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New OPS Superintendent

Posted: Sun Mar 19, 2017 12:09 am
by Silverspoon
I heard tonight that the last two candidates withdrew from the race at the same time leaving OPS with no immediate candidates to choose from. What is scaring candidates off? What are their biggest tasks that they are going to face after being appointed?

Re: OPS Superintendent opening down to 0 again

Posted: Sun Mar 19, 2017 6:33 am
by Omababe
My guess is the market is more competitive and they found greener pastures to pursue. Perhaps some of their current districts offered to pay them to stay maybe?

Re: OPS Superintendent opening down to 0 again

Posted: Sun Mar 19, 2017 7:41 am
by bigredmed
Omababe wrote:My guess is the market is more competitive and they found greener pastures to pursue. Perhaps some of their current districts offered to pay them to stay maybe?
Both of these are likely. Honestly, if you were really good at that job, and an offer came in from a school district with serious structural issues, an obstructionist teachers union, a school board who took 127 votes to determine who got to chair the board, and thinks nothing is odd about that, and when a school board member wanted compensation data, was told by the admin bureaucracy that he was not entitled to it; would you even apply? I would round file that before it got to room temperature.

Re: OPS Superintendent opening down to 0 again

Posted: Sun Mar 19, 2017 9:38 am
by jessep28
The fact that both finalists simultaneously dropped out and released a joint statement seems to suggest they no longer wanted to deal with the board and/or administration.

Re: OPS Superintendent opening down to 0 again

Posted: Sun Mar 19, 2017 1:14 pm
by mistergutierrez
During many years the board did not properly oversight the school administration, that´s why John Mackiel left with $1M in compensation while student achievement was beyond depressing. Now the Board is in the completely other side, which causes frequent clashes between BoE and superintendent.

I don't think it´s a matter of money. OPS is three times the size of their original districts and they salary here is quite high comparing to other similar size school districts. Mumin is well appreciated in his district, while Gausman not so much due to budget cuts and increase in class sizes. However, in my opinion, the message it´s pretty clear: "We don´t want to work with a BoE that is going to convert each decision into a fight", and the cause it´s the vast differences inside the board.

I do not want a board that votes unanimously 100% of the times, disagreement is good, but at this moment the board has converted the district decision making process in a war of trenches.

Re: OPS Superintendent opening down to 0 again

Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2017 5:33 am
by Omababe
jessep28 wrote:The fact that both finalists simultaneously dropped out and released a joint statement seems to suggest they no longer wanted to deal with the board and/or administration.
The impression I got from the Talking Heads yesterday is that both of them were more or less snubbed by the board and the headhunting firm told them they should withdraw. Is this incorrect?

Re: OPS Superintendent opening down to 0 again

Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2017 6:06 am
by Uffda
Omababe wrote:
jessep28 wrote:The fact that both finalists simultaneously dropped out and released a joint statement seems to suggest they no longer wanted to deal with the board and/or administration.
The impression I got from the Talking Heads yesterday is that both of them were more or less snubbed by the board and the headhunting firm told them they should withdraw. Is this incorrect?
Based on one board member quote I saw in the paper that might be true at least the first part might be true.

Re: OPS Superintendent opening down to 0 again

Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2017 12:25 pm
by Omaha Cowboy
jessep28 wrote:The fact that both finalists simultaneously dropped out and released a joint statement seems to suggest they no longer wanted to deal with the board and/or administration.
Agreed. It's an embarrassment..

In this case, I'm in complete agreement with the W-H editorial regarding this matter from the Sunday paper...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

Re: OPS Superintendent opening down to 0 again

Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2017 7:53 pm
by Uffda
Omaha Cowboy wrote:
jessep28 wrote:The fact that both finalists simultaneously dropped out and released a joint statement seems to suggest they no longer wanted to deal with the board and/or administration.
Agreed. It's an embarrassment..

In this case, I'm in complete agreement with the W-H editorial regarding this matter from the Sunday paper...

Ciao..LiO...Peace
I agree they should pause but as to Mr. Evans if I remember correctly he was in 'cut' his contract short for family reasons - so he might not want to stay.

Also as to all his 'accomplishments' I dislike seeing someone getting credit for some things that they had little to do with.... but that's just me.

Re: OPS Superintendent opening down to 0 again

Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2017 10:42 pm
by Omaha Cowboy
Uffda wrote:
Omaha Cowboy wrote:
jessep28 wrote:The fact that both finalists simultaneously dropped out and released a joint statement seems to suggest they no longer wanted to deal with the board and/or administration.
Agreed. It's an embarrassment..

In this case, I'm in complete agreement with the W-H editorial regarding this matter from the Sunday paper...

