“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Arthur Culver, the newly installed East St. Louis school superintendent, has a made an impressive entrance and seems to be a breath of fresh air for a school district which has consistently underperformed, been mired in controversy over its finances and has consistently been a bastion of nepotism and cronyism.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The jury is still out, but if Culver walks the talk then he just might be what the doctor ordered for a school district that has, literally, been on academic life support for decades.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The first thing that impresses me about Culver is his track record. As superintendent of Champaign (IL) Community School District 4 for nine years, he improved academic test scores, attendance and graduation rates for African-American students.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Being raised by a single mother in Muskegon Heights, Michigan with nine siblings, he understands the significance and necessity of receiving a solid education.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>More importantly, judging from his public statements, he seems to have a keen understanding of the political and educational landscape of “East Boogie.” Using a line from an old Colt 45 malt liquor commercial, Culver has cautioned his opponents “Don’t let the smooth taste fool you.” You’ve got to love a guy who interjects a little Billy Dee Williams swagger into his game plan.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>But, given his vision, it’s a fitting slogan. Culver has stated that he realizes that he won’t win any popularity contests, that he has no tolerance for ineffective employees and that some people are going to be fired, asked to leave or laid off due to budgetary restrictions.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Culver is also bringing in some of the managers who helped him to be successful in his previous position. That’s a smart man, particularly given the cesspool of snakes and operatives at District 189 who are more beholden to current School Board President Lonzo Greenwood than to Culver.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Bringing in his own team, his own confidantes whom he trusts, is to be expected by any competent manager.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Besides, Lonzo Greenwood now has ZERO power since the ESL school district ceded control to the Illinois State Board of Education back in May. Culver virtually has carte blanche through the state board to move ESL in a positive direction without the politics and meddling of Greenwood and the gang.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>On my most recent radio show, current school board member Carl E. Officer was extremely complimentary of Culver’s educational background and achievements and felt confident that with the state oversight in place that the children of ESL now have a real opportunity at achieving a quality education.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Also during my show, former oversight chair Richard Mark spoke of the significance of Culver’s having the opportunity to change both the curriculum and the fiscal practices of the district as opposed to his oversight of the district in which he only had control of the budget and not the academic standards of ESL schools.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>So, thus far, Culver gets an “A” for hitting the ground running and for not being naïve enough to let the ESL politicians bamboozle him.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Hopefully, at some point I can get Culver on my radio show for a more detailed description of his vision.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>But a word of warning to the new superintendent. District 189 needs a thorough and intense housecleaning, from the administrative level to the principals and teachers to several of the current school board members who are vested in maintaining the status quo.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Their expertise is riding out the oversight (they’ve done it before) and, then, return to the same nepotism and cronyism which plagues the district to this day.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>I hope that Culver’s expertise (in addition to academics) is eliminating the bloodsuckers and sycophants who have robbed the children of ESL of a quality education for decades while, concurrently, hooking-up themselves, their families and their cronies.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Good luck, Arthur Culver.
“font-size: 9.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>NOTE: If you like my column you’ll love my radio show. Please listen/ call in each Friday from 7-8pm on WGNU-920am. I’d love to talk to all of my readers. Email:
“mailto:jtingram_1960@yahoo.com”>
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