More Q & A on Rick Smith: School Board makes a U-Turn

UPDATE, March 8, 10:00 p.m.:  I was among those who interviewed Supt. Rick Smith on this day.  The “Q & A” section in the following article, originally written immediately after the March 7 meeting (in which the School Board decided to keep him on the job), has been updated to include new information:

After a few days of deep thinking, I wrote on this page that the Hamilton County School Board would likely vote 5-4 (or maybe even 6-3) to buy out Supt. Rick Smith’s contract, at a cost of $269,000.  The reason I gave was the one I had heard from many of them in recent weeks: it is time to move on.  The buyout, it was believed, was the cheapest way to go.  Most of them seemed to believe firing Smith outright could end up costing taxpayers much more if it escalated into a court battle. But both sides had agreed it was time for him to go.  The Board had even scheduled a meeting (for March 10) to choose an interim replacement. That meeting has now been cancelled.

On Monday, everyone voted as I predicted they would, except for Karitsa Mosley.  Her previous comments seemed to indicate she too, was ready to move on. Ms. Mosley, the youngest on the panel, is a very impressive lady.  She is extremely active in the schools in her district, and takes her Board responsibilities quite seriously.  She told me Monday night that she had prayed so hard on the Smith buyout, “the Lord must be tired of hearing from me.”  She did not make up her mind, she said, until the moment she walked in the door Monday afternoon.  She joined four others (Rhonda Thurman, Greg Martin, Donna Horn and Steve Highlander) who had let it be known they were not likely to support the buyout.

So there it was: the anticipated 5-4 in favor of the buyout, suddenly became 5-4 against it.  Almost immediately, a motion to terminate Smith (from Greg Martin) failed for a lack of a second.  Confusion set in for a while as everyone figured out what to do since the Board wouldn’t fire Smith, and he didn’t offer to just get up and leave.  So the expected 10-minute meeting and Rick Smith farewell party became a 70-minute meeting that ended with a lukewarm “Welcome Back Rick.”

So where are we now?  Let the Q & A begin:

Will Rick Smith just go back to work now, like nothing happened?  According to Smith, yes and no.   For now, he has gone back to work.  He says he plans to stay and fulfill his contract through June 2019.  However, many people in the county (and on the School Board) still hold him responsible for poor communication and questionable decisions after the Ooltewah rape incident, and poor test scores that were revealed just after he signed his contract extension. He admits,  he has a lot of bridges to rebuild.

What does this decision say about the School Board?  Good news first: If you like transparency and the Sunshine Law, you should love these people.  I’ve witnessed many big decisions by School Boards and County Commissions (inside and outside this county) that were in the bag before the meeting started.  That was not the case Monday.  Ms. Mosley, who turned out to be the swing vote, didn’t even know how she would vote until meeting time.  I think she was still struggling with the decision even as she explained it.  She said she voted her conscience, and that’s all one can ask of an elected official.

Now,  for the bad news.  Justly or not, this sends a message to some that Hamilton County missed a chance to move forward.  The search for a new superintendent, it was said, would land a “superstar” school leader who would shake things up, and inspire heavy hitters to donate big dollars, the likes of which have not been seen here before.  To some, the message the Board sent Monday night is, “We’re stuck with this guy for three more years, let’s hope he’s learned his lesson.  So let’s hold hands and make the best of it.”

The only way to change this perception is for Smith, now that he’s made it clear that he wants to stay, to approach this job like he’s full of fire.  He needs to convince the public that he will be an energetic, communicative and innovative leader.  He told me the past few months have taken a toll on him, and his family. Somehow, he has to put that behind him, and start moving forward.

Hamilton County schools’ morale and reputation have taken a beating during the past ten weeks.  Everyone can say, “We need to to focus on the kids” all day and all night.  Now, they have to actually do it.  Sitting in neutral, or going in reverse just won’t cut it any more.

What happens to the search for an interim superintendent?  It is over.  Unless of course, more surprises await us. There are still forces within the community who are openly advocating new leadership.  They might achieve their goal, but if they’re serious about it, they’d better raise a lot of money.  Smith could conceivably still be bought out, but not with taxpayer dollars.  That ship has sailed.  If the business community comes up with some cash, Smith says he will not be part of the negotiations.  The money people would have to deal with the School Board.  If enough buyout money comes from outside sources, it might be possible to get the necessary five votes that weren’t there on Monday.  How determined are the anti-Smith forces? We may find out soon.

Did the School Board members learn anything from recent events?  Absolutely, no doubt about it.  Maybe the biggest lesson of all: Don’t sign anybody to a long-term contract with a buyout clause unless you’re 100% sure you’ll want to keep them through the expiration date.