Manatee's superintendent choice has military background

Published: Wednesday, February 20, 2013 at 7:11 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, February 20, 2013 at 9:32 p.m.

MANATEE COUNTY - At a special meeting Wednesday, the Manatee County School Board chose a former military man with no ties to Florida education as its top choice to rebuild a district in turmoil.

Rick Mills, the Minneapolis Public Schools chief executive officer and former chief area officer for Chicago Public Schools, told school officials he would enact a ?100-Day Transition Plan? upon arrival.

Mills, who vetting groups praised Wednesday for bringing stability to struggling school districts, said his plan would begin with outlining goals around student achievement and building relationships with a community lacking trust in its leaders.

?I think I bring leadership and a skill set that matches the needs of the district and where the district needs to go,? Mills said by telephone Wednesday night. ?I think it?s a good fit.?

Some observers had speculated that the School Board, which voted with closed ballots before their choices were announced, would need several votes to reach consensus.

But after brief presentations from groups that helped interview the six candidates, board members Julie Aranibar, Karen Carpenter and Bob Gause formed a majority-rule for Mills.

Members David Miner and Barbara Harvey voted for former deputy superintendent of Marion County Diana Greene, who was overwhelmingly supported by members of the public that spoke vehemently of the need for Greene?s strength in curriculum and closing achievement gaps.

The board took a final vote after Mills accepted the position via telephone. Only Barbara Harvey opposed the final decision.

Mills, who has more than 24 years in military experience, was recruited by a former CEO of Chicago Public Schools to transition to education in 2001.

He started as the director of various military academies and rose to area superintendent by 2009. His plans for the district have referenced building a culture of collaboration, one in which dysfunction will be eliminated and performance consistently reviewed.

Former school board candidate Linda Schaich personally vetted Mills for the Citizens Advisory Group and spoke in support of the candidate Wednesday.

?I talked to some of the people he worked with,? Schaich said. ?They felt that the systems and procedures (he set up) would carry on after he left.?

Mills spoke of his plan for structure in Manatee County on Wednesday.

?I believe in building highly effective cohesive teams that are highly motivated to produce the best result," Mills said. "That gives you the structure to make sure everyone is going in the same direction."

Expect these teams to involve a complete alignment of resources, professional development and district policies, Mills said.

Mills, whose military experience outweighs his experience in public education, did not go without criticism from the groups that presented Wednesday.

?As structured as he is with his military background, he wasn?t very warm and fuzzy,? said Citizens Advisory Group Richard Conard. ?His educational background is not as deep as some of the candidates.?

But despite those who voiced concern that his leadership style could be polarizing, Mills says he has no doubts that his military background has fortified success in transforming organizations.

?It?s given me a blended set of skills sets for structure and management," Mills said. "Many of the skills I learned in the military were around strategic planning."

The district will enter into negotiations with Mills immediately, and expects to finalize a contract at a board meeting scheduled for Monday. Board members want Mills to report to work in early March, as interim Superintendent David Gayler has previously stated that he will stay in his position no longer than March 29.

?We feel he is a consensus builder," said Bruce Mohr, who spoke for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. ?He's not afraid to make a decision."

Mills will take the helm of a school district that has been reeling since former superintendent Tim McGonegal resigned in September after acknowledging a $3.4 million budget deficit. A subsequent audit found widespread miscalculations and oversights in the budgeting process, including more than $5 million in routine employee benefits that was never accounted for.

The audit also found that financial oversight was in such disarray that in one month district coffers went from a reported revenue surplus of nearly $18 million to a deficit of $15 million.

That was followed by the disclosure this month of allegations that an assistant football coach at Manatee High School is being investigated for possible inappropriate behavior with students. That investigation has widened to look into whether school district officials may not have reported suspected incidents of such behavior as required by law.

Source: http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20130220/article/130229959

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