Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Emails members of the media requested, reveal concerns regarding unaccounted for funds, an unhappy school board and frustrated teachers.
The Hazelwood School District (HSD) did not formally announce why superintendent Steve Price was fired. It would only say it was a confidential personnel matter and the district was "moving in another direction." Still people emailed wanting to know why, especially last week considering the district announced it came to a settlement agreement to pay for Price's salary until he found a new job, or until his signed contract with the district expires. Copies of emails the St. Louis Post Dispatch requested via the Missouri Freedom of Information Law reveal turmoil in the days before Price was fired. He faced questions from the HSD Board of Education about a substantial surplus of money in the budget, declining test scores and tensions with …
Plus, newly announced superintendent Grayling Tobias will give a 60 day update on strides he has made while serving as district head.
The Hazelwood School District (HSD) Board of Education will convene Tuesday at 6:30 p.m., to discuss district business. The bigger matter of business Tuesday will be an update 2012-13 fiscal year budget. Information has been released that details how a $9 million surplus of funds was discovered in August, which indicates one reason former superintendent Steve Price was fired. Since the discovery, an average 5 percent raise was allotted for teachers and other employees in the district. The HSD Board of Education requested Dwight Lindhorst, assistant superintendent for finance and facilities, present a budget update on how such a surplus could have gone unnoticed. Lindhorst presents quarterly budget updates on a regular basis at school board…
Saturday, October 13, 2012
North County native Grayling Tobias has set in motion a number of plans to get the district on the right track.
When the Hazelwood Board of Education appointed Grayling Tobias interim superintendent for the district, he wasted not a single second in getting a plan and goals in place for his new position. That weekend, which was Labor Day weekend, the newly assembled leadership team as well as the board met with Tobias and spent hours meeting and working on a plan to move the district forward. That has remained the interim superintendent’s top priority. “Our primary concern is our children and we want to provide teachers and principals and support staff with the necessary resources to help our students succeed in school and in life,” Tobias said. “My job is to build on strengths for the people who work closest to our children, meaning our teachers …
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Hazelwood School District Superintendent Grayling Tobias will host three "Meet the Superintendent" nights.
For those interested in getting to know more about the Hazelwood School District interim superintendent, there’s three chances to get better acquainted with him. The district will host three “Meet the Superintendent” nights, starting Wednesday evening. These event sessions will give parents and other community members insight into the new superintendent as well as his vision for the district. The first session will be held Wednesday in the Hazelwood Central High School library at 6:30 p.m. The next sessions will be Oct. 17 at Hazelwood East High Schools library at 6:30 p.m. and Oct. 22 at Hazelwood West High School library at 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Tobias Grayling informed the board, community about the actions of the new leadership in the past month.
With a little more than a month since the Hazelwood Board of Education changed its leadership, Interim Superintendent Grayling Tobias presented a 30-day report to the board and the public Tuesday night. Tobias’s presentation included the transition plan and priorities that he’s laid out for the district as well as the activities that he’s attended in the past 30 days. The plan focused a great deal on rebuilding and re-establishing relationships within the community as well as with state and federal officials, but it also gave insight to further building student achievement and improvement. “Our No. 1 priority continues to be student achievement,” he said. “In the last 30 days, we have initiated several action steps that will lead to …
Friday, September 28, 2012
In a letter to parents and community members Thursday, Interim Superintendent Grayling Tobias laid out the focus and changes happening in the district.
Earlier this month, the Hazelwood School District announced a shake-up in its leadership and has spent the past few weeks getting readjusted. Thursday, parents and community members got a sense of the changes coming. Grayling Tobias assumed the duties of interim superintendent earlier this month along with Ingrid Clark-Jackson taking on the role of interim assistant superintendent. Thursday, Interim Superintendent Tobias sent a letter to parents and community members to clear up any discrepancies as well as briefly discuss the district’s focal points. Here’s a copy of the letter in its entirety: Dear HSD Patrons, As you know, the Hazelwood School District Board of Education made a bold decision in changing the leadership for the District…
Monday, September 3, 2012
With the announcement of a new interim superintendent Friday, what are your thoughts on what will happen next with the district.
Friday, the Hazelwood School District Board of Education suddenly announced the appointment of interim superintendent Grayling Tobias, effective immediately. The board made the decision Thursday night, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and there's been no word on Steve Price, who's served as superintendent since July 2010. The main message of the board is that they want to head into a "different direction" at this important juncture, but what are your thoughts? Were you pleased with the job of Steve Price? What direction would you like to see the district take now?
Sonny Pondrom
10:30 am on Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Good points. Makes me think that the budget was not the real reason. more ›