By Dewey Terrill
jc post
The second of three finalists for the superintendent’s job in Geary USD 475, Dr. Paul Gordon, answered questions from the public during a forum Wednesday evening at Junction City Middle School.
Gordon said he is a standards based person but there is great value for educators to learn from one another. He noted when everybody is doing something different it’s hard to be on the same team. “So I’m a big believer in consistencies, especially when you think about some of the transitional nature of some of our students in their lives. We need to be really cognizant of that and making sure that we have that consistency there for our students.”
Shootings have occurred in different schools across the country in recent years. Gordon made it clear he does not favor arming teachers or staff to help deal with that type of crisis. “I don’t believe in it. It makes no sense to me that I would ask a teacher to carry a gun.”
Gordon believes in policy governance, and there are certain things that the Board of Education is responsible for. “Holding up that vision, holding up the policies that support this district, really making sure that they’re ones voting on the budget, that they’re the ones signing off on the personnel. ” Gordon added he also believes in staff work and there’s a line separating Board and staff work. “I’m not somebody who micromanages my employees because I believe in people.”
Gordon stated he doesn’t micromanage so he doesn’t want to be micromanaged. He wants to be held to standards and outcomes.”I’ll achieve those standards and outcomes. Board has one employee, that’s the superintendent. It’s really important there’s only one employee for the board. Not hundreds, not principals, not teachers, not custodians. They have one employee and if I’m fortunate enough it’s me. ”
Gordon added he’s a true process person and if the Board stays at the governance level and his cabinet brings recommendations to the them he’s okay with the board saying yes or no. “Any board that I’m a part of we will bring our best, most thoughtful recommendations to them.” He stated there’s a clear delineation between his work and the work done by the school board. “The board has huge responsibilities and that’s enough to keep them engaged. They have to trust that their one employee is doing the work with everybody else in the organization.”
The third finalist, Dr. David McGeHee will meet with the public from 5:30 to 6:30 this evening at Junction City Middle School.