Group wants voice in new West Memphis superintendent pick
School board conducting interviews to replace outgoing Collins this week
ralphhardin@gmail.com Each year, the voters living in the West Memphis School District have the opportunity to cast their ballots for the candidates of their choice in the annual school board elections.
Those elected represtentatives that sit on the board are then tasked with the duty of conducting school business and making important decisions on the district’s day-to-day operations.
Apparently, some parents believe that they, not the school board, should have the opportunity to choose the new superintendent of schools following the news that current superintendent Jon Collins will be stepping down at the end of his current contract, which coincides with the end of the 2021-22 school year.
A small but vocal group, not seeming to understand how representative government works, staged a protest outside the West Memphis School District’s central office on South Avalon earlier this week in an attempt to disrupt the interview process for prospective candidates for the job.
According to the protesters, the board did not get input from the community on a new hire for the role. To get their grievances aired, the group contacted local media outlets in advance of their protest. Memphis News Channel Fox 13 was on the scene and conducted interviews with some of those outside the central office with their signs in hand.
“I say again to the school board, you have the opportunity at this point to stop this process and wait,” said Tonnette Harris, a concerned resident and alumnus of West Memphis Schools. “The process they are using now is not transparent. It’s not in the best interest of our children.”
The group, purporting to be made up of parents and teachers from teh West Memphis community, picketed in front of the offices Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. In addition to the superintendent issue, the group also cited alleged pay disparities, studentteacher ratios in the classroom and a lack of teachers that reflect the district’s student demographics. .
They also claim the schools in the district don’t have enough teachers to match the student demographic.
Interviews are expected to conclude this week, with the field said to be narrowed down to three candidates are left in the pool for superintendent. Those holding the protest say the board was derelict in its duties by not seeking input from the community or the teaching staff in compiling and narrowing down its list of applicants.
The apparent call to slow the hiring process centers around the upcoming school board elections. The election is being conducted in conjunction with the 2022 mid-term primaries and judicial elections. Four of the seven school board seats are in contested races, meaning there could be a dynamic shift in the makeup of the board after the May 24 vote.
The protesters have said the board was moving too fast to fill the position and urged the current board to pause the selection process until after the election, allowing the newly elected board members to choose the new superintendent.
Early voting in the upcoming election begins Monday, May 9. Early voing will be conducted at the Roberta Jackson Community Center in West Memphis and the Marion Patriot Arena in Marion.
Voters can vote at either site regardless of where they reside.
Meanwhile, the school board was expected to make an official offer to the new superintendent candidate by the end of the week.
Photo by Ralph Hardin
