This week’s Rhino writes up the Guilford County Board of Education’s reaction to Superintendent Mo Green’s strategic plan:
The school board members lauded Green for his glitzy launch event for the plan at Guilford Technical Community College (GTCC), which drew about 600 people and at which Green, who has been relatively taciturn since September, spoke passionately and at length about the future of the school system.
School board member Darlene Garrett called the GTCC event and Green’s speech outstanding. “There was a voice that came out of your body that I have never heard before,” she told Green.
Green, for his part, thanked the board for its support and for giving him the leeway to conduct his 90-day listening and learning tour and for its praise on the launch event.
Green said, “It was, at least from my perspective, something that will be well remembered, at least by me, and, I think, by this community.”
I caught part of it on cable access and and Green was belting it out like a preacher in the pulpit. Then —I’m not kidding —- the singers came out. Give me a break, man — this is education policy we’re talking about here. The ‘glitzy launch’ should clue everyone in on the spin machine Green and chief of staff Nora Carr are operating.
Funny, though, Green’s not saying much now ——-N&R reporter Brian Ewing is still waiting for Mo to call him back and explain why GCS isn’t releasing the system’s rising dropout numbers. According to this morning’s print edition, Carr said nobody had the numbers, only to have board member Garth Hebert reveal that he had a copy.
Hebert leaves a rambling comment over at N&R John Robinson’s blog rationalizing how this could have happened, and he writes pretty like he speaks at board meetings. I generally respect Hebert for expressing the need for fiscal restraint, but he’s got poor communication skills. Too bad he can’t speak up more forcefully. The contrast with the administrative spin machine is striking and indicative of the way the system conducts business.
