By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter
Four Levy County School Board members on Tuesday supported a recent decision by Superintendent Jeff Edison to transfer a popular and talented Cedar Key principal to Williston Middle High School.
The transfer of Joshua Slemp to WHMS was part of the consent agenda at the meeting. The transfer is effective July 2.
Slemp will be replaced by Kathryn Lawrence, an experienced educator and administrator who lives in Cedar Key with her husband Jerry, who ran against Edison for school superintendent in 2014. She worked as a reading coach at Cedar Key School until her appointment as CKS principal, effective June 13.
Edison himself said the transfer of Slemp to WHMS was within his authority as superintendent and was done to benefit students in Levy County.
“I just think it was in the best interests of the kids in the school district,” Edison said.
“Popularity is not the only thing that counts,” added School Board member Rick Turner, a native of Cedar Key.
Residents of Cedar Key were so upset by Slemp’s transfer that they started a petition drive hoping to keep him at Cedar Key School. It didn’t work. Edison refused to stop the transfer.
Slemp’s transfer and Lawrence’s promotion were listed on the school board’s consent agenda, a list of business items often approved with one motion and little discussion. Board members can pull a business item off the consent agenda if they wish to discuss the matter, but Slemp’s transfer and Lawrence’s promotion were not scheduled for discussion.
MOVING PRINCIPALS AROUND
A reporter at the meeting reminded board members that in years past certain popular and competent school principals sometimes remained at one school for many years, or in some cases for a decade or more, but in the modern era principals are moved around quite a bit.
School Board member Brad Etheridge, a graduate of Williston High School and representative of the Williston district, responded by saying Edison’s decision to transfer Slemp will benefit a greater number of students.
“I understand what you are saying, but when you have a talent such as Mr. Slemp – and you had to look at the whole district, not just one school – he’s going to effect change on 1,100 some students at Williston. His talent level at that school will be spread among more students in our district than where he sat before. That’s not popularity. That’s not politically correct. That’s not anything,” Etheridge said.
Etheridge added, “When you have a guy that has that talent level, he ought to be put in the biggest and best position affecting the most students, and that comes from me.”
Edison responded that he has “all the confidence in the world” in Slemp’s replacement at Cedar Key, Kathryn Lawrence. He said he has worked with Lawrence at the district level in her different roles as administrator and coordinator. He said she has worked in other school districts as a top-flight administrator.
“She has a vast array of administrative and teaching experience,” Edison said. “I have every confidence she is going to do an outstanding job.”
School Board member Chris Cowart commended Slemp for his work at Cedar Key but said he has a new opportunity at Williston.
“Mr. Slemp has done an excellent job at Cedar Key. I thank him for everything he’s done. He has a wonderful opportunity to effect change at Williston Middle High School,” Cowart said.
FACEBOOK POSTS
School Board member Cameron Asbell’s only complaint didn’t necessarily relate to Slemp or Lawrence, but rather to people who make posts on Facebook announcing the hiring of a principal before the board votes on the matter.
Asbell said he saw posts on Facebook congratulating newly minted principals on their appointments before the board voted Tuesday night.
“It becomes official tonight. We should not see a Facebook announcement for the principal before we announce it. We should not see it in the paper; that this person is our principal before we vote on it,” Asbell said. “I may be the only one who feels this way. I’m not a rubber stamper and that’s no knock on you.”
He added, “I don’t think I should see a congratulatory post of our new principal by the school until the board votes. If that means we need to hold off on the announcement; if we need to make it earlier; but that troubles me.”
Etheridge said he believes the superintendent should have the discretion to decide when to announce the appointment of a principal, but he asked School Board Attorney David Delaney what he could do if he was in total disagreement with one of Edison’s appointments.
Delaney said Etheridge would have to identify “good cause” for opposing the appointment. Good cause is defined by state statute.
“It’s not sufficient reason to say they’re not ready or they need to be at another school over there,” Delaney said. “It’s got to be criminal background…(inaudible)”
Cowart said he was taught that if they didn’t commit one of the seven deadly sins, “You go by the superintendent’s recommendation.”
Delaney said the superintendent is empowered to hire principals.
“That’s how it’s structured under Florida law. The superintendent has that discretion. That’s his sphere of influence in setting up the team,” Delaney said.
Edison said his appointment of principals isn’t a year to year effort. He said it’s really a three-year, five-year and seven-year plan.
“To do anything other than that would be irresponsible. I don’t make any of these decisions without consulting and talking to you,” Edison said. “I may not agree with you. You may not agree with me and that’s fine too, but I do listen and I take your concerns. But every time, I am going to make the best decision for our kids. I’m not going to be political. It is about the kids and it’s not about politics.”
Edison said he doesn’t understand all this “Facebook paranoia.” He said he can’t go anywhere without someone posting on Facebook. He said it is part of the world they live in.
“I can tell you right now if we have a conversation it’s going to be on Facebook. I don’t know how it gets there but it does,” he said.
Edison said he doesn’t know any other way to announce the appointment of principals other than what he is currently doing. He places the name of the new principal on the agenda. The agenda is published.
“I don’t know of any other way than the process we have; otherwise you’re going to throw a bunch of sand in the gears,” he said.
OTHER PRINCIPAL CHANGES
The consent agenda said the position of Chiefland Middle High School principal, held previously by Matthew McLelland, is vacant effective June 5.
Hillary Cribbs, Joyce Bullock Elementary School assistant principal is transferring to Chiefland Middle High School as an assistant principal effective June 5.
Williston Middle High School Principal Lindsay Legler is transferring to Joyce Bullock Elementary School as an assistant principal effective July 2.
School Board of Levy County Regular Meeting June 11, 2018
Posted June 12, 2018