Ciao..LiO...Peace
I agree they should pause but as to Mr. Evans if I remember correctly he was in 'cut' his contract short for family reasons - so he might not want to stay.

Also as to all his 'accomplishments' I dislike seeing someone getting credit for some things that they had little to do with.... but that's just me.
My sister has worked for OPS for 16 years. She told me Sunday the opinion many have within the district for Mr. Evans is pretty milk-toast..

The W-H editorial piece sure seemed to pro-slant his many 'accomplishments' over the past 3 years that's for sure...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

Re: OPS Superintendent opening down to 0 again

Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2017 6:12 am
by Uffda
Omaha Cowboy wrote:
My sister has worked for OPS for 16 years. She told me Sunday the opinion many have within the district for Mr. Evans is pretty milk-toast..

The W-H editorial piece sure seemed to pro-slant his many 'accomplishments' over the past 3 years that's for sure...

Ciao..LiO...Peace
:cheers:

Re: OPS Superintendent opening down to 0 again

Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2017 6:28 am
by nebugeater
Omababe wrote:My guess is the market is more competitive and they found greener pastures to pursue. Perhaps some of their current districts offered to pay them to stay maybe?
I don't think either are the case in this situation.

Re: OPS Superintendent opening down to 0 again

Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2017 11:21 am
by nebugeater
Pretty pointed comments by the candidate from Pennsylvania

http://www.omaha.com/news/education/ove ... 6dbec.html

"The uncertainty, that's what it was," Mumin later said to the Eagle. "Here in Reading, there's no uncertainty. We work together. It's not an atmosphere of aggression or political grandstanding, and that's important to me."
"The uncertainty, that's what it was," Mumin later said to the Eagle. "Here in Reading, there's no uncertainty. We work together. It's not an atmosphere of aggression or political grandstanding, and that's important to me."
In his email, Mumin said he didn't believe OPS leaders "have the best interest of kids in their actions."

Re: OPS Superintendent opening down to 0 again

Posted: Mon Apr 03, 2017 7:50 am
by bigredmed
Apparently the board is "putting everything on the table"

http://www.omaha.com/news/education/eve ... 833b7.html

Except, of course, real change and a meaningful effort to resolve their bickering and get behind a standard and expectation of excellence.

Re: OPS Superintendent opening down to 0 again

Posted: Mon Apr 03, 2017 1:42 pm
by MadMartin8
bigredmed wrote:Apparently the board is "putting everything on the table"

http://www.omaha.com/news/education/eve ... 833b7.html

Except, of course, real change and a meaningful effort to resolve their bickering and get behind a standard and expectation of excellence.
The people I feel bad for the most is the Teachers and kiddos. This is the leadership they have?

Re: OPS Superintendent opening down to 0 again

Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2017 7:46 am
by bigredmed
MadMartin8 wrote:
bigredmed wrote:Apparently the board is "putting everything on the table"

http://www.omaha.com/news/education/eve ... 833b7.html

Except, of course, real change and a meaningful effort to resolve their bickering and get behind a standard and expectation of excellence.
The people I feel bad for the most is the Teachers and kiddos. This is the leadership they have?
Yep. We really need a "Red Wedding" of sorts. We need to replace the whole school board and the admin staff that can't change to a paradigm of "students first" and "We are here to create functional adult citizens, not here to appease teachers unions and community activists". You don't want to create a uniform discipline code because you are afraid of Ernie Chambers? You need to go somewhere else. You don't want to teach kids about birth control and sexuality as part of being a mature and responsible adult? Cool, go somewhere else. You are afraid to look some crazy A hole from the community who is bleeping wrong on a subject and politely, but clearly tell them so, you lack the spine to protect the kids and help them become functional adults.

Re: OPS Superintendent opening down to 0 again

Posted: Sat Apr 29, 2017 10:41 pm
by Uffda
Mark Evans' new OPS contract would increase his salary, vacation time


http://www.omaha.com/news/education/mar ... d8b7e.html

Omaha Public Schools Superintendent Mark Evans is slated to receive a 2.5 percent pay raise and two extra weeks of vacation in exchange for agreeing to lead the district for an additional year.


This is a joke ---Why not just tell him to finish with the contract terms he was walking away from.

Re: OPS Superintendent opening down to 0 again

Posted: Tue May 02, 2017 6:57 am
by Dundeemaha
Uffda wrote:Mark Evans' new OPS contract would increase his salary, vacation time


http://www.omaha.com/news/education/mar ... d8b7e.html

Omaha Public Schools Superintendent Mark Evans is slated to receive a 2.5 percent pay raise and two extra weeks of vacation in exchange for agreeing to lead the district for an additional year.


