Jackson Jambalaya

cue next unqualified superintendent....

Compensation negotiated? Hell - he ought to be giving back some of those hundreds of thousands of dollars he got paid for producing the crap that we have now.

Knowing that isn't going to happen, why should he get any kind of severance pay? If memory serves, he is operating on a contract; terms ought to be spelled out there. Anything more would be wasting of tax dollars.

Oh shit, what am I thinking. JPS has been wasting those tax dollars for years now. Never mind.

This is the worst kept secret since the invasion of Mosel

Oh NO Kaze! Whitey got yet another scalp! Help!

Thank gawd for Prep, JA and StA. At least some kids will not be left behind

Good riddance!

Hand his narrow @$$ a bowtie on the way out the door. There's your compensation, Ced.

My shocked face........

"Intent to resign" is code for "how much you gonna pay me to leave?" If he wants to resign …then just resign. He's negotiating one final exit payment. Urkel is proving what's he made of.…nothing

He will be named next director of Athletics at MSU.

These idiots know nothing about basic education or holding employees responsible for performance, but they are experts on severance pay,
bonuses, sabbaticals, per diems, allowances, alligator shoes, and rolex watches. The kids have no chance.

word is that MSU will be wearing special uniforms tomorrow because they have a legit shot at a win.

Will this School Board have the grace to accept Jim Barksdale's offer if it is still available? In case you don't remember, Mr. Barksdale offered to pay for the search to find what we need and I believe he offered to pay the salary for a few years. He was turned down. Some believe this generous offer was turned down because it might mean a white Superintendent for JPS.

I'm going to miss his pastel bow ties.

A good superintendent at this point would be like a Mercedes in a mud hole. We need to gut the entire board and dept

...would be like a Mercedes in a mud hole...

Pure poetry.

Who is going to replace him on the television shows that I am sure improved the performance of the local school system? Someone tell me how much money was spent on these inane tv programs and how would ANYONE think the money spent on them improved the failing educational system?

Attn 11:37 What is a "superintendent". Sober up and don't post intoxicated at 11:37 at night.

Folks of Dr. Grey's ilk are grifters who move from district to district, install their consultants, get their cut, make a bunch of excuses about how they didn't have enough time or money to achieve anything and move on to the next while negotiating a generous severance, or in this case ransom.

Good riddance to the good doctor - the State should take over the district and take Barksdale up on his offer.

I wonder if the new Super will still let a score of 50 be a passing grade?

Someone mentioned above that "teachers need to be held accountable." I taught in JPS for a couple of years. The major problem is the lack of discipline. The kids know you cannot do anything to them. Until that gets changed, it really doesn't matter who is in charge. You can put a great person in charge with even better teachers and it will still not address the main issue.

@8:41 drunk posts on JJ are the best posts don't discrourage it. I'm just waiting for esteemed Jackson Lawyers to leave their Google id on one day

Agreed with 11:37. Even if he's replaced the system will still be a mess because its as much the culture of the parents and students as it is the schools, administrators and school board.

So far so good... JSU Pres, now JPS Super leaving. If only Mayor "Baby Boy" would resign.

JPS knows what they are doing. You don't get to be one of the top 10 crime cities in the U.S. by providing good schools. Holding that spot is not easy. It takes a lot to instill a lack of desire for an education in young kids.

@9:59, don't forget about the DA!

8:59 A great person is going to talk about discipline first thing in the job interview. If the school board does not agree to back him/her 100% when it comes to making students behave properly, interview over. Anyone who would take the job without a free hand to restore discipline is not a great person.

They are going to have a real hard time finding anyone to take the job that is in this state. You can't be a super again if you are the head of a district that is taken over by MDE. MDE needs to step in and appoint a conservator or they need to appeal to some of the experienced folks in the state to take the job on an interim (long term) basis so that they can still have a career in the state when it is over. The next person has to be the clean up person who is prepared to make a lot of folks mad and then leave. We do have good experienced admins in this state who would have a lot to offer, but there is no incentive to go into a failing district when you risk your career to do so.

12:29 that's a good idea. Get a top quality person who is 60+ years old. Get some of Barksdale's money to add to the pot. Pay them very well to right the ship and then retire.
In 3-5 years bring in a younger person who will stay a while. When you are interviewing that younger person, the heavy lifting will already be done and the job won't appear so hopeless.

Mike Kent would do a good job.

What's wrong with 'superintendent'?

Someone recently posted a photo of Mike Espy and Rudy Warnock, in D.C., all dolled up in shark-skin suits. Are we about to see an engineer doing studies at JPS? This will clean out the Coffee-Fund and the Teacher-Flower account.

Mike Kent was good for Madison County Schools as Superintendent and was even a good principal at the Middle and High-school levels. But, now he's skidded off into the ditch of contracting with the state department of education. This has probably spoiled him forever. It's hard to take a cush-job for seven years and then revert back to hard work. Not to mention his exorbitant PERS monthly draw which he would have to give up.

But, there was a time when Mike could have probably handled JPS.

Honestly speaking, the superintendent is not the only problem in JPS! Look at some of the people that are holding top positions. We need to stop being oblivious to the fact that we have some other incompetent people making major decisions within the district. We have example after example that further substantiate what other races say about us not being able to lead or be successful. Lets stop allowing these folks to make us look bad. I say clean the entire central office out! If the data and job performance say that they are incompetent, let them go! It's time to look out for our kids! Not the adults!

Big moment for Jackson.

This is our one shot in the next 10 years to comprehensively fix our public schools.

Until public schools are fixed in the city, middle class and working class families will continue to live in the suburbs.

My wife is a middle school teacher and I can tell you one thing, I don't care who they hire, he/she will have little if any effect on: test scores, behavior, dropout rate, etc. We're dealing with a culture here, a culture contrary to most of society.

@8:37 the Super is in charge of hiring. If you get the right person they will have 7-8 months before contracts are renewed. That gives them enough time to figure out who needs to stay and who needs to go. It also gives them some time to network and try to line some people up who are ready for a challenge. Or, MDE appoints a conservator and then they can clean house. But, it isn't going to be easy to have people come in midyear- it won't be easy to get folks to come at all. You can make the same money at an "A" district as you do an "F". And, we treat teachers and admins at low performing districts as if the problems start and stop with them. Teaching has become and increasingly thankless job. We need to figure out how to support the good ones, train the inexperienced ones, and get rid of the bad ones.

8:08 - that starts with a real merit pay system, which most teachers, including the good ones have fought because 'the system' (MEA) has told them to fight. Pay the good ones good. Train the inexperienced ones and if they get good pay them good. Fire the bad ones. Right now they all get paid the same so we spend what should be bonus money keeping the bad ones around.