By DAVID BOYLE
The Anchorage School Board’s selection for the new superintendent doesn’t meet the minimum criteria.
The State of Alaska requires a superintendent to have a minimum of three years teaching. Yet Jharrett Bryantt, the incoming superintendent, only has two years of classroom teaching.
This requirement is spelled out in Alaska Administrative Code 4 AAC 12.345, which states the minimum experience requirements as follows:
(A) for a superintendent endorsement, at least five years of satisfactory employment as a teacher or administrator, with a minimum of
(i) three years of employment as a teacher in an elementary or secondary program with a teacher certificate under 4 AAC 12.305.
Bryantt only has two years teaching experience, according to his resume. It is difficult to understand how the board and its search contractor, Ray &Associates Inc., could have missed this minimum criterion.
Even more amazing is how Dr. Bryantt, the current human resources director for the Houston Independent School District, did not recognize the minimum personnel requirement in the job listing.
Now it is up to the ASD Board and the State Department of Education & Early Development to determine if Dr. Bryantt meets the minimum qualifications or needs a waiver.
But this minimum requirement should not be waived, some argue. Minimum requirements are just that — the bare minimum. If a waiver is granted, the integrity of the entire selection process comes into question.
The other two candidate finalists, who met the minimum teaching requirement, also have a case against the district. They were not selected over a candidate that did not meet the minimum requirements.
The district also surveyed the public and ASD employees to determine their priorities in selecting a new superintendent. The number one priority for teachers, parents and support staff was “Has classroom experience in a K-12 setting.”
Administrators ranked classroom experience as their third highest priority; students ranked it as their fourth highest priority. There were 31 various qualities/characteristics ranked; classroom experience was near the top.
Here is the entire chart showing the qualities/characteristics of a new superintendent, the rankings, and the various responding groups in the district survey, which was self-selected in terms of participation. The highlighted items are those that the board was recommended to use ins its selection process.
Note that item 23, “Is able to lead district diversity, equity and inclusion efforts,” only ranked in the middle of the group.
Most of these highlighted items are what a leader should possess. What we don’t know is if the board used these items in its selection process.
The integrity of the selection process is called into question by this finding. Was the process valid or was it slanted to get a certain candidate? Will the Department of Education and Early Development be persuaded to waive a minimum requirement or adhere to its criteria?
David Boye is former executive director of Alaska Policy Forum and is Must Read Alaska’s education writer.
As long as he is a Leftist, Marxist-following Democrat, it makes no difference. Female, transgendered, or gay are considered bonus points. The rules are always flexible for the politically correct class. Is he Gay?
As is typical with radical leftist extremists, the playbook is “rules for thee but not for me.”
.
In other words, anything is fair game and acceptable as long as it advances their political agenda. “All’s fair in love and war”, and with radical leftist extremists, EVERYTHING — every move, every action, every slogan, every statement — is (political) war.
They should have hired the guy that already lives in Alaska. he was more than qualified and is familiar with our state. Frank Hauser has been a superintendent, he is a former principal in Anchorage, he worked in ASD for 20 years. What in the world was the focus of hiring? The most ill qualified of the three finalists? For Pete’s sake, our city is going into the crapper because the supposed “leaders” are making decisions that are completely counter to proper operation of a city.
Ahhh, but does he have a degree in library science? Everyone knows THAT is the mark of a truly qualified administrator.
Is he really the best they could find?
No, absolutely not. He failed Houston, he will fail here. Find a teacher who cares about education, not politics and has a modicum of common sense and basic budgeting and we would be miles ahead.
Leftists don’t follow rules.
As we’ve seen in Anchorage, they do whatever the heck they want.
He who smelt it delt it. Loony toon.
And we are blessed once again with the typical erudition, insight and wisdom of the aptly-self-named doofus.
From all appearances, #23 was number one on everyone’s list.
Yeah, I really did say that.
The Anchorage School Board has done such a great job of educating our youth. Let’s give them a pass on failing to select a qualified superintendent.
This is a personal attack on a qualified individual.
BS, his record in Houston is exactly where the ASD is as far as results, failing. Look it up. The Houston Unfied School District has essentially the same results as the ASD. Do some homework. BTW it took me less than 10 seconds to find that out. Which shows me how much the ASD school board is committed to excellence.
Does Mr. Bryantt actually have the required three years of experience? If he does not, this is not a personal attack, it’s a statement of fact.
Except that this author just provided complete evidence that he is NOT, in fact, a qualified individual….
And your comment, J Gentry, is a personal attack on logic and intelligence.
Based on ‘equity’ no doubt. The new untouchable title for communism.
Communism has a definition. It’s not some empty word you can fill up with memes of pigs wearing lipstick.
Your comment clearly indicates that you have no understanding what communism actually means either
It’s actually calls into question, (attacks?) the school board’s abilities to follow its rules. They selected an unqualified candidate, by definition. Hopefully our assembly will step in and point out the supreme importance of following the established criteria as they did with Mayor Bronson and selection of an unqualified librarian.
It sounds as though the members of the Anchorage School Board are having some problems meeting minimum basic requirements themselves…..
Let’s be real here, qualifications and merit have no place in Liberal politics. Just look at our current administration from Biden and all the way down. It’s all about wokeness. Public schools are not about real education anymore, they are indoctrination centers.
Sure seems so. Apparently our namesake airline is currently having trouble attracting pilots. The children in the ASD school system had better learn math and science before CRT and wokeness, besides greed, before I’d ever get on an airplane with them at the controls.
