Superintendent Dr. Rod Rock’s evaluation is getting a second look after a vote of the Clarkston Board of Education, Jan. 12.
“For me, I see no other way of potentially righting an arbitrary or capricious evaluation of the superintendent other than the way Dr. Rock suggests,” said Trustee Cheryl McGinnis, who voted to reopen the evaluation along with board President Steve Hyer and trustees Elizabeth Egan and Kelli Horst.
The evaluation, conducted Dec. 8, rated the superintendent as “minimally effective.” Board members Susan Boatman, Joan Patterson, and Craig Hamilton voted against the request.
“I feel the process is kind of being hijacked,” Boatman said. “We agreed as a board over three meetings what tool to use, how to use the data ? we agreed how it would be computed. All seven board members agreed to that. It’s not arbitrary or capricious.”
Hyer, who was elected president at the meeting, proposed revisiting the objective-data-based portions of the evaluation. The proposal was based on a letter requesting the reconsideration from Dr. Rock, sent to the board on Jan. 5.
Sections of the evaluation to be reconsidered are teachers/administrator evaluation; progress toward the school improvement plan; student attendance; student/parent/teacher feedback; and student growth and achievement.
Parts of the evaluation not included in the request are: relationship with the board; community relations; staff relationships; business and finance; educational leadership; and personal qualities.
Hamilton said the evaluation should be considered complete.
“To change something that finished, with an organization that no longer exist ? I’m appalled this is even coming up,” he said.
Patterson said she was confused about the request to readdress the evaluation.
“We had a process in place ? several meetings to talk about the evaluation, with time to ask questions,” she said. “My idea is this is a done deal. We agreed on tool, we agreed on the process.”
Horst, who was elected to the board last November and was attending her first meeting as trustee, supported the request as a professional courtesy to the superintendent.
“The bottom line is our sole employee, the leader of the school district, asked the board to look at whether or not certain sections were judged objectively,” she said. “He clearly feels they were not.”
Several teachers spoke during public comment in favor of revisiting the evaluation.
Cheryl Patterson, teacher at Clarkston High School, said Dr. Rock is the best superintendent she’s worked with in 33 years with the district.
“I feel like I need to start by apologizing to Dr. Rock,” Patterson said. “I’m saddened by the level, pardon my language, the level of ignorance I’m hearing from several board members.”
Scoring the superintendent as ‘minimally effective’ is unimaginable, she said.
“I am extremely upset with some of the categories ? ‘relationship with the board?’ This is not only laughable, this is absurd. You all don’t even like each other,” she said. “And you’re asking this man to deal with you all?”
Teacher Beth Rogers said Rock has improved student achievement.
“He is the best thing happen to this district in a long time,” Rogers said. “Think back, why did you hire him ? this is ridiculous.”
The board will meet on Thursday, Jan. 29, 6 p.m., to discuss the evaluation. The board may meet in closed session if requested to do so by the superintendent, Hyer said.