As of Wednesday, January 18, 2012
© Copyright 2012
Rockdale Citizen
CONYERS -- Rockdale County Public Schools Superintendent Samuel King is one of six semifinalists for a superintendent position in Louisiana.
The East Baton Rouge Parish School System announced last week that King is up to replace outgoing Superintendent John Dilworth, who announced in May that he would not seek an extension of his current contract.
The East Baton Rouge School Board used the national search consultant PROACT Search to obtain a list of 44 candidates in the fall.
"A search firm initially contacted me about the opportunity," King said Wednesday in a prepared statement. "My family and I are very happy here in Rockdale County, and I am proud to be part of such a great team of educators, students and parents in this community. After a couple of conversations with the search firm, I felt that this may align with my long-term goals and consider it an opportunity for advancement in my career as a superintendent."
Semifinalists are being interviewed this week and next week, and the school board will hold a special meeting Jan. 25 to select the finalist, according to Chris Trahan, director of the Department for Communications & Community Engagement at the system.
"At this time, no date has been set to bring in the finalist," he said.
The East Baton Rouge system is made up of approximately 43,000 students, compared to compared to Rockdale's 16,000 students.
King has worked for nearly seven years as superintendent of RCPS and has spent more than 25 years in education teaching math and science at the elementary, middle and high school levels.
He was named Georgia's 2011 Superintendent of the Year by the Georgia School Boards Association and the Georgia School Superintendents Association after being a finalist for the previous three years. He serves on the advisory committee for the Vision Project for Public Education in Georgia to improve learning in the 21st century and as president for the GSSA.
He also has served as president of the Metropolitan Atlanta Regional Service Agency Governing Board and a member of the National Education Association, the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders and several other educational groups. He was on the Governor's Education Advisory Board in 2011.
Last year, King reportedly was a finalist for superintendent positions in Cobb and DeKalb counties.
The other finalists for the Louisiana position are Herman Brister Sr., chief academic officer for the East Baton Rouge Parish School System; Maria Pitre- Martin, director of K -12 curriculum and instruction of the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction; Kelt Cooper, superintendent of the San Felipe Del Rio Consolidated Independent School District in Del Rio, Tex.; Tisha Edwards, chief of staff, Baltimore City Public Schools in Maryland; and Elliot Smalley, deputy of strategy and communications for Charleston County School District, Charleston, S.C.
Comments
Frustrated 4 months ago
Good Luck to Dr King!!!
TheEx 4 months ago
Dr. King is jumping ship like an Italian cruise ship captain before his ship sinks in Rockdale County. Since he clearly does not want to continue his employment in Rockdale County (going after three jobs in a year!), the Rockdale BOE should move to immediately terminate his contract and to find someone from outside of the county to immediately clean house.
WayBack 4 months ago
Someone please write him a good recommendation. Then get a superintendant from a great school system. Not from Dekalb and Clayton. Is it a suprise to anyone that King runs our systems like Dekalb and Clayton? It shouldnt be because that is where his experience is. We need a superintendant who knows what success looks like. Not one who will try to change the report cards becaus too many kids are failing.
heypastorbob 4 months ago
Please remember, when Mr. King arrived here he removed is own son from our school system. He didn't believe in the Rockdale County School System then and every decision he has made since being hired has shown that he doesn't care anything about Rockdale.
It was my opinion that he should have never been hired from the Clayton Co. School System. Rockdale needs to be looking for his replacement right now. Don't wait until someone "scoops him up". Let's give him his walking papers now!
Freedom1 4 months ago
Hummm, apparently the 2 comments that were posted yesterday have been removed. What's up with that? It's time for a new Board and a new Superintendent. 5 seats on the Board are up for election this year. We need a Board and Administration open and responsive to the public and the teachers, instead of the never-ending marketing campaign. Let's put Vice Chair Yontz's interpretation of HB 84 to the test: "... the school board does not answer to their constituents...", quoted from the BOE meeting minutes of 2/10/11.
