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Thursday, September 27, 2012

ARE WE REALLY PAYING FOR THIS? SUPERINTENDENT KISHIMOTO'S ANNUAL PERFORMANCE REVIEW

The annual performance review for Hartford's Superintendent of Schools is out and it is not a pretty picture. Issues of poor management, lack of planning and the large number of principals that have walked away from Hartford all appear to be major concerns related to Kishimoto's performance as the Board of Education sees it. As you read the report, ask yourself what other profession would be proud of their results if they were failing two-thirds of their clients.

 In Hartford's Schools, roughly one- third of the high school students actually make it to graduation. Those numbers have increased in recent years but primarily because Magnet Schools have been thrown into the average. It would be interesting to know the percentage of students from Weaver, Bulkeley and Hartford High that actually make it to graduation. Here is the report:
Superintendent Kishimoto evaluation In reponse to her review, Kishimoto fired off the following letter to Board Chair Matt Poland:
Ltr+to+BOE+Chair Kishimotos letter was met with the following e-mail response by Board Chair Poland.

Dear Dr. Kishimoto: Thank you for your response to your performance evaluation. I want to point out that the Board is not interested in engaging in a “political debate” that does not exist. However, we are interested in engaging you in the work that we must do together to ensure academic and career success for all of our students. Thank you for the initial steps that you and your administration will take to begin the journey to build a confident and trusting relationship with the Board. While frameworks for communicating with the Board are important, alone or unilaterally, they will not solve the problems we face. The Leadership Committee of the Board will work with you to build a more substantive approach that is sustainable. And finally, since we are all student-centered, fortunately we have a foundation upon which we can move forward. Best regards, Matthew K. Poland Board Chairman Hartford Board of Education

2 comments:

Bruce Rubenstein said...

Kevin...She didn't meet the benchmarks that she herself set and agreed to with the prior BOE.On that note alone,as well as the poor communication with her bosses ( The Board)she should go.The graduation rate of Hartford is humiliating and as you so rightly pointed out,disgusting.Not only should she not have her contract extended in October,she should be told that there might be enough evidence to fire her for "cause"..if not, she through her lawyer can lobby for a buyout not to exceed the contract buyout price.

Anonymous said...

The superintendent's evaluation is really a reflection (or self evaluation) of the Board of Education. Let's face it, they are micro managers who want to blame the superintendent for their failures. Let's not forget that it was not long ago the state had to step in and take over the school district because of the ineffective and micromanaging board, who appear to be heading down the same path as their predecessors.