ERIK SANZENBACH / L’Observateur / July 14, 1999

RESERVE- St. John the Baptist Parish Schools Superintendent ChrisDonaldson unveiled his new organizational plan for the school system at a special school board meeting Monday night. With a 9-0 vote, the St. JohnSchool Board unanimously accepted Donaldson’s plan.

Saying that the plan “focuses on school accountability, personnel accountability, school safety and discipline issues and fiscal responsibility,” Donaldson stressed that the plan, put together over several months with a team of school administrators, will build an effective education team and improve student achievement.

The centerpiece of his plan is the elimination of the post of Associate Superintendent of Curriculum. He will replace this with two positions:Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum Administration and Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction.

The reason for this, Donaldson said, “is the many changes coming from the state on school accountability and the pressure of high-stakes testing.”The Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum Administration will oversee the Director Human Resources, Title 1, Child Welfare and Attendance, Safe and Drug Free Schools program and the Technology Coordinator. TheAssistant Superintendent will also supervise the principals of Fifth Ward Elementary, Glade, LaPlace Elementary and Leon Godchaux Junior High.

Donaldson recommended Herbert Smith for the position. Smith used to beDirector of Title 1, a position that will now be given to Precious Joseph.

The Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum Instruction will oversee the Directors of Special Education, Headstart and Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education and will supervise the principals of East St. JohnElementary, West St. John Elementary, Garyville Magnet and John L. OryElementary. Donaldson recommended Wilbert Ocmond for the post.All the financial departments will answer directly to Donaldson. The neworganizational plan calls for the elimination of the Executive Manager of Finances, replacing it with Director of Finance to be headed by Nathan Stein and Director of Business Operations to be led by Felix Boughton. TheDirector of Child Nutrition will also be under Donaldson.

One brand new office created by Donaldson will be the Hearing Officer.

This position will be responsible for all expulsion hearing, investigating complaints and monitoring all application of the Code of Student Discipline.

Donaldson created this new post in order to let Supervisor of Child Welfare and Attendance, Barbara Falgout, get on with her job as truant officer.

“Ms. Falgout could not do her job because she was spending all her time onexpulsion hearings,” Donaldson explained. “We had over 300 hearings lastyear. The hearing officer will also be my representative at all thesehearings.” Donaldson plans to go outside the system to hire the hearing officer.

Other changes approved include the Technical Facilitator being moved up to Technology Coordinator. Robert Brown will retain his job in this areabut will now be in charge of all system computer programmers and repair technicians.

The Coordinator of Safe and Drug Free Schools has been moved up to supervisor. Elton Oubre will not only be responsible for creating a drug-free environment in the schools, but he will also draw up a master crises plan for the entire system, head up a crises response team and take care of school security.

Josie Clement will be promoted to Director of Headstart and Early Childhood and will be principal at the St. John Child Development Center.On the school level, there are also some changes: At West St. John High School, Glenda Gaudet will be acting principal andShiela Louper will be assistant principal.

Leon Godchaux Junior High School will welcome Grady Hall as its new principal and Ken Landry as assistant principal.

Jackie Forest will take over as principal at Fifth Ward Elementary School and Lydia Bazile will be assistant principal.

At Glade School, Robert Schaff will be the new acting principal, Perry DiCarlo will be new assistant principal and Stephanie Waters will take over as acting assistant principal.

All in all, Donaldson’s new organization will eliminate 11 positions and create seven new ones, for an overall savings to the school system of $133,120.

The two new Assistant Superintendent posts will each receive an approximate salary of $65,000, and the brand-new hearings officer slot will be paid $35,556.

Donaldson is very pleased with the plan. “I have more people, and I can getmore done,” he said.

The amazing thing is that with the elimination of eleven jobs, Donaldson did not have to fire or lay-off a single person.

When asked about this feat, he responded, “I have learned that you have to change people instead of getting rid of them.”Most of the School Board was pleased with the plan.

Board member Patrick Sanders commented, “I’m going to support the plan,” and then warned, “but I will hold the superintendent accountable.”The rest of the board echoed the sentiments of board member Felix LeBoeuf, who said, “Well, you got to give him a chance, but I think that now we have a winning team.”Two School Board members, C. J. Watkins and Matthew Ory, were notpresent at the meeting.

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