Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter



CAT Tracks for May 25, 2005
NEW REGIONAL SUPERINTENDENT?

A new Regional Superintendent may be named on Thursday night according to this article from today's Southern Illinoisan...


Just one candidate remains for regional school superintendent position

BY CALEB HALE, THE SOUTHERN

ULLIN - Choosing a new regional school superintendent should be easy for county board chairmen convening at Shawnee Community College Thursday night. They only have one choice.

After a failed hiring attempt last month, chairmen from the five southernmost counties - Union, Johnson, Alexander, Pulaski and Massac - and Jackson County will meet to review the application of the only other candidate who tried for the post, which current Regional Superintendent Dan Anderson will vacate in June.

Janet Ulrich, assistant regional superintendent for the southernmost five counties, is the only person left for board representatives to consider. She was passed over for the job in lieu of Thompsonville school district superintendent Greg Goins in April.

Goins initially accepted the post, but one week later changed his mind.

Goins said he wanted to stay with the Thompsonville district but didn't rule out running for regional superintendent in 2006.

County officials also report Goins had discrepancies in party affiliation on his voting record, which disqualified him to serve out Anderson's Republican-held term.

The Regional Office of Education in Ullin had been accepting resumes until last Friday, but office personnel report they have received no new applications.

Board chairmen have been handed information packets for Thursday's meeting that contain only Ulrich's resume. As far as they know, she is the only choice.

Ulrich said she couldn't call the appointment a sure thing. She has been informed by the board representatives she won't need to go through an interview process, but if they request her presence at the meeting she will be there.

Anderson originally suggested Ulrich to succeed him as regional superintendent. He was not available for comment.

Several board chairmen said they are surprised more people did not apply for the post, but admitted the position doesn't exactly come with job security.

Pulaski County Board Chairman Jerry Thurston said the person who accepts Anderson's job will have to run a political campaign next year to keep it. Anderson was elected in 2002. His term expires in 2006.

"If I was a superintendent at a school, knowing I'd have to run for the office in a year and a half, that could be why I wasn't interested," Thurston said.

Union County Board Chairman Bill Jackson said the future of some regional offices has been in question as well. Gov. Rod Blagojevich has hinted more than once he would like to see the number of regional superintendents in the state scaled back, and Jackson said he has heard rumors from education officials that idea may come back again next year.

Jackson said he is disappointed more people didn't apply but said Ulrich seems qualified for the job.

Thurston said Pulaski County voted for Ulrich to be hired last month; he said officials plan to continue their support.

Alexander County Board Chairman Fred McRoy said he likely will agree to Ulrich being named, even though he also assumed there would be more applications.

Ulrich said she is still interested in the job and would be willing to run a campaign to continue in the post past 2006.

"More than likely I would elect to petition for the seat," she said. "I've had multiple Republican Party chairs throw their support behind me."

Board chairmen plan to meet at 5 p.m. on the Shawnee Community College campus in Ullin.



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