Exhibit # 1: the position of superintendent of schools - particularly that
post in the district of Lower Merion. Poor Chris McGinley Ed.D., is in a hot
seat there after school administrators allegedly abused the Web camera
capability of district-distributed laptop computers to photograph an
unsuspecting student in his home and then question his behavior.
Some readers may recall that prior to his hire by the Delaware County
Intermediate Unit and then by the Lower Merion school community, Dr.
McGinley had served as superintendent of Cheltenham schools.
McGinley was assistant superintendent in Cheltenham from July 1999 to June
2002. He then served as acting superintendent until March 2003, when he
became superintendent through December 2005. Stats-minded sports fans who
might see superintendents as analogous to team coaches or managers can play
with these numbers. Including all those years as sous-superintendent,
McGinley's length of stay in Cheltenham ranks on par with the national
average (roughly five to six years, depending on which research you credit;
less for large urban districts). But if you only crunch the years as full
superintendent, his turnover in that spot is considerably swifter than the
national average.
In case McGinley's legacy in Cheltenham could provide insight or descriptive
background into the situation on the Main Line side of our county, I've been
busy this past week listening carefully. Some Cheltenham folks figure the
gag order on the court parties applies to them, probably a reasonable
precaution. But others are more than thrilled to share their experiences and
offer thoughtful commentary on the impact of McGinley's Cheltenham
superintendency.
Like all superintendents - and coaches - McGinley has his cheering squad and
his detractors.
He still has very close friends in the community and within the district.
They respect him as a leader who's "not merely an administrator, but also an
educator." McGinley's known for having championed students with special
needs. On any scale of uncertainty, his benefit of doubt tipped in favor of
inclusion.
His supporters maintain that McGinley instituted significant programs - such
as the Delaware Valley Minority Student Achievement Consortium - to overcome
the notorious achievement gap. McGinley fought against the nationwide
reality in which student performance and outcomes correlate with ethnic and
economic backgrounds. This consortium, in collaboration with the University
of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Department of Education, focuses on
ways to improve student engagement and accomplishment. "In terms of student
success, for Chris, all means all," said one of his devotees.
The needs of students were paramount, according to many district insiders.
Some say that toward that goal, he was very professional to school
employees.
But others fault him for undermining teacher morale. McGinley is blamed by a
number of teachers for bringing in employees who didn't understand or
appreciate Cheltenham's approach, and administrators who didn't support
teachers or "cover their backs." A collection of negative anecdotes led
multiple former colleagues to say - not nicely - that the woes in Lower
Merion "couldn't happen to a nicer guy."
Conversations on McGinley's legacy raise important concerns about the future
of technology used by schools. So many systems installed for security and
improved instruction can be abused or sabotaged. Begin with surveillance
cameras on school buses and around the school buildings. Then consider
telephone, intercom and computer connections in the classrooms. What about
the data collection that is required by NCLB or in order to be eligible for
Race to the Top funding?
When a single, integrated platform can do it all, it may be easier to hack
and hijack. When an operation - like public education - is supported by
taxes, are there legitimate expectations of privacy? How do you balance
security and privacy? In how many calls each day do you hear a message
saying that your phone call may be recorded to improve customer service? Are
school calls recorded? Dateline: USA 1984?
At this time, 12 school districts in Pennsylvania are actively advertising
for superintendents in the personnel pages of School Leader News, a weekly
pub from the Pennsylvania School Boards Associations; more searches are just
beginning. Thin-skinned folks need not apply.
What could be scarier than thoughts of George Orwell's classic 1984 where every individual was spied on continuously by "Big Brother" through technology not unlike our web cams of today? Therefore, the knee-jerk reaction of many upon first hearing about the news reports from Lower Merion is to think the absolute worst and that the student was the victim of the Lower Merion School District or, God forbid, a rogue District employee peeping-tom. I for one will stay calm on this "scandal" and wait for all of the facts to emerge.
ReplyDeleteYour balanced approach toward dear old Chris might annoy his many detractors, but you fairly described what he wanted to do for the district and the excellent program he and Claudia Lyles wanted to institute. Too bad, his shabby administrators failed to implement his ideas or any ideas that would improve education in Cheltenham. Too bad he was afraid to raise the bar or to draw a line in the sand. Too bad also, he was strapped by the old bogeyman of Cheltenham - taxes - that allowed inferior personnel to be hired and by the CEA that protected administration rather than providing academic solutions. Too bad the district's leaders are those teachers who want to get out of the classroom and into the safety (and salary) of administration.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Cheltenham teachers are right! Look what change got Lower Merion--new technology brought them a federal investigation and publicity. How terrible. Yet, many parents support Lower Merion and their superintendent - as long as their kids get that college recommendation. First Amendment rights? Staying calm means "status quo" in education-speak.
12 Districts are looking for a new Superintendent including CHeltenham. I heard from a teacher that CHeltenham has not yet prepared its teachers or its students for PSSA's that are going to be given the week after spring break. Each year, two weeks are devoted to "teaching to the test", and each year the scores are lower and lower. Each year everyone acts as though this year is the first the tests are given. Administrators have nothing to lose from these low scores and neither do the teachers. As someone who has witnessed the chaos and confusion of this testing period, I want someone to be held accountable.