[LCSD] Lebanon Express: "Alexander drops lawsuit against district"

Given that it was almost certain to be dismissed anyway (note that he dropped it the morning of the day oral arguments to dismiss were being heard), that's not surprising.

This, on the other hand, is... well, not really. But a little depressing nonetheless:

Asked if the issue of not renewing a contract without a poor performance review isn't an issue the board may have to deal with in the future, Alexander said he expects that the next superintendent will have a contract that makes clear the board's authority to dismiss without an unsatisfactory evaluation.

What superintendent wants to work in a district where they will have no job protection?

Dismissal without cause: That's what Alexander is really talking about. Even if it can only occur once per year, it's not a good deal.

And yes, I realize that many people work in jobs where dismissal without cause is the norm. Being a district superintendent or other relatively high-ranking administrator generally comes with a little bit of job protection. I'm not saying that's fair, but to simply arbitrarily remove that protection while ignoring the larger context will be detrimental to hiring a good replacement.

I can't decide if Rick doesn't know that or doesn't care.

I repeat: Why would a potential superintendent apply to work in a district where the previous superintendent got non-renewed with no chance to improve (and coming on the heels of a very positive evaluation) and where a board member has stated he doesn't think superintendents need protection from being arbitrarily fired?

Also, I wonder how teachers (and the LEA!) and other administrators feel about this proposal. I see no reason certain board members will resist from pushing for this level of control over everyone else as soon as a conflict arises. I can't wait for Rick to get the board to fire a teacher because he doesn't like them.

You laugh, but it's getting closer to the realm of possibility.