This is a joke ---Why not just tell him to finish with the contract terms he was walking away from.
Because the board has zero leverage... He was happy to leave they had to incentivize him to stay.

Re: OPS Superintendent opening down to 0 again

Posted: Tue May 02, 2017 5:25 pm
by nebugeater
Uffda wrote:Mark Evans' new OPS contract would increase his salary, vacation time


http://www.omaha.com/news/education/mar ... d8b7e.html

Omaha Public Schools Superintendent Mark Evans is slated to receive a 2.5 percent pay raise and two extra weeks of vacation in exchange for agreeing to lead the district for an additional year.


This is a joke ---Why not just tell him to finish with the contract terms he was walking away from.

They could have and he could have left. He did what was proper in turnover in notice and moving forward with his retirement with plenty of advanced notice.

He didn't screw up the process. The board did. They needed him much more than he needed the position that he had already announced he was leaving. Why should he stay on for no added compensation

Re: OPS Superintendent opening down to 0 again

Posted: Tue May 02, 2017 8:11 pm
by Uffda
nebugeater wrote:
Uffda wrote:Mark Evans' new OPS contract would increase his salary, vacation time


http://www.omaha.com/news/education/mar ... d8b7e.html

Omaha Public Schools Superintendent Mark Evans is slated to receive a 2.5 percent pay raise and two extra weeks of vacation in exchange for agreeing to lead the district for an additional year.


This is a joke ---Why not just tell him to finish with the contract terms he was walking away from.

They could have and he could have left. He did what was proper in turnover in notice and moving forward with his retirement with plenty of advanced notice.

He didn't screw up the process. The board did. They needed him much more than he needed the position that he had already announced he was leaving. Why should he stay on for no added compensation
Nope OPS didn't need him. Also I thought he resigned early to take care of elderly parents....

Re: OPS Superintendent opening down to 0 again

Posted: Wed May 03, 2017 5:56 am
by nebugeater
Uffda wrote:
nebugeater wrote:
Uffda wrote:Mark Evans' new OPS contract would increase his salary, vacation time


http://www.omaha.com/news/education/mar ... d8b7e.html

Omaha Public Schools Superintendent Mark Evans is slated to receive a 2.5 percent pay raise and two extra weeks of vacation in exchange for agreeing to lead the district for an additional year.


This is a joke ---Why not just tell him to finish with the contract terms he was walking away from.

They could have and he could have left. He did what was proper in turnover in notice and moving forward with his retirement with plenty of advanced notice.

He didn't screw up the process. The board did. They needed him much more than he needed the position that he had already announced he was leaving. Why should he stay on for no added compensation
Nope OPS didn't need him. Also I thought he resigned early to take care of elderly parents....
If OPS didn't need him then why did they come crawling to him to get him to stay around another year

Re: OPS Superintendent opening down to 0 again

Posted: Wed May 03, 2017 6:10 am
by Uffda
nebugeater wrote:
Uffda wrote:
nebugeater wrote:
Uffda wrote:Mark Evans' new OPS contract would increase his salary, vacation time


http://www.omaha.com/news/education/mar ... d8b7e.html

Omaha Public Schools Superintendent Mark Evans is slated to receive a 2.5 percent pay raise and two extra weeks of vacation in exchange for agreeing to lead the district for an additional year.


This is a joke ---Why not just tell him to finish with the contract terms he was walking away from.

They could have and he could have left. He did what was proper in turnover in notice and moving forward with his retirement with plenty of advanced notice.

He didn't screw up the process. The board did. They needed him much more than he needed the position that he had already announced he was leaving. Why should he stay on for no added compensation
Nope OPS didn't need him. Also I thought he resigned early to take care of elderly parents....
If OPS didn't need him then why did they come crawling to him to get him to stay around another year
Crawling? They supposedly had 12 people apply to be the one year interim and according to them, they didn't even look at the resumes of those. There was a force in play and it wasn't students, parents or teachers.

Re: OPS Superintendent opening down to 0 again

Posted: Wed May 03, 2017 8:36 am
by nebugeater
Uffda wrote:
nebugeater wrote:
Uffda wrote:
nebugeater wrote:
Uffda wrote:Mark Evans' new OPS contract would increase his salary, vacation time


http://www.omaha.com/news/education/mar ... d8b7e.html

Omaha Public Schools Superintendent Mark Evans is slated to receive a 2.5 percent pay raise and two extra weeks of vacation in exchange for agreeing to lead the district for an additional year.


This is a joke ---Why not just tell him to finish with the contract terms he was walking away from.

