Albion School Board withdraws offer, re-extends it to interim superintendent in span of five minutes

Amidst a sea of passionate debate amongst locals the Albion School Board has decided to enter contract negotiations with Bobbi Morehead to become it’s interim superintendent for a second time.

But the former principal is not yet publicly addressing several issues that have created apprehension among several board members and a section of community members that remain adamant that Albion native Maurice Ware is a better candidate.

“(Morehead) texted me back earlier today and informed me she is not making any comments until she has signed a contract to be our interim superintendent,” school board President Dan Skean said. “She is excited and enthusiastic about working with us but she has decided to wait to speak until she signs on the line.”

In the span of five minutes Tuesday the school board withdrew the offer of the interim superintendent job they extended to the former W.K. Kellogg Middle School principal last week and then elected to offer it to her again via the same 4-3 vote that took place July 12.

The board re-visited its initial vote after board members Shawnette Spicer and Sonya Brown suggested Skean had not adequately provided them with all of the necessary information to make “an educated and concerned decision” in the selection process.

Spicer, Brown and board member Ruth Valdes also voiced concern about how Morehead handled a particular alleged sexual assault of a former teacher-aide that occurred in the summer of 2010 at W.K. Kellogg Middle School when she was principal.

Seth Graves, a detective with the Emmett Township Department of Public Safety investigating the alleged sexual assault, said he had no evidence Morehead knew of, and didn’t report, the alleged relationship between the employee and student, according to a report in the Battle Creek Enquirer.

Morehead did not return repeated calls and e-mails Wednesday after indicating through a text message she would answer questions via e-mail.

Skean said the incident dissolved with Morehead receiving the “only verbal reprimand on her record” by her superintendent and if board members had asked he would have shared with them more information on the candidates.

Brown said Ware had no reprimands in his personnel file and she believes he would be better at harvesting community relationships.

“The people out there tonight have voiced their choice (in supporting Ware), now it’s time for us to listen,” Brown said before the board re-selected Morehead.

Albion resident Joe Jackson said the board missed an opportunity to “right a wrong” by selecting Ware as its interim superintendent. Once the vote was taken in support of Morehead, a majority of the more than 60 people present groaned collectively and exited the boardroom.

“Your community is not happy about who was elected as the temporary superintendent — I don’t know if you’ve discovered that or not,” Jackson said.

Board member Al Pheley said he knows some people doubt Morehead but he’s heard a lot of positive feedback from people in the community “that it was a tough choice to make, but it was the right one for their situation.”

She had a strong record of achieving Adequate Yearly Progress standards at W.K. Kellogg and has been described by former co-workers as a “change agent.”

Board member Ruth Valdes, who supported Ware, said more than 40 years of teaching experience lead her to believe that Morehead has an uphill battle ahead of her.

“From talking with teachers at the high school, while I can’t speak for them, I can say they would have voted for him…and they know he has a special gift with people — children as well as adults.” she said. “Dr. Morehead is walking into a situation where a lot of people are very heart broken and that cannot be denied.”
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An update to the story published in the Jackson Citizen Patriot on July 20, 2011