Louisville, Ky. (WHAS11) - During a blitz of discussions with JCPS stakeholders on Monday, one of the two finalists for superintendent suggested that the district's controversial student assignment plan is not on the table as the Board of Education ponders a replacement for Sheldon Berman, whose contract was not renewed.
At a meet and greet with members of the judicial community at Central High School, Christine Johns-Haines said she understands that the school board does not want a change in direction in the student assignment plan, but for the new superintendent to modify the busing plan.
Johns-Haines said she is in Louisville "to listen and to learn and to move forward from there."
For the last five years, Johns-Haines has been superintendent of a Michigan district less than one-third the size of JCPS.
But, it is her six previous years experience in Baltimore from 2000-2006, a district larger than JCPS, that appears to have gotten the attention of the JCPS search.
Johns-Haines said JCPS was "very similar" demographically to the Baltimore County Public School system.
According to statistics posted on the school districts' websites, the districts are comparable. Baltimore lists roughly 108,000 students. Jefferson County has about 99,000 students:
Baltimore County
53.5% white
38% black
8.5% other
Jefferson County
50.8% white
36.3% black
12.6% other
"In terms of student performance, I think that Louisville has some opportunities to grow," Johns-Haines said, "I also think that the fact there is a greater number of students in poverty, that presents some additional challenges, but I think they are challenges we can overcome."
Last fall, the school board decided that Sheldon Berman - seen as more of an academic than an administrator - was not making quick enough progress toward those challenges.
Johns has stressed student achievement in Michigan, amid budget cuts and teacher layoffs.
School Board members in Johns-Haines current district were quick to compliment her success in the Utica Community School District.
"When we first brought her on, we thought of her more as an academic," said board member Gene Klida, "but she has proved through the tremendous budget problems that has faced the state of Michigan over the ten years, to be an administrator as well."
"We came in with a list of demands for her," Klida added, "and in her five years she has achieved everything we have asked her to do."
Facing state budget cuts, Johns-Haines recently proposed laying off 200 Utica teachers, 80 of them permanently. A decision described as "difficult but necessary by another school board member.
"She's somebody not afraid to take on a challenge," said Michele Templeton, a Utica School Board member, "She works very hard, she works tirelessly for the kids."
Templeton said she did not want to contemplate losing Johns-Haines as a superintendant, only that any district would be fortunate to have her.
While in Baltimore, Johns tried and failed to land superintendent jobs in three other districts,
2003 in Seminole County, Florida (enrollment: 72,000)
2005 in Evergreen Public Schools in Washington State (enrollment: 26,000)
and 2005 in Pittsburgh Public Schools (enrollment: 26,000)
Johns-Haines was asked what questions in Louisville have been most helpful as she interviews here.
"The question is - really understanding who I am as a leader," Johns-Haines responded, "and what kind of skill set I bring to this community. And I think the skill set that I bring is that I have served in a large urban district, suburban district as the second in command as deputy superintendent, and the fact that I am a veteran superintendent with five years experience dealing with raising performance in a high performing district, and at the same time, managing some very difficult issues as they relate to budget matters."
Johns-Haines was scheduled to answer community questions at Male High School on Monday night.
The other finalist, Donna Hargens is scheduled to meet with stakeholders on Wednesday and Thursday with a community meeting on Wednesday night from 6pm to 7:30pm, also at Male High School in the Durrett Auditorium.
Hargens has served as the chief academic officer for Wake County Public Schools in North Carolina since January 2011.
That school district has more than 143,000 students enrolled. Currently, the district is going through an overhaul. It also has student assignment plan issues. JCPS modeled its plan on the Wake County plan, which was based on socio-economic diversity and was eventually scrapped.
JCPS board members said they are happy with both candidates.
"They are very supportive of the district and they do support diversity," Carol Haddad, JCPS board member, said.
