COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Columbus City Schools have tapped the outgoing head of the Westerville district to serve as their interim superintendent.
School board members voted last night to hire retiring Westerville superintendent James Daniel Good as to lead the Columbus schools for one year, while the board looks for permanent replacement for Dr. Gene Harris, who is retiring Friday.
The decision came on the same day as a vote by state lawmakers that sent an overhaul of the Columbus schools to Governor Kasich’s desk.
The Ohio House last night approved the Senate-backed measure which calls for a levy on the November ballot and the appointment of an independent auditor to review the district’s operations in the wake of a data-scrubbing scandal.
“I am grateful for all the hard work and dedication not only of the members of the legislature who fine-tuned this important proposal, but also of the interested parties who assisted us with this effort Providing Columbus’ students with a good education and keeping our schools accountable are two objectives [that] will pay off in the long run,” said Rep. Cheryl Grossman (R-Grove City), who sponsored the measure.
The bill, which incorporates recommendations from the Columbus Education Commission, also allows city-sponsored charter schools and the sharing of tax dollars with charter schools.
The bill authorizes the placement of an issue on the November ballot to create the Office of the Independent Auditor, which would review district reports and data, conduct internal investigations of suspected fraud or illegal acts. The auditor would also be responsible for ensuring that student performance and enrollment data are accurately reported.
Permit sharing of levy proceeds with community schools that partner with the district.
Permit the mayor of eligible communities to sponsor community schools with the approval of city council.
The Senate included amendments to clarify when and how funds would be distributed to partnering community schools and to require the mayor to establish standards of quality for community schools he sponsors.
Good has been the superintendent of Westerville City Schools for the past six years, and was superintendent of Wooster City Schools for four years.
Prior to that, Dr. Good worked for the Ohio Department of Education in various capacities, including Chief of Improvement Services and Executive Director of the Center for Curriculum and Assessment.
The committee appointed to decide the amount of the levy meets for the final time tonight.