Kriner Cash Picked To Head MCS
This afternoon a candidate was finally offered the job to head the Memphis City Schools. I t was a show of solidarity and decisiveness by the board. Kriner Cash received all nine votes from the school board to take the helm. Considering how the whole thing went, I think the selection process was really ceremonial. They have really known for weeks who was going to get the job.
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Kriner Cash accepts job to lead Memphis City Schools
Miami educator wins superintendent post after unanimous vote by board
By Dakarai I. Aarons (Contact)
Memphis Commercial Appeal
Originally published 01:59 p.m., June 10, 2008
Updated 10:02 p.m., June 10, 2008
Miami schools executive Dr. Kriner Cash said he will work tirelessly in his new role as Memphis City Schools superintendent to make the school district a global force in education and restore public confidence locally.
The Florida educator was picked unanimously Tuesday night by the Memphis Board of Education in a short meeting.
Dr. Kriner Cash was selected as the next superintendent of Memphis City Schools.
"We will work together to uplift this city's children and give them new hope for the future," he said in a conference call after the board's vote. "Every child is entitled to a high-quality education that prepares them to compete in a global economy."
Cash, 53, was chosen after a four-month national search conducted by Iowa-based firm Ray and Associates.
He served as superintendent of Martha's Vineyard (Mass.) Public Schools from 1995 to 2004 before joining Miami-Dade County (Fla.) Public Schools as its chief of accountability and systemwide performance.
He was selected over a fellow Florida school official, Nicholas Gledich of Orange County Public Schools in Orlando. They were among five finalists selected by Ray and Associates.
Board members said that while they believed both men could do the job, they felt that Cash's passion and the community's warm reception to him made him the right man for the job.
"I do think that our community has exhibited a tremendous amount of confidence in Dr. Cash," said board member Betty Mallott. "Many people in our community believe he is the one who can turn our school district around."
Cash accepted the job Tuesday night pending the negotiation of a contract and is expected to start July 1.
He was scheduled to interview with Cincinnati Public Schools today, but said he didn't feel a need to do so after hearing unequivocal support from Memphis board members.
Tennessee's largest school district has been without a permanent leader since former superintendent Carol Johnson left to take the helm of Boston Public Schools last fall.
The past year has been a harsh year for all involved with Memphis City Schools, as the district has faced operational scandals that have led to federal investigations and school violence that garnered national attention.
Cash said he would want to see the district have its own police force, something he has found effective in Miami.
The school-based officers would not only intervene when there is a problem, but they would also build relationships with students as part of a preventative program.
His immediate plans include working with the board to create a 90-day entry plan he has already started writing and building a districtwide accountability plan that he said would set clear expectations for everyone.
Veteran school board member Patrice Robinson said she was excited about Cash's plans to bring a comprehensive accountability system to the district, something she said she has been waiting for since she was elected to the board in 2000.
"I'm excited," she said. "It's like a weight off our shoulders. I believe we are ready for the next chapter in the life of Memphis City Schools."
Cash said he wasn't concerned about the recent cut of nearly $70 million from the district's budget by the Memphis City Council. It presents an opportunity for the district to take a closer look at what it does and to find efficiencies that make the system better, he said.
And, he said, he plans to work with business leaders to get the district all the support it needs.
"A new day is dawning for Memphis City Schools," an emotional Cash said. "Starting today, the sun is going to shine for the whole world to see on the mighty bluff of Tennessee."
What's Next
Now that Cash has been selected, the district will negotiate a contract with him. Board members and Cash said Tuesday they want to get the contract settled "as soon as possible" to get him on the job by July 1.
Dr. Kriner Cash
Age: 53
Current position: Chief of accountability and systemwide performance for Miami-Dade County (Fla.) Public Schools
Current salary: $188,908
Education: Bachelor's degree in political science, Princeton, 1977; master's in administration and policy, Stanford, 1978; doctorate of education, University of Massachusetts, 1991
Previous positions: Department chairman and assistant professor, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, 1983-91; associate dean and assistant professor, Howard University, 1993-95; superintendent, Martha's Vineyard (Mass.) Public Schools, 1995-2004
Personal: Married with three grown sons
I heard Bobby Ojay putting him down this morning, saying the job was no big deal.I wasn't surprised to hear him talk that way. He is just hating.Though he is paid a lot of money for doing practically nothing. He doesn't want to see anybody else receive the same blessing.
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