Sad Sack with a beard and a bit about the Superintendent Search

I discovered a sad sack with a beard in Alanna Oswald’s Alanna Oswald for School Board Facebook Page. (Its in the photo section) Its worth noting that even thirty some years ago he recognized that Alanna was too smart for him.

I also noticed that Alanna commented about one of her colleagues on the School Board who seems to think that she is angling to be the new Superintendent going so far as to tell a reporter, apparently in all seriousness, that this was the case. Here’s what Alanna wrote:

I received a message from a reporter today. It seems one of my school board colleague’s informed the reporter that I desired to be the next Superintendent of Duluth Public Schools. I can unequivocally say NO—That is completely untrue! I do not want to be Superintendent of ANY school district, nor am I qualified or licensed to have such a position. #weirdthingsyoudealwithinanelection

Harry Welty wrote in reply:

Heck, I know one of your colleagues who loves to be the Super’s sidekick. If you were Super you too could have a sidekick.

I went to the Superintendent Search Session myself last night. I had a pleasant chat with the presenter from the Minnesota School Board Association, Sandy Gundlach. I got to know her from many gatherings over the recent four years I served on the School Board. I’ve been through one Superintendent Search myself and watched three others from the sidelines so I’m pretty familiar with the drill. Still, it was a good refresher.

The Duluth News Trib’s new education reporter, Adelle Whitefoot, did a creditable job spelling out the process in her story today.

Rosie Loeffler Kemp who shot me a dirty look when I passed a question to Board member Nora Sandstad during the presentation was intent on getting as much media attention as she could. This was despite the fact that she is not a candidate herself this year…….however, her former Campaign Chair, Professor Schwetman, is a school board candidate. At the recent AFL CIO Labor interview the Professor was quick to explain that he had also been Board member David Kirby’s campaign chairman. Cozy little group.

At the start of the meeting Rosie was standing four square in front of a television camera and at the end she parked herself in front of Reporter Whitefoot to make sure she could get her two-cents and name in today’s Tribune. She succeeded. I’m sorry I missed the news on KBJR last night.

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