Kansas City Schools Focus on Two Key Issues

Sep. 17–While the Kansas City School District grasps for a shot at full accreditation, the future of the superintendent who steered the district from unaccredited status appears uncertain.

The district this week received preliminary data from the state that suggests Kansas City may still fall just short of the performance points needed to move from provisional to full accreditation.

But the district has a month to review the data and seek changes that still could put it over the top.

Superintendent Bernard Taylor thinks that the district may persuade the state to review Kansas City’s accreditation and that the district can still complete the long trek from the unaccredited status that shadowed the district when Taylor took over in 2001.

“We have positioned ourselves well,” Taylor said.

If it happens, it could be Taylor’s farewell achievement. His contract runs through June 30, 2006, but the school board has to decide by Dec. 31 if it is going to renew it.

Taylor has been criticized for turnover in his executive staff and for being abrasive at times. His proposal to consolidate schools last spring also drew ire from the community and was voted down unanimously by the board.

School board members have declined to talk about recent closed-door meetings on Taylor’s contract, but at least three of the nine board members have acknowledged that there is some interest in retired Kansas City, Kan., Superintendent Ray Daniels as an interim leader.

“It’s premature to talk about anybody,” Ingrid Burnett said, “but any prudent or responsible board would look at all its possibilities.

“There are personnel issues I can’t discuss, but a board has to ask (depending on what happens), ‘Who would be there to shepherd us through?’”

Taylor has declined to discuss his contract, beyond saying it’s the board’s issue.

Daniels, who was out of town Friday, could not be reached for comment.

But community interest in having a fully accredited school district and stable leadership has been growing.

“I know teachers and students have worked hard, and we hope and pray we reach that status,” state Sen. Yvonne Wilson said. “Whatever happens, I hope it will have a positive effect and not hurt teachers, children and parents.”

Taylor, with more than four years at the top, now boasts the second-longest tenure of any Kansas City School District superintendent in the past 35 years.

Board member Duane Kelly, who said he supports requests from parent groups that the board hear their opinions, expects a mixed chorus from the community.

“He’s their superintendent,” he said. “A lot of people are going to be up in the air over this,” whatever the board decides.

Board member Marilyn Simmons thinks the board has done the community a disservice by dragging out its decision.

“We need to come to a consensus and move on,” she said.

Simmons, who has been critical of Taylor, does not support the idea of bringing in the retired Kansas City, Kan., superintendent.

Her impression of his performance in that city, she said, is “negative.”

“What has he done?” she said. While improved student performance in Kansas City, Kan., has received national attention, Simmons argued that the urban district’s test scores still lag below the state average.

Other observers, like Burnett, think Daniels’ strong reputation is deserved.

“He was able to provide structure and substance to their education program, not only showing improvement, but engendering the support of the community,” Burnett said.

Taylor deserves praise too, she said.

“I don’t want to diminish appreciation for what he’s done,” she said of Taylor. “He has brought us a long way.”

Friday, Taylor didn’t mind talking about the steps the district will be taking to pursue accreditation.

As the preliminary report from the state stands, Kansas City received 53 out of the possible 100 points in its annual performance review. To have a chance at full accreditation, the district would have to score at least 66 points.

Taylor thinks the district will be able to make a case with the state to give the district the points it needs in seventh-grade reading and in its college placement of graduates.

The district has until Oct. 15 to provide new information to the state, and the annual performance review becomes final Nov. 1.

“We will be very deliberate in how we review the data,” Taylor said, adding that once the review is finalized, the district would ask the state to reassess its accreditation.

As for the board’s decision regarding his contract:

“I just have a job to do,” he said. “That’s the focus I have maintained throughout my tenure. That’s what I’m going to continue to do.”

—–

To see more of The Kansas City Star, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.kansascity.com.

Copyright (c) 2005, The Kansas City Star, Mo.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.