School board goes inside (sort of) for new super
Super Vicki's successor has been named. She's Carole Smith, who was the Vickster's "chief of staff." Smith has been employed by the school board since Vicki brought her on board in 2005. Before that she spent many years running Open Meadow Schools, a nonprofit alternative school program in North Portland for middle and high school students who've had difficulties in the academic mainstream.
Here's a short video clip of an interview she did with the editors of the O. Initial impressions?
| Posted at 4:39 PM | Permalink |
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Comments (18)
Some interesting personal notes about Smith: She holds a black belt in karate and is an avid collector of death metal music. She and her husband, a retired professional wrestler, live in a manufactured home in Carlton.
Posted by Jack Bog | October 1, 2007 4:46 PM
Cautious optimism seems to be the general mood for those of us in the neighborhood schools advocacy community.
Her biggest pro is actually a con: She's not Cathy Mincberg.
Posted by Steve | October 1, 2007 5:14 PM
Jack. Are you serious? You obviously have Carole mixed up with someone else. PPS is SO fortunate to have her. Everyone will be singing her praises in the near term.
Posted by dave g | October 1, 2007 5:26 PM
Jack, you are just too weird!
I got to know Carole over the last 2 years (both when she was head of Alt Ed Options for PPS and as CoS) in the context of advocating for lifesaving changes for the ACCESS program (TAG kids). She is an extremely intelligent woman (not something you can say about, um, everyone in PPS) who gets the big picture with all its nuances. She is warm and likeable and a consummate professional. And very savvy politically. I think that she genuinely cares about doing right by kids, so this could be a good thing for Portland. And thank god they didn't go with some business person who thinks children are widgets...
Posted by Doris | October 1, 2007 5:29 PM
By making up personal information that was obviously false, I was hoping to goad some news organization into unearthing some for us. So far, no one's said a thing about where she lives, with whom, what she does besides work, etc.
Posted by Jack Bog | October 1, 2007 6:16 PM
Damn it. You mean she doesn't collect death metal?
Posted by Steve | October 1, 2007 7:25 PM
I understand that her hobby is raising venomous snakes.
Posted by Jack Bog | October 1, 2007 7:50 PM
Damn, I was hoping the black belt in karate was real. I mean, the photo reminds me of a woman who IS a black belt in karate.
Posted by Gil Johnson | October 1, 2007 9:45 PM
Some of her predecessors looked like kung fu masters to me.
Posted by Jack Bog | October 1, 2007 10:53 PM
Why is her personal life important? I'm sure that news organizations like the WW will sidebar all the salacious stuff they can the next time they write about the school district. But I'm a bit surprised that you are encouraging them to do so.
Posted by Belinda | October 2, 2007 6:14 AM
I see your point Jack. The Oregonian didn't say much in her bio this morning. Suppose she is, not that there's anything wrong with that, does it make a difference to a liberal fellow like you?
Posted by Mike Landfair aka Mover Mike | October 2, 2007 6:58 AM
I understand that her hobby is raising venomous snakes.
She should be able to handle Portland politicians then! [rimshot]
Posted by Jon | October 2, 2007 8:10 AM
So far, no one's said a thing about where she lives, with whom, what she does besides work, etc.
Some stuff here.
Posted by rr | October 2, 2007 10:59 AM
Ok the above mentioned article answers your question, Jack, with this quote:
"Smith was born in Boston and moved to Portland with her parents and two sisters when she was 6 years old. She graduated from Sunset High School. She lives in Northeast Portland with her female partner of 27 years."
Should any of us care?
Or...will she find a way to get more than 50% of graduating seniors to pass the proficiency tests? That's what's important!
Posted by Mike Landfair aka Mover Mike | October 2, 2007 12:09 PM
One day PPS will hire a Superintendent who feels children are so important they actually try to raise one.
Vicki didn't.
Neither did the newbie.
So, neither one of these smart, hard-charging career ladies has ever had to comfort their own child, get him to sleep on a dark and stormy night, help him through a hard afternoon of homework, stay home when he's sick, go to his 7am football game on Saturdays, etc,...
So many things The Supers never did because children are much more fun in theory... than in practice.
Posted by Daphne | October 2, 2007 12:46 PM
Daphne,
Don't take this the wrong way, but I agree completely.
Posted by rr | October 2, 2007 12:49 PM
Oops, bigtime.
If The Superintendent has been with her partner for almost 30 years, it is entirely possible they have raised a gaggle of girls (or boys) who have graduated high school and college by now.
My old neighbors, in Kerns, two nice professional guys, adopted a young boy in 1992 and raised him well.
So I may have spoken too soon.
Imagine that!
Posted by Daphne | October 2, 2007 12:52 PM
If The Superintendent has been with her partner for almost 30 years, it is entirely possible they have raised a gaggle of girls (or boys) who have graduated high school and college by now.
Anything's possible but, realistically, don't you think if that were the case. it would be common knowledge. I'd be proud of it, wouldn't you? I think your first impression is the correct one - and your comment germane.
I suppose eventually we'll know.
Posted by rr | October 2, 2007 2:43 PM