Charles Shiflett Column December 5, 2004

Bartow County Schools At The Crossroads

The Bartow County School System has reached an important crossroads and our board of education
members are sitting behind the wheel fighting over the map. While city councils, county commissions,
and other elected officials catch their share of grief, board of education members nationwide are
almost always in the spotlight. Bartow County is no different.

To understand where we are, we need to look back from whence we came. In 1992, Georgia voters
changed the State Constitution to mandate a uniform statewide method of selecting school board
members and superintendents. Prior to then, school systems operated under a variety of governmental
arrangements.

In some systems, the board was elected and the superintendent hired. Cartersville operated under this
method. In others, the grand jury appointed the school board members, and the superintendent was
elected. Bartow was one of many systems where the board members and superintendent were all
elected.

Business leaders and education experts saw Georgia trailing the nation educationally, and it was
hoped a change in election methods would reduce some of the bickering that plagued many systems.
Either the superintendent or the board members needed to be elected, with the other position being
appointed.

In many rural Georgia counties before 1992, an elected superintendent was usually a good politician,
but not necessarily a good educational leader. Some school systems were run as personal fiefdoms.
In many areas, the school system is the largest employer and some superintendents used their power
to reward those who politically supported them and punish those who didn't.

School systems also take in huge amounts of tax revenue and spend substantial sums with local
businesses. Again, some elected superintendents used school system contracts to help curry
political favor. An elected school superintendent was a powerful person.

The experts believed Georgia would be better served by electing all board members, then allowing
these boards to conduct searches for the best qualified person to lead their systems as
superintendent, thus taking politics out of the superintendent's office. The question was placed on the
statewide ballot and passed.

Elected superintendents already in office were allowed to finish their terms, the last of which ended in
1996. School boards in many systems replaced their formerly elected superintendents with new faces,
while others hired their existing superintendent. Few of the elected superintendents who were then
appointed kept their positions very long. It was difficult for these formerly elected officials to adapt to
their new roles.

The Bartow BOE hired their elected superintendent, Dr. Davis Nelson, in 1996 and replaced him
almost two years later with Dr. John Phillips. Phillips stayed for just over four years… taking a position
in Columbus, Georgia shortly after all three incumbent Bartow County board members running for re-
election in 2002 were defeated.

The new board hired Dr. Craig Bangtson, who quickly salvaged the system from serious financial
problems. While Bangtson accomplished many things, his style was just not compatible with the
expectations of southern culture. His tenure was also doomed from the start because he was hired
without a unanimous vote of the BOE. Now we are back at square one. Fortunately, the BOE selected
a quality individual in Billy Johnson to serve as interim superintendent.

Controversy surrounding the Bartow County School System is nothing new. It has gone on for
decades, as many old timers will attest. Having served myself, I know it's not easy… but our current
BOE members must put aside personal preferences and find the best possible superintendent
candidate.

Conduct a comprehensive national search and find someone who can take us to the next level, then
let that person do his or her job. If he or she is local that's fine, but don't restrict yourselves. Cobb
County brought in a non-traditional former military commander to serve as superintendent and his
contract was just extended.

Not all board members will get their first pick, but whoever is hired must receive a unanimous vote of
the BOE. Even one no vote or abstention leaves open the door for controversy to raise its ugly head.
Once the superintendent is selected, give him or her the full three-year contract. Any person chosen to
lead our school system should be allowed to move his family here and become part of the community.

School employees need to see a unified leadership team… BOE and superintendent. A three-year
contract speaks volumes. It says we have the right person for the job and we're committed to making it
work. Then allow the superintendent to run the day-to-day operations of the system and let the BOE
perform its job of setting policy. BOE members and employees should honor the chain of command
and resist the temptation for BOE members to micro-manage.

More than anything, this system needs continuity. We face many challenges in funding, facilities, and
academic achievement. Teachers and administrators are tired of continuously implementing new
programs and Bartow residents are tired of the bickering.

Being a board member is a tough job, and I appreciate the sacrifices all five county BOE members
make every day. The decision of selecting our new superintendent will be the most important one
made during their tenures. To steal a phrase from the Adam Sandler movie Water Boy, “You can do
it.”