George Schimmel, member of the Jackson Public Schools Board of Trustees, drove the board's consideration of whether to replace Superintendent Lonnie Edwards, said Otha Burton, his fellow board member, today. Testifying at an ongoing hearing on Edwards' contract, Burton said that he did not see adequate reasons for replacing the superintendent when his contract expires at the end of June.
Burton, associate dean of Jackson State University's School of Policy and Planning, was the only member to vote for renewing Edwards' contract at a Dec. 7 board meeting. Along with Schimmel, Monica Gilmore-Love and board president Kisiah Nolan also voted against extending the contract.
Edwards appealed the board's decision and requested the public hearing now in process. Burton is the first witness Edwards' attorney, former Jackson Mayor Dale Danks, called following two days of the school board presenting its case for non-renewal earlier this month.
Burton said that when he took his seat on the board, he felt positive about the district under Edwards' leadership.
"I felt a lot of positive energy in the district that I hadn't seen in a while," Burton said. "I'm seeing kids doing well, performing well. I'm seeing parents excited about Jackson Public Schools."
With "no preconceived ideas" about the superintendent or the board, Burton said that he was "surprised" when the board began discussing the possibility of replacing Edwards at the end of his contract.
"This is a discussion primarily being pushed by Dr. Schimmel," Burton said.
In earlier testimony, Schimmel said that he favored replacing Edwards because the district has lost ground in its academic performance even as test scores statewide have risen. Burton said today, however, that he did not find the academic performance data convincing.
Moreover, Burton said, academic data from the 2007-2008 school year, although it was released in 2008 when Edwards took his position, does not reflect Edwards work as superintendent.
"If you're looking at his tenure, the first year wasn't his watch," Burton said.
"I think coming on in Augut 2008 and coming behind some turbulent times the district was going through, we all needed to be working on image-building, solidarity and leadership that shows the district family that we're working to build a better district," Burton said. "Within two and a half years to be now fighting another battle, with questionable motives, was not productive. We should've been focusing more on our fiscal issues, the curriculum and building on the positive things that have been taking place."
Danks' second witness, JPS Deputy Superintendent for Schools and Administration Wilbur Walters, also testified that Edwards needed more time to let his programs and administrative changes take effect.
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