Jim Clark: Is Heath Morrison's glitter wearing off? | TahoeBonanza.com

Checking in on a former MCPS administrator, now a superintendent in Nevada. Commentary from Tahoe Bonanza.com

Jim Clark: Is Heath Morrison's glitter wearing off? | TahoeBonanza.com

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — The glitter is beginning to wear off our many-degreed new superintendent of schools. Readers of the Bonanza know all too well about the recent battle that raged amongst Incline/Crystal Bay citizens over the proposed International Baccalaureate program for our schools. Dr. Morrison's position was if locals could raise $