School Board Meets With Potential New Leader

The Tulsa School Board interviewed a man interested in the superintendent job on Friday in a closed door meeting and the way he was interviewed has some parents upset. News On 6 education reporter Ashli Sims got a chance to sit down with Dr. Keith Ballard and pick his brain on education, TPS specifically, plus the challenges that lay ahead.

One Tulsa mom says she wished her and other parents had that same opportunity.

The classroom is where Dr. Keith Ballard started his education career more than three decades ago. And that's the place that he says makes or breaks a school district.

"You better go talk to teachers. You better say what it feels like. Because when the door happens, that's where instruction happens. And you better be very, very focused on the classroom teachers and meeting those needs. And making them feel worthy and apart of the process," said Dr. Ballard.

The Tulsa School Board is interviewing Dr. Ballard to take over TPS, when Dr. Michael Zolkoski leaves in October.

One TPS mother of three says she doesn't object to Ballard, but how the board is going about the search.

"For the school board to go in and do this process by themselves without asking for parent involvement or parent input is just not right," said Karen Gilbert of the Tulsa Council of PTA's.

School board president Gary Percefull says they've always had closed door meetings with candidates. But two years ago, parents did get to meet and question Zolkoski. Percefull says that was to introduce the, then Texas resident, to Tulsa.

"Dr Ballard doesn't need to be introduced to the Tulsa community; he's lived in Claremore for 18 years. And he's very familiar with the Tulsa metro and TPS, specifically," said Percefull.

As executive director of the Oklahoma State School Boards Association, Dr. Ballard trained Percefull and the rest of the board. Ballard has 14 years of experience as a superintendent, but in districts a fraction of the size of TPS.

"Leadership is leadership. Of course there are challenges that I haven't seen, but being in the superintendency helped to prepare me for those challenges. And really my stint at OSSBA was huge in preparing me for this," said Dr. Ballard

Ballard says TPS is making strides by raising test scores and meeting state benchmarks. But this administrator turned policy maker is truly a teacher at heart and he says that's where the district needs to focus to succeed.

"The key ingredient to all of this, the classroom teacher," said Dr. Ballard. "We would need to be very focused on the recruitment, professional development, and the support. And making sure they're the very finest teachers possible."

The board is scheduled to vote on whether to offer Dr. Ballard on August 4th.

Related stories:

7/16/2008  Talks Continue With Possible TPS Superintendent

7/15/2008  Possible TPS Superintendent Replacement