New Superintendent Dobbins
May 20 2023
For a
number of reasons, edumacation has been on a down hill slide
for many years in Clayberry. In May 2023, the local school
system voted in a fresh start with the naming of a new School
Superintendent.
Item 21 on the May 8th meeting of the School Board was the hiring of Phil Dobbins as the new School Superintendent. The vote on the three year contract was unanimous. Dobbins will take his new perch July 1st, the start of the new financial year.
Dobbins has served as a CCHS teacher and Principal. The guy is well thought of as a leader. Back in early early 2022, Dobbins was one of the leaders that helped oust a CCHS Principal during a "coup".
The previous Superintendent, ole what's his name, was voted off the island in Nov '22 with Asst Superintendent Joan Haynie filling the vacancy.
Let's talk about Joan Haynie and the bundle of a mess she has had to wade thru during her last 6 months as Super. When ole what's his name was tossed from his contract, State leaders came in and found a bunch of discrepancies within the Pentagon. After an in depth investigation, those Charleston Suits issued mandates that had to be lived up to under the fear that the entire school system could be taken over by the State Bd of Ed. It was Haynie that took those words seriously and started the heavy lift
When such take overs happen, outsiders run the local schools leaving the elected Board with few duties other than selecting which color crayons to buy.
Haynie had her hands full as she went thru the business of correcting the dirty work not often mentioned during public meetings. In addition to serious backroom paperwork issues, Haynie had to handle downsizing the school system as our student population continues to dwindle. The issue of cutting employees and at least one, probably two schools, became public.
Those two schools, H E White and Lizemores Elementary schools, it got thorny real quick. Using her most sincere messaging, Haynie went to work making the cuts. It didn't go so well. Parents and employees alike spoke out during cold weather Board meetings and stopped the two closings for now.
Whomever was advising Ms Haynie on closing two schools at once and on an emergency basis, that advisor did a pee poor job, we would print doing a piss poor job except, we don't use potty mouth in articles.
Item 21 on the May 8th meeting of the School Board was the hiring of Phil Dobbins as the new School Superintendent. The vote on the three year contract was unanimous. Dobbins will take his new perch July 1st, the start of the new financial year.
Dobbins has served as a CCHS teacher and Principal. The guy is well thought of as a leader. Back in early early 2022, Dobbins was one of the leaders that helped oust a CCHS Principal during a "coup".
The previous Superintendent, ole what's his name, was voted off the island in Nov '22 with Asst Superintendent Joan Haynie filling the vacancy.
Let's talk about Joan Haynie and the bundle of a mess she has had to wade thru during her last 6 months as Super. When ole what's his name was tossed from his contract, State leaders came in and found a bunch of discrepancies within the Pentagon. After an in depth investigation, those Charleston Suits issued mandates that had to be lived up to under the fear that the entire school system could be taken over by the State Bd of Ed. It was Haynie that took those words seriously and started the heavy lift
When such take overs happen, outsiders run the local schools leaving the elected Board with few duties other than selecting which color crayons to buy.
Haynie had her hands full as she went thru the business of correcting the dirty work not often mentioned during public meetings. In addition to serious backroom paperwork issues, Haynie had to handle downsizing the school system as our student population continues to dwindle. The issue of cutting employees and at least one, probably two schools, became public.
Those two schools, H E White and Lizemores Elementary schools, it got thorny real quick. Using her most sincere messaging, Haynie went to work making the cuts. It didn't go so well. Parents and employees alike spoke out during cold weather Board meetings and stopped the two closings for now.
Whomever was advising Ms Haynie on closing two schools at once and on an emergency basis, that advisor did a pee poor job, we would print doing a piss poor job except, we don't use potty mouth in articles.
Phil Dobbins, New Superintendent Named
It's going to
take more than just a new Super to return edumacation to the
area classrooms. Voters went to work making corrections by
voting out of office three long time Boardsters, Dave Mullins,
Morgy Triplett and Cheryl White, last Spring. With fresh
voices Brooke Jone, Lo Nutter and Phoebe Nichols running the
show, they set to making change including the Superintendent
removal vote last Nov.
That helped a bunch with local administrators thinking, crap!, if they can remove the top dog, they might get me next.
That new Board brought a fresh voice to leadership. Things changed.
One we noticed was, the bitterness of Board Chair Dave Mullins, he,it were gone. Mullins went thru a metamorphosis during the last 24 months in office and not in a good. His bitterness, loss of control etc. continues today.
Example, as a matter of fact, just this past week, last Wed., Dave was driving on Triplett Ridge heading toward Town and flipped the bird at the Ace Cub Reporter. You know, the one finger salute.
For that reporter lad, it was so refreshing to know, Dave Mullins still has us on his mind!
As what we started with, the new Super Super Dobbins has a whole host of other foundations blocks to get in order. Picking his own Pentagon team to compliments the changes he has to make and making Pentagon reductions, those are tough to do and will take a little time.
While Ms Haynie has got the scaling down items underway, about as soon as he takes his new desk, the process of closing two grade schools, that has to get started. Parents are going to be perturbed big time.
Then there's the parents themselves. We use that "parent" term lightly. The buck stops at the Super Super even when the lazy arss parent phones in with "I can't do a thing with Bubba, he's all yours, you take care of him!"
Couple all that with the State Ed folks breathing down in neck, teachers crying over employee cutbacks, the real need to double up job duties for those working in the Pentagon, and Clay Elem top loaded with administrators while barrelling down to some of the worst test scores in the State, good luck Phil Dobbins, you're going to need it.
AW
That helped a bunch with local administrators thinking, crap!, if they can remove the top dog, they might get me next.
That new Board brought a fresh voice to leadership. Things changed.
One we noticed was, the bitterness of Board Chair Dave Mullins, he,it were gone. Mullins went thru a metamorphosis during the last 24 months in office and not in a good. His bitterness, loss of control etc. continues today.
Example, as a matter of fact, just this past week, last Wed., Dave was driving on Triplett Ridge heading toward Town and flipped the bird at the Ace Cub Reporter. You know, the one finger salute.
For that reporter lad, it was so refreshing to know, Dave Mullins still has us on his mind!
As what we started with, the new Super Super Dobbins has a whole host of other foundations blocks to get in order. Picking his own Pentagon team to compliments the changes he has to make and making Pentagon reductions, those are tough to do and will take a little time.
While Ms Haynie has got the scaling down items underway, about as soon as he takes his new desk, the process of closing two grade schools, that has to get started. Parents are going to be perturbed big time.
Then there's the parents themselves. We use that "parent" term lightly. The buck stops at the Super Super even when the lazy arss parent phones in with "I can't do a thing with Bubba, he's all yours, you take care of him!"
Couple all that with the State Ed folks breathing down in neck, teachers crying over employee cutbacks, the real need to double up job duties for those working in the Pentagon, and Clay Elem top loaded with administrators while barrelling down to some of the worst test scores in the State, good luck Phil Dobbins, you're going to need it.
AW
file photo