Who is on Thomas Taylor’s transition team?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did McKnight or Felder have transition teams?

McKnight had a permanent team of community advisors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did McKnight or Felder have transition teams?

McKnight had a permanent team of community advisors.

That's not what I would call a transition team.

[Anonymous]

McKnight was already Smith's deputy since 2019, then acting superintendent, then interim superintendent. By the time she became permanent superintendent, she had already hired all her middle school principal friends into the new chief positions she created.

[Anonymous]

Since when does a new superintendent have a transition team? This isn't the presidency with an entirely new administrative structure to create.

Dr. Taylor is dependent on the staff in the superintendent's office bringing him up to speed on current processes and issues. Yes, of course that is somewhat problematic. I think the most important thing for him to do this summer is to talk to as many people in central office, the board members, and the principals in order to get a real sense of what is actually going on and what the actual priorities are. As long as he isn't doing a "listen & learn" tour for an entire year (Starr, Smith) and starts to work on some back office clean-up and really questions things during the next budget cycle, I think that's a good start for his first year.

[Anonymous]

Here's a write-up on Taylor's contract, as compared with McKnight's

https://montgomeryperspective.com/2024/07/09/thomas-taylors-employment-contract/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Since when does a new superintendent have a transition team? This isn't the presidency with an entirely new administrative structure to create.

Dr. Taylor is dependent on the staff in the superintendent's office bringing him up to speed on current processes and issues. Yes, of course that is somewhat problematic. I think the most important thing for him to do this summer is to talk to as many people in central office, the board members, and the principals in order to get a real sense of what is actually going on and what the actual priorities are. As long as he isn't doing a "listen & learn" tour for an entire year (Starr, Smith) and starts to work on some back office clean-up and really questions things during the next budget cycle, I think that's a good start for his first year.

If you or he thinks that’s going to clear the bar for year one, you’re in for a rude awakening. The Strategic plan is coming up on its third and final year so needs updates and a new plan created, there is a ES ELA implementation that needs to go well, a MS revamp/RFP that needs to go great, a HS math RFP that needs to have a great outcome, several pieces of the HCM project that are still on going and need to be realized, trust built with a lot of people and groups who don’t all agree with how things played out this year, a Blueprint implementation, and budget that is still going to be under fire that is starting now. And school just started for the Innovative calendar schools.

The MCPS Super job is Trial by Fire, Sink or Swim, Drinking from a Firehouse, whatever metaphor you like. Its laughable that you think asking some question during the budget cycle would be enough, especially after this past year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nah, he's been on the job for 5 business days with his first week being a holiday week. He also doesn't have a COO and there are a bunch of other leadership transitions happening. I suspect he is filling his schedule meeting Central Office department leads, key people in county government, union leadership, parent groups, and other special interests. Next week will be his first board meeting as superintendent so that's worth watching. I'm not judging yet.

He is not meeting with all those groups.[/quote

Agree, he's putting on a show. He will not meet with our group for a nother two weeks. Not impressed at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here's a write-up on Taylor's contract, as compared with McKnight's

https://montgomeryperspective.com/2024/07/09/thomas-taylors-employment-contract/

He did very well for himself. Paying for his housing for 6 months while shutting down programs and not giving school what they need speaks volumes of the BOE and Taylor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nah, he's been on the job for 5 business days with his first week being a holiday week. He also doesn't have a COO and there are a bunch of other leadership transitions happening. I suspect he is filling his schedule meeting Central Office department leads, key people in county government, union leadership, parent groups, and other special interests. Next week will be his first board meeting as superintendent so that's worth watching. I'm not judging yet.

He is not meeting with all those groups.

Agree, he's putting on a show. He will not meet with our group for a nother two weeks. Not impressed at all.

So he's meeting with your group within his first few weeks on the job. And you're complaining about that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Can you give the guy like ten days? People are nuts.

Do you know what a transition team is for?

Yes, transition teams do what the name suggests - help the Super with his transition into the role and distract. They help advise on past, current and future decisions in the best interest of the district. Not all members of a transition team need to be MCPS. Outsiders also serve on the team to give unbiased advice.

Most Supers have a team. To respond to another poster, Dr. Felder did not need a transition team as a 4 month Interim.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That is the question

The cast of Home Improvement?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nah, he's been on the job for 5 business days with his first week being a holiday week. He also doesn't have a COO and there are a bunch of other leadership transitions happening. I suspect he is filling his schedule meeting Central Office department leads, key people in county government, union leadership, parent groups, and other special interests. Next week will be his first board meeting as superintendent so that's worth watching. I'm not judging yet.

He is not meeting with all those groups.

Agree, he's putting on a show. He will not meet with our group for a nother two weeks. Not impressed at all.

So he's meeting with your group within his first few weeks on the job. And you're complaining about that?

What do you expect from these uberkarens?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nah, he's been on the job for 5 business days with his first week being a holiday week. He also doesn't have a COO and there are a bunch of other leadership transitions happening. I suspect he is filling his schedule meeting Central Office department leads, key people in county government, union leadership, parent groups, and other special interests. Next week will be his first board meeting as superintendent so that's worth watching. I'm not judging yet.

He is not meeting with all those groups.

Agree, he's putting on a show. He will not meet with our group for a nother two weeks. Not impressed at all.

So he's meeting with your group within his first few weeks on the job. And you're complaining about that?

Yes, when they shut down kids school, and school starts soon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nah, he's been on the job for 5 business days with his first week being a holiday week. He also doesn't have a COO and there are a bunch of other leadership transitions happening. I suspect he is filling his schedule meeting Central Office department leads, key people in county government, union leadership, parent groups, and other special interests. Next week will be his first board meeting as superintendent so that's worth watching. I'm not judging yet.

He is not meeting with all those groups.

Agree, he's putting on a show. He will not meet with our group for a nother two weeks. Not impressed at all.

So he's meeting with your group within his first few weeks on the job. And you're complaining about that?

What do you expect from these uberkarens?

Are parents supposed to care about their children and be involved in education or not?

Which is it? You call them names either way.

[Anonymous]

It's just nice to have someone in the job who doesn't feel like they need a hair and makeup crew before all their photoshoots, I mean school visits. He's taking pictures at schools but he's actually engaging with kids, staff, and families. I bet he wouldn't make an entire school community wait for him to arrive for a press conference to reuinte them with their families after a shooting.