Another election is on us and another opportunity lost to do the best for our Polk County Students.  Another four years of settling for less and not reaching out for the best.  Another four years of inbreeding in Polk County School system.

 Again we turn over our school system with a budget of over $700 million and the direction of nearly 5,000 employees to someone we have never had a job interview, we don’t know of his accomplishments, we don’t have a contract with goals and incentives and most likely has never had experience in the job.  The one selected to lead our students into a very competitive world will be selected with severely restricted competition.

 Yes, by electing our Polk County School Superintendent and not having an appointed superintendent we limit our vision. We limit reaching out and assuring ourselves that we get the best for our students. 

By electing and not appointing we disrupt the responsibility line.  We have a school board, elected by the people and answerable to the people, and we have a school superintendent elected and answerable to the people.  Seems like it might work, but it does not.  With board and superintendent not on the same page, we have confused direction, we have confused goals, we do not get the results that we should give our county, our students and our industries. 

This is has been considered in the past and always voted down because “we want to have a say”.  Well we do have a say, by voting for the school board.  Would any business consider handing over a multi-million firm to someone with no experience in the job, to someone who nobody essentially checks out the references, to someone who we have no idea of their philosophy of running a business or a school?  

We settle.  We don’t have the opportunity to look for the best.  We limit the choice to someone in the current school system.  No one outside of Polk County will ever be considered, because he would never move here and campaign.  So we eliminate an innovated proven leader, one with a track record of success in the job of superintendent.  We limit out opportunity to reach out for  new ideas and  new thinking.  More likely we will be stuck with the status quo.

 Sure the current members of the school system like the system.  It assures one of their own will be elected.  We like the comfort of somebody we know, rather someone that may challenge us to change and do better.   The school system does not like competition for students or for Superintendent.

 Industries looking to relocate in Polk County look at this with askance.  They know the truly great school systems do not select the top executives this way.  No aggressive business would.  Only a status quo enterprise would settle for a system that denies a real opportunity to get the best.

 This is not to say the Denny Dunn or Jim Thornhill could not be the best choice, but we will never know because of the closed system.  If we opened it up to all comers and Mr. Dunn or Mr. Thornhill was selected, he would know and have confidence he got the job against the very best… not a limited field of home boys.

 So the average voter will make this selection with less information about the candidate for this vitally important position than we would have to hire a baby sitter.  Many will cast the vote based on being a Republican or a Democrat.

 With an appointed superintendent we get a number of benefits.  We get the best candidate we can get.  We can look for the type of candidate our system needs right now.  We can fully understand his background, his qualification, his abilities.  We most likely can get someone with experience in the job.  We can have a list of goals we expect the new superintendent to meet or he is out.  We have the school board and the top employee in the system on the same page.  

I would ask that both Dunn and Thornhill to opt for the best.  Actively work to make the next superintended appointed rather than elected.   Lets get the best.  Lets not let our students down.  Let’s set an example.  Lets demand the best, let’s not settle.