Mo wants YOU to know...

I obviously have been away for a while...because I now learn that GCS Supt. Mo Green has a blog.

Even though his blog does not allow for live comments in real time, I give him kudos for making the attempt to communicate better than his predecessor.

And the N&R is on top of Mo's latest blog entry...with respect to the noticeable sweat under the brow he's feeling regarding the hiring of PR honcho Nora Carr as GCS' new chief of staff.

Here's what Mo says:

November 25, 2008

Over the last week or so, I have been asked about the hiring of a new Chief of Staff just prior to the announcement of budget reversions that the district will have to make. After due deliberation, I believe that the question is worthy of a thoughtful response.

As you know, I firmly believe that it is important for Guilford County Schools (GCS) to have a strategic plan that is designed to make GCS one of the best in the nation. In order to have such a plan, I believe that it is important to have strong members of the senior leadership team that can develop and implement that plan. As a result, I have made three critical appointments to the senior leadership team in my first two months on the job. Those appointments include the new Chief Academic Officer—Dr. Beth Folger, the new Chief Administrative Officer—Dr. Eric Becoats, and the new Chief of Staff—Nora Carr.

While there have been three appointments, only one of these positions has required finding additional money. Over the course of this fiscal year, there will be other appointments as I reorganize the leadership team. It is unfortunate that the timing of the appointments will not match up perfectly with the current budget situation. As I make appointments, I will analyze the impact on the budget and the short and long-term benefits that will come from the appointment. Because it is prudent to do so, I may delay or even forgo some appointments as a result of that analysis. Moreover, I will be striving to have a smaller number of positions on the senior leadership team by the start of the next fiscal year. While my efforts to do so are certainly influenced by the current budget conditions, it is not limited to that circumstance. Rather, it is influenced by my belief that this organization can be run most efficiently and effectively with fewer people on the senior leadership team and by my belief that we can and should put more resources in schools or in support of schools.

As I evaluated the impact on the budget and the benefits of bringing on Ms. Carr, I determined that it is a sound decision to hire her. Some may question the value of adding Ms. Carr at this time. Simply put, I do not. Having worked with her for a number of years, I know how valuable she is as a school district administrator. As a result, I believe that Ms. Carr will be an asset to this school district. Ms. Carr’s extraordinary professional background includes change management, strategic communication, fundraising, organizational development and the development and implementation of strategic plans.

In short, I believe that Ms. Carr’s presence on our team will help ensure a smoother roll-out and implementation of the strategic plan. In addition, she has also helped raise funds for nonprofits and public agencies. We will benefit from her vast experience in these areas as we work diligently to handle the current budget situation while minimizing the impact it will have on the services we provide our children.
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Brian Ewing launched a blog entry on this over at the N&R Chalkboard.

To me, talk is cheap. Action speak louder than words. I applaud him when Green says:

As I make appointments, I will analyze the impact on the budget and the short and long-term benefits that will come from the appointment. Because it is prudent to do so, I may delay or even forgo some appointments as a result of that analysis. Moreover, I will be striving to have a smaller number of positions on the senior leadership team by the start of the next fiscal year.

But in essence, this has been GCS' problem for far too long...GCS has always been too top-heavy. Why do we need a school system that is so heavily laden with management? This was a prime staple of my former school board campaign. So Mo defends his recent appointments, in the midst of a state budget emergency, in the midst of a national economic slowdown, in the midst of ongoing classroom supply cuts.

I look forward to his "analysis" as well.

E.C. :)