‘I am going to do my job'
‘I am going to do my job'
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8
By Wendy K. Kleinman
Published: January 6, 2008
Oklahoma City Public Schools Superintendent John Porter won't be leaving the district anytime soon if he has his way, despite the fact that the school board is expected to discuss whether to suspend or fire him at a Monday morning meeting.
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What are the accusations?
Porter addressed two main allegations in his letter, both of which he said are false.
One is that he circumvented the bidding process to buy Wireless Generation, a computer program to help children learn to read.
He wrote, "I understood that we followed the very same selection process used by the Oklahoma State Department of Education,” which he said has approved the use of the program.
Porter also addressed allegations that he sought reimbursement for questionable travel expenses, although the letter did not specify which expenses have been scrutinized.
"I can state strongly and without equivocation that I had no intention of seeking any improper reimbursement for any expenditure,” Porter said in the letter. "It's wrong and I simply would not do it.”
Hudson told The Oklahoman he would prefer to discuss issues privately with Porter.
Hudson said, however, that financial integrity and accountability are important to the board, especially because the district did not have clean books from the 1990s through the early part of this decade.
Hudson also said the investigation deals with more than finances. He would not elaborate on other concerns.
"I am hoping and expecting that John will be there at 8 o'clock Monday morning. The communication that he's having with you, with the newspaper now, is the type of communication we asked for him to have with the board two to three weeks ago, and he has yet to do so,” Hudson said.
What else did Porter say?
In the letter, Porter maintains that Hudson has tried to sabotage his leadership but states that they still have to work together to improve students' academic performance.
Change will be the key, he said.
"The board chairman has engaged in an effort to undermine my leadership and to make it very difficult to do the job I came here to do for our kids. The board chairman's comments to me have been belittling, disrespectful and very, very hurtful and disappointing,” Porter wrote.
Tension between executives and oversight boards is natural, Hudson said.
"I'm not surprised that he (Porter) would consider the board's review of this as being a problem for him, but the board is doing its job,” he said.
Still, Porter's letter continues: "I hope that the board chairman and I can put this behind us and get on with the business at hand. I have a great deal of respect for him: he has done a lot for the Oklahoma City Public Schools, giving his time and energy to help children.
"Working together, we can get this job done.”
Hudson said they are not at a point where things can simply be put behind them.
"I think that the first thing that has to happen is John needs to sit down with the board and talk through the concerns that have been raised with him, and really until that happens, there's no second step to go to,” he said.
What's next?
Porter will hold a news conference today after returning to Oklahoma from vacation, Abbott said. As of Saturday evening, a time and place had not been set.
The school board will meet at 8 a.m. Monday at the school district's administration building, 900 N Klein.
Related Topics:
Politics, Local Politics
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Because of the mistakes by the school board; and the mistakes by the superintendent, he will pay the money back for unallowed expenditures. Worked out his contract; and not expect to be hired the next school year.
If the Oklahoma City school board hire a superintendent outside of Oklahoma, they should add one month to his contract for familiarizing himself with Oklahoma school law. You don't need any excuses, they are not lawful anyway.
CP.Boley