Last night’s meeting was yet another example of how the Mineral County School Board seems to struggle to even do their essential duties. It was through good fortune that the disaster out Andre Ponder gave us all relief from his ability to accomplish a single task by resigning. The process of selecting an Interim should not have been an over 3 hour circus, complete with popcorn.
The reality is they had two weeks to find a suitable interim to avoid further damage to the district. They also had two candidates that both demonstrated not only an ability to lead, but also supportive teams that were willing to accept the headaches that will inevitably have from having their respective Administrator displaced.
Most of the meeting was spent with Keith Neville trying to find ways to weasel Andre Ponder back into the picture. He deployed every stall tactic in the book including trying to table the item, despite the urgency. The Mineral County School District did not have another two weeks to wait while he continued to cook up whatever scheme he was up to. Doing so only would’ve increased the chaos of a transition.
The most shocking part to me was when they considered having two Interim Superintendents. Coupled with that was Andre Ponder himself overly willing to extend his resignation to work on some plan that most certainly never would’ve materialized. Andre Ponder must’ve learned a thing or two from Diane Rodriguez’s silver platter endless contracting.
Ultimately, I think the Board made a sound decision that will certainly change the trajectory of the district for the better. I just hope her first stop is to restore power to the school sites and evaluate the unethical and likely illegal behavior of several staff within the Mineral County School District Office. I have no doubt that the successful candidate is already aware of some of the people that reign terror upon the district through their interactions as an Administrator. The District Office has been quite cunning in their divide and conquer shenanigans.
There is absolutely hope for a brighter future for the students, educators, and paraprofessionals within Mineral County.