They could have and he could have left. He did what was proper in turnover in notice and moving forward with his retirement with plenty of advanced notice.

He didn't screw up the process. The board did. They needed him much more than he needed the position that he had already announced he was leaving. Why should he stay on for no added compensation
Nope OPS didn't need him. Also I thought he resigned early to take care of elderly parents....
If OPS didn't need him then why did they come crawling to him to get him to stay around another year
Crawling? They supposedly had 12 people apply to be the one year interim and according to them, they didn't even look at the resumes of those. There was a force in play and it wasn't students, parents or teachers.

Yes crawling, When they didn't do their job to fill the position with candidates in the pool.... for whatever reason they couldn't... They were left holding a sticking bag of stuff and went calling back to him to get another year. I imaging that they couldn't agree on an short term candidate just like they couldn't agree on a full time replacement and this crawl was their way our.

Re: OPS Superintendent opening down to 0 again

Posted: Wed May 03, 2017 2:43 pm
by Uffda
It came out at the board meeting that they didn't look at the temp candidates -- like i said there was a force outside the board controlling who they selected.

"The subcommittee was supposed to review interim superintendent candidates and did receive applications from “very, very high-quality candidates,” he said.
“I applaud those who applied because it says something about their character to apply in this situation,” Perlman said."


from another article

Two board members and several community members spoke against the decision, saying they fear the board continues to make decisions out of the public's eye. The opposing board members also said they were disappointed that full consideration wasn't given to those who applied as an interim superintendent.

"This ... again puts us in a position where the public distrusts us and everything we say," board member Shavonna Holman said. "It's incredibly unfair to completely overlook the applicants who took their time to apply for this position."

Re: OPS Superintendent opening down to 0 again

Posted: Sun May 07, 2017 7:35 am
by Uffda
Oh boy

Amid superintendent search, OPS board members sniped at each other into the night, texts show

http://www.omaha.com/news/education/ami ... a1f9a.html

Re: OPS Superintendent opening down to 0 again

Posted: Sun May 07, 2017 8:06 am
by GRANDPASMUCKER
Uffda wrote:Oh boy

Amid superintendent search, OPS board members sniped at each other into the night, texts show

http://www.omaha.com/news/education/ami ... a1f9a.html

These people live in a world of dysfunctional geeks and ding bats. In the business world that I live in........about the 3rd time some fool sends me a business related text I know that I am dealing with a fool. Why in the name of sensibility and reason would anyone waste time sending texts when they could just as easy call me and say a lot more? Texting is a primitive way of communication at best. What it comes down to is do you want to conduct business or fool around sending one liner stupid texts and e-mails? A bunch of grown adults sitting around sending texts back and forth at night don't impress me much. :what:

Re: OPS Superintendent opening down to 0 again

Posted: Sun May 07, 2017 9:55 am
by RNcyanide
Uffda wrote:Oh boy

Amid superintendent search, OPS board members sniped at each other into the night, texts show

http://www.omaha.com/news/education/ami ... a1f9a.html
Oh my god this just gets better and better!!

Re: OPS Superintendent opening down to 0 again

Posted: Tue May 30, 2017 6:45 am
by Uffda
OPS needs $15.5 million to shore up underfunded pension plan

The plan, as of April, was only 65 percent funded, down from 85 percent funded a decade ago, and far behind the funding level of the state teachers’ pension fund, which is now 90 percent funded.

The bottom line: To begin improving the funding level, OPS needs to come up with an extra $15.5 million in its next budget, according to state officials. That would bring the plan in compliance with new get-tough state regulations intended to keep pension plans adequately funded.

http://www.omaha.com/news/metro/ops-nee ... 29e84.html

Re: OPS Superintendent opening down to 0 again

Posted: Fri Jun 02, 2017 5:28 pm
by bigredmed1
And now we know why any good candidates turned down OPS.

Re: OPS Superintendent opening down to 0 again

Posted: Fri Jun 02, 2017 6:52 pm
by GRANDPASMUCKER
They will pick our pockets and make us pay those teachers retirements same as they did for the police and fireman. Maybe even make us pay another dollar or two more a day Restaurant Tax.

Re: OPS Superintendent opening down to 0 again

Posted: Fri Jun 02, 2017 8:17 pm
by Uffda
Uffda wrote:OPS needs $15.5 million to shore up underfunded pension plan

The plan, as of April, was only 65 percent funded, down from 85 percent funded a decade ago, and far behind the funding level of the state teachers’ pension fund, which is now 90 percent funded.

