THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, November 11, 1994 TAG: 9411100205
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: Medium: 52 lines
C.Fred Bateman has been so closely associated with Chesapeake Public Schools for such a long time that it's hard to imagine one without the other.
Dr. Bateman's announcement that he will step down next summer as superintendent caught most Chesapeake citizens flat-footed. They had come to take his quiet, competent leadership for granted, realizing that the city's reputation for quality schools is due in great measure to his skill as an administrator.
He will join the faculty of Old Dominion University as a distinguished educator in residence, a new position that will give him an opportunity to share his vision for public education with others through teaching and writing. The university is fortunate to have him. We wish him the best in his new endeavor.
The timing of Dr. Bateman's decision, though, causes some concern.
Last year, voters asserted their right to choose members of the local school board directly, through popular election. Concerns of the U.S. Justice Department that the city's at-large voting system might dilute the influence of minority voters has delayed the first school board election. The city has challenged federal authorities on the issue, and it is unlikely that the matter can be resolved any time soon.
It's possible, even probable, that an appointed school board will still be in place through next July, when Dr. Bateman takes his leave.
The single most important decision affecting the operation of a school system is the choice of its top administrator. It's no exaggeration to say that the selection of Dr. Bateman's successor will set the course for the future of Chesapeake Schools.
Such a momentous decision shouldn't be made by a lame-duck appointed school board during the final days of its incumbency. It should be made by the new board, elected by the voters and directly accountable to them.
Indeed, it was because they wanted to be a part of such decisions affecting their schools that the people demanded elected boards in the first place.
Should circumstances make it necessary to replace Dr. Bateman before the first elected school board takes office, the present board should consider appointing an interim superintendent who would serve only until the transfer of authority approved by the voters last year can take effect.
From the first day on the job, the new superintendent should know he or she has the confidence, not just of a few political appointees, but of the people. by CNB