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Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Board of Ed considering Dr. Bailey again, again?


State's investigation highlighted matters inviting
questions of Dr. Bailey's collusion or competence.

Seems the Plainfield Board of Ed may be running the risk of disregarding the voters' message from last April's election: CLEAN UP THE MESS IN THE DISTRICT.

Word in the street is that among the items that to be discussed -- and possibly  ACTED UPON -- at tonight's special Board of Ed meeting is the hiring of former  personnel director Dr. Garnell Bailey as an Assistant Superintendent.

If true, this would be
A BACKWARD STEP for the District by bringing back one of the officials most intimately involved in the shenanigans around Dr. Gallon's spurious hirings of his Florida pals, as detailed in the state's OFAC investigation.

As I wrote in June on this matter (see here) --
How would hiring Dr. Bailey clean up the mess? It wouldn't, in my opinion.

I went back over the OFAC report, which details her involvement in the personnel matters that are the subject of the investigation and is indirectly damning of her performance in the Plainfield district (see report here, PDF).

With regard to the hirings of both Kelly and Borge, Dr. Bailey failed to include or overlooked matters of importance -- there was no mention of a requirement of a vice principal's certificate (Borge) though Bailey and Centuolo had made it a condition, and the rating sheets were incomplete (Borge) and non-existent (Kelly), see pages 4-7.

On page 7, the state investigators conclude that Bailey was 'unable to produce rating sheets for most candidates (including in-house as well as external), and noted additionally that there were 'irregularities with sixteen staff that required remediation'.

These are part of the core competencies required of a Human Resources director. Dr. Bailey has not demonstrated the level of execution that a responsible Board of Education should require in its due diligence.

In addition, it is troubling that Dr. Bailey's is 'in the job market' again so soon after leaving Plainfield for the Pleasantville school district.

The voters certainly had an expectation that tossing the incumbents would mean cleaning house in the Plainfield school district where there were tainted actions taken and poor personnel placements.

And again in July, when the appointment was rumored to be taken up again (see here) --
Rumor...has it that Dr. Garnell Bailey is being considered -- yet again -- for one of the positions. Bailey resigned her Plainfield job to go to Pleasantville; after less than six months she is back in the job market. Why?

...Dr. Bailey is identified too much with the mess under Dr. Gallon, as well as (based on a close reading of the OFAC report -- see here, PDF) questionable performance as HR director.

The Board of Ed needs to affirm a commitment to capable administration, free of the taint of the Gallon era, and stop being the employer-of-last-resort for old hometown chums.

To be clear, the (re)hiring of Dr. Bailey would be a signal that the SLAM team's great campaign talk of getting to a post-Gallon, progressive place for the Board of Ed was just that -- campaign talk.
If there truly is a need for an Assistant Superintendent (and that is a separate question altogether), the Board of Ed needs to conduct a wide search for a qualified applicant with 'clean hands' in order to help the District truly move on into a post-Gallon future.

Let's hope attention to the voters' will and the best interests of the District prevail.


-- Dan Damon [follow]

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10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dan you can't be serious. I know this is just a rumor. The Plainfield Board of Education would never bring back Dr. Bailey.

Anonymous said...

If this happens I call for all Plainfield residents to make sure that they come out and VOTE every board member that supports this nonsense I'm tired.

Anonymous said...

I can believe this. Bailey came out for the Strike-Out team oops Grand SLAM team during elecion with lies they owe her. Mrs Wilma Campbell is the Chair for Human Resources she is very slick so when she thinks the community is not looking she will try to bring Bailey back. I hope the voters in Plainfield is happy with the this mess. This is one big ole mess here in the Plainfield School District. I as a Voter have learned from this big mistake and I can promise my ancestor's who died so I can Vote that I will never make a mistake again. I will always make sure I get the truth from the lies. We the Plainfield residents were lied to by the Strike-out Team and I am very disapointed. I say to everyone in Plainfield send your letters to the state we need more charter schools here in Plainfield

Anonymous said...

Let's close the schools, do away with the BOE - who consistently proves how they do not understand what it takes to run a BOE - and let these kids have a chance at a real life. At this point, we are encouraging gang members and homeless people.

Anonymous said...

No I know they are not going to try this one again. They can't be serious. Bailey is a complete mess-up and for them to give out another salary for someone over $100,000 is just nonsense. To 8:40am writer you are correct, Wilma Campbell is the chair for human resources and she don't care about the children in plainfield. If she did she would have done her job when she was the chair for curriculum and instructions. She messed up that chairmanship and she is messing up as being the chair of human resources. God Bless the children in the district. Keisha Edwards do have a prayer next year.


Renee

Anonymous said...

no Way No Way No Way Mrs. Logan-Leach don't let Mrs. Campbell do this mess. I forgot to have to go to superintendant John Campbell for approval. this is one big ole mess.

Anonymous said...

Wow can we please get a board that have the children interest at heart not the bad politics that stinks to high heaven. Plainfield stand up for the children. You have an assistant superintendant that have allowed the board member's to just run the district down hill. The next board of education election will be a critical one. We the residents of Plainfield will have the chance to really make a change. I like the 1st writer The Strike out Team I mean the Grand Slam team fooled us one time it will nto happen again. Your out Keisha Edwards.

Anonymous said...

If that Capmbell womens team votes from that fool then I'm going to work hard to get rid of them all. The bunch of ballless maniacs

Anonymous said...

Anon 9:32: it isn't up to Logan-Leach, she's one vote out of nine.

Anonymous said...

Garnell Bailey slides in. Keisha Edwards YOU'RE OUT!!!

Grand Slam alright!