The bottom line: To begin improving the funding level, OPS needs to come up with an extra $15.5 million in its next budget, according to state officials. That would bring the plan in compliance with new get-tough state regulations intended to keep pension plans adequately funded.

http://www.omaha.com/news/metro/ops-nee ... 29e84.html

I was told by someone in the know tonight that the previous controller of the investments was a little to close to the investment advisement panel and took their advice instead of the better investments.

Re: OPS Superintendent opening down to 0 again

Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2017 6:45 am
by OmahaFan
You know reading about OPS really make's my blood boil sometime's. How can a large school District like Omaha be so mismanaged? Just reading today they are thinking about asking the voter's for another $300 Million bond issue. I think I will be voting no on the bond issue because there Pension system is a mess and need's to get in order before I allow them to use $300 Million dollar's. It's concern's me that they don't seem to care about the tax payer's one bit let alone the student's education.

Re: OPS Superintendent opening down to 0 again

Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2017 6:54 am
by Uffda
OmahaFan wrote:You know reading about OPS really make's my blood boil sometime's. How can a large school District like Omaha be so mismanaged? Just reading today they are thinking about asking the voter's for another $300 Million bond issue. I think I will be voting no on the bond issue because there Pension system is a mess and need's to get in order before I allow them to use $300 Million dollar's. It's concern's me that they don't seem to care about the tax payer's one bit let alone the student's education.
I think the purpose of the second issues is for more schools and modernization of older schools like the previous Bond vote. If I remember correctly they decide to go for two bond issues to make it easier for voters to swallow.

Re: OPS Superintendent opening down to 0 again

Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2017 7:21 am
by OmahaFan
Yeah it is about school update's and what not and building apparently 2 new high school's and some new schools. Apparently there is quite the amount of overcrowding happening. Seem's like Elkhorn and Omaha are overcrowding.

Re: OPS Superintendent opening down to 0 again

Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2017 11:13 pm
by Uffda
OmahaFan wrote:Apparently there is quite the amount of overcrowding happening.
I know that Norris Middle and Marrs Magnet are overflowing. Marrs is I think the largest middle school population in the metro. Norris has several portables but Marrs is landlocked and doesn't have room to add any portables.

Re: OPS Superintendent opening down to 0 again

Posted: Fri Jun 09, 2017 8:51 am
by OmahaFan
Well I guess that's good the schools are full it mean's Nebraska and Omaha have quite a bit of youth for future generation's to come. Hopefully they will stay here though I know half won't sadly. Omaha need's to make a plan to keep these young people here and contribute locally.

Re: OPS Superintendent opening down to 0 again

Posted: Fri Jun 09, 2017 4:32 pm
by bigredmed1
OmahaFan wrote:Well I guess that's good the schools are full it mean's Nebraska and Omaha have quite a bit of youth for future generation's to come. Hopefully they will stay here though I know half won't sadly. Omaha need's to make a plan to keep these young people here and contribute locally.
Start it with a competent OPS that teaches students and holds all stakeholders to account. Expand the career center concept to include more programs like the IBEW program at Benson where kids can get their course work for the apprenticeship out of the way in HS. Run a cost effective school system and keep taxes down. Three easy things to write down, but hard to do. Not impossible to do, just hard. Anything worthwhile usually is.

Re: OPS Superintendent opening down to 0 again

Posted: Mon Jul 10, 2017 9:39 am
by nebugeater
Now the OPS board is looking like they are going to cut ties with the search firm they hired.

Once again it looks like it is time to blame someone else. Were not nearly all the comments about why the three candidate that withdrew because of the board and issues there?


http://www.omaha.com/news/education/ops ... f5fcf.html

Re: OPS Superintendent opening down to 0 again

Posted: Mon Jul 10, 2017 6:13 pm
by bigredmed1
nebugeater wrote:Now the OPS board is looking like they are going to cut ties with the search firm they hired.

Once again it looks like it is time to blame someone else. Were not nearly all the comments about why the three candidate that withdrew because of the board and issues there?


http://www.omaha.com/news/education/ops ... f5fcf.html
Firing these guys seems pretty obvious. Can't say that I have any hope for OPS till the board gets replaced with new non union owned members.

Re: OPS Superintendent opening down to 0 again

Posted: Mon Jul 10, 2017 10:09 pm
by Uffda
bigredmed1 wrote:
nebugeater wrote:Now the OPS board is looking like they are going to cut ties with the search firm they hired.

Once again it looks like it is time to blame someone else. Were not nearly all the comments about why the three candidate that withdrew because of the board and issues there?


http://www.omaha.com/news/education/ops ... f5fcf.html
Firing these guys seems pretty obvious. Can't say that I have any hope for OPS till the board gets replaced with new non union owned members.
Just curious which ones are those you seem to have inside knowledge?