I wonder if this post will be allowed to remain?
gofigure 4 months ago
I noticed that the comments have been removed. one of them was mine. hmmmmmmmmmmmm.
happygirl 4 months ago
mine too
Sundance 4 months ago
The school board did a bad job picking Dr King. Hopefully now they know. There are many people like him in leadership positions in this system. They stand around and look good in their expensive suits and have no clue what the teachers and administrators are dealing with. Every few weeks they buy some program that sounds good and enforce the implementation of it without any proof that it works. Any jackleg off the street can do that.
thescot 4 months ago
We could have him packed up and out of here in about half a day.
I can only hope that the new board members will prove themselves wiser than the current crop.
mark 4 months ago
Please let him go before graduation this spring listening to him read is speaches is sooooooooooooo painful
pressman7 4 months ago
Mark, I don't know you but I feel your pain. I have experienced this also, we have a county school superintendent who can barely read much less memorize.
Freedom1 4 months ago
All school administrations and boards are tightly regulated by the State, and to a greater degree by the Feds, and the Boards comply so they can partake in the public funds giveaways called grants. Not all school boards and administrations are so eager to comply, not all school districts have frightened teachers afraid to speak out. Dr King did an excellent job of meeting AYP, few counties do a better job of teaching the tests, He's done a great job of marketing the RCPS, he's put the whole county asleep, silenced the teachers, and pushed the Centralized Federal Education agenda as far as he can in Rockdale. And the Board ate it up, raised your taxes, tell you to your face they don't answer to you, and we all pretend our students are getting a "Quality" education.
Frustrated 4 months ago
I think you hit the nail on the head...he taught the test well instead of teaching the curriculum and scared the teachers into silence.
Chris 4 months ago
Most counties in Georgia would consider themselves fortunate to have the results Rockdale schools have achieved. There is always room for improvement, but there is also risk of rapid decline. Dr. King and the Board have done a remarkable job in difficult circumstances. We should be thankful to have had them, as we will miss them when they are gone.
heypastorbob 4 months ago
Sounds like it was George Bush's fault
roltheo 4 months ago
Are you kidding me? Your standards must be really low... I must wonder whether you have children.
Sundance 4 months ago
I don't believe he was contacted out of the blue, but I am very hopeful that he gets the job. Then perhaps Rockdale's "long-term goals" of establishing a school administration that is in touch with the teachers and parents and that is actively involved in defining and solving the day-to-day problems of local schools can be achieved
NitetimeinDaytime 4 months ago
Oh I hope my dreams have been answered and we get a new superintendent --- I agree, if he wants to leave and has gone after other positions, help him out. Let him go.
heresyafacts 4 months ago
If the Baton Rouge board does a site visit, as they are considering doing with some of the finalists, PLEASE PLEASE teachers -- lie through your teeth and tell them how fabulous King is. And try to get those inmates in your classrooms to sit down and act semi-literate for the five seconds the visiting group is here. We've got to unload this bozo on someone so we can have a shot at turning things around.
taylork1 3 months, 4 weeks ago
I don't understand how people can say such hurtful things about my dad. I wish you all could see what i see, and have a different outlook. He's a wonderful person, and has been in education a long time, My dad is a role model for many people, and has accomplished many things in Rockdale. My dad cares about education, and wants the best for everyone. My dad loves the students, and the staff. It's a blessing to have the results that Rockdale school system has had.
NitetimeinDaytime 3 months, 3 weeks ago
I am sorry if these comments are hurtful to your Dad. I am sure in your eyes he is the best man in the world :-) I have no doubt he is a great father to you and is a good person. What I believe these comments are saying is that there are frustrations in how the education system in the county is going. Being that your Dad holds the highest position, complaints are going to "go to the top". No doubt there are teachers, students, parents, administrators, etc. contributing to what I see as a declining school system --- however it seems that your father would like to move on. If so, we need to move on also and get someone in the position willing to commit for the long-run.
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