The Assembly, the Naughty Nine, in their infinite wisdom have already determined the answer to this.
Just like the Library director, there should be no wavering from the minimum qualifications.
Beat me to it.
X 1000
They wanted a Far Leftist, CRT, Progressive at any cost….
I am so not surprised. It seems these days laws are subjective. Case in point – we all are expected to vote by mail, state wide, for the temporary replacement of Don Young. I received my ballot last week and there is zero vehicle for voting in person. I went to the borough building in Palmer, where there is supposedly ‘absentee voting’, only to find – no voting. Nada. We are being forced to vote by mail! I called Senator Sullivan’s office as well as the Division of Elections in Juneau, to inquire about this, and well ….. ‘crickets’. I was told, actually, with some uncertainty, that ‘well it is a federal election……. (?) ‘. Huh? So state statute does not apply? When did we as voters approve statewide mail in voting…..? Yes I know this is completely another article – if there were one ….. but seriously, it seems in this day and age that laws are truly only applicable if anyone is paying attention.
What a surprise! Unqualified, but equitable minded new hire is selected by the school board. They know better, so we should just let this matter slide and have the school board apply for a “waiver” to the hiring requirements in State regulation from the Alaska Department of Education. The other well-qualified candidates are left twisting in the wind.
It’s about lowering the standards for this dumbed down and doped up society. Let them feel good while “Rome is burning.” Snort!
Should have picked the Alaskan who went through Anchorage schools.
The Board members that approved this twit MUST BE FIRED!. ASD is ripe for 3 if not 4 lawsuits.
He switched majors from Psychology to Education. When the going gets tough……..
It must be the “New Math”.
Minimum requirements aside. The Houston school district has essentially the same poor results as ASD AFTER his tenure in Houston. He has a record of less than mediocrity. Thanks you hacks on the school board. Does the school board not know how to use the internet?
My thoughts are with all the professionals that have to serve under a Superintendent that has been selected in such a partisan and ideologically biased manner, winning his position over an Alaskan candidate who was eminently qualified, and was supported by many ASD teachers. I do wish Dr. Bryantt well. I pray for him to have wisdom beyond his years, and to re-think the flawed paradigms that have brought discredit upon the district and have harmed so many students. Given the School Board’s composition, that won’t be easy. The decisions he makes will determine if ASD can be revitalized of left in ruin. That’s a heavy weight to put upon a person with only a couple of years in a classroom.
Remember Mayor Bronson’s library hire battle– yep, that’s the direction this should go!
#enforcetherulestoatee
They hired someone they could manipulate and control. They will issue a waiver so they can go forward with their plans without any pushback from the new superintendent.
that was exactly what I was thinking as well as soon as I saw his picture.
Precisely what I was thinking!
Illegitimate school superintendent. Illegitimate US President. Democrats seem to love illegitimacy. Substandard qualifications.
If you think that is bad, don’t look under the hood at the Anchorage International Airport. Section managers were hired that did not meet the required minimum qualifications for the positions they were given in direct violation of the Merit System under Article 12, Section 6 of the Alaska Constitution, and the State Personnel Act under AS 39.25. These individuals are still employed as Managers in Airport Operations Section and Airfield Maintenance. The most troubling aspect is that no one in the Executive Branch or Legislative Branch even cares. And records show a ton of them have been made FULLY aware of the details regarding this corruption. It has been covered up and ignored by Kate Sheehan and John Binder along with many others.
Corruption and illegal hiring does not appear to be uncommon in State Government in Alaska.
What gets me is that years of teaching apparently had no impact on who they considered for the job. It almost looks like I would make a pretty good superintendent. Well except for one thing I guess .We all know why he was chosen.
Qualifications are meant to only keep the people the elites don’t want, out. If the elites want you in, qualifications don’t mean squat!
So true in the latter part of my 30 years of HR experience.
As of May 7th at 9:26am, there is no mention of this on the ADN or Alaska’s News Source…that I can find. ?
‘Course not. The little toad is on their dream list.
Just guessing but is “voting” now ended?
So if must read Alaska is writing about him, he must be brown, not straight or non-Christian. I wonder which one this guy is GUILTY of?
Why don’t we hear From Frank Rast on stories such as this? Whitty rejoinder about conservatives Frank?
In public employment hiring someone who does not meet even the minimum requirements (MQ’s) is called an “illegal hire”. The Administrative Officer has possibly committed a crime if this is true depending upon the facts. An inquiry from the Senate is in order. Let’s see if they urgently feel like protecting the public trust funds and doing their job. It might interfere with their fullsome hiking schedules ?.
Precisely what I was thinking!
This guy’s first day on the job is Monday, May 16th, why has this not been stopped? Everyone should now apply for every position available and ask for a waiver for not meeting the minimum qualifications. Absolutely ridiculous that no news outlets are standing out in front of the Education Center asking questions.
Just a bizarre choice if common sense was applied at all. You had qualified Alaskan candidates or go outside the state to a really successful large district and try to attract an up and coming asst supt.
Instead our board who does not value educational result as at all seeks an urban district that underperforms even more than ASD. Pick the least experienced, most political animal from that cesspool and sign him up. What could go wrong!
Anybody know how they resolved this? Another news source says he is in town to replace the retiring superintendent. “Bishop’s successor Jharrett Bryantt has already arrived in Anchorage. Bishop said she’s working with him to make a smooth transition.” West Tank Farm? He is unqualified to be a superintendent and no one major news outlet is asking the question: What happened to the other well-qualified candidates with more experience than Mr. Bryantt, who does not meet the minimum qualifications?
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