our area is mostly conservative.   Real conservatives have historically not often ran for city councils and school boards because they have more disdain for government, especially when things are going OK; which is too bad, because we need some fiscal sanity in our legislators.

I hope and expect to see a lot of good conservative/libertarian candidates try out for local boards, commissions, and councils in 2022.

[Willy]

X, thanks for standing up and speaking at the meeting. I think one of your comments says it all, "An honest risk benefit analysis of mandated mask wearing in our schools will always point towards relaxing the mandate to allow for choice. Unfortunately, there's no ESSER money available for our school if they don't buy into the fear, anxiety, and hysteria running viral throughout American schools." The hysteria running viral is of course the real viral threat.

Sydney, you are correct, following the money will definitely reveal the first clue to any political mystery.

Shinblind, I love those questions. I would add another. "Do you believe in masking mandates and Covid vaccinations mandates for children without parent approval"?

Epictetus, I think any question that reveals a potential superintendents or any other public office holders political beliefs is important, especially when a question deals with Constitutional rights and freedoms. Years ago there was no need to consider these types of questions but now that Marxist doctrines and teachings are being implemented in American schools, we must know who to trust with our children's well being.

[AQUAMAN]

Thanks Willy, I definitely agree with all your points on this subject matter too. By asking these and other questions, we will have a better gauge in which to judge the finalists for the job. I also noticed Roderick is not even a current Superintendent, and is from California, and whose political beliefs would probably be inconsistent with much of our area's beliefs.

[Willy]

Aquaman, I definitely agree. The more questions we ask, the better we can understand where the candidates stand. As far as Roderick is concerned, He is coming from a small town in northern Cal.,Lakeport, which is much like Ludington. It's a beautiful area but has a better climate. He just might be tired of all the progressive left coast BS and just wants to get out of there. The picture of Lakeport below looks a lot like Ludington's James st.

[Freedom Seeker]

Interesting discussion on "wishlist" questions for potential superintendent. With as liberal as the U.S. is becoming, it would seem most of those questions would be banned due to discrimination of some sort or another. But I'd love to hear the answers of all interviewed.

In a big generality, all I can say is that with the liberalization (or Marxists, if you wish) it's a good thing there are alternate choices. Does anyone know if taxes are returned to parents who home school, or to the alternate private school?

[shinblind]

Anyway what are the odds that the school board knows who they will anoint for the next superintendent and are just going through the motion of hurling a few softballs questions before they send a plume of white smoke up the chimney announcing their decision to the world.

 

[AQUAMAN]

Funny cartoon there Shinblind, good one. White smoke to me looks like a white flag of surrender. Our poor taxpayers are going to surrender upwards of $200K/ yr. w/benefits for this stooge, no matter the name, and that is simply a grossly overpaid position, and cost to our community in all respects.

[Willy]

Good find shinblind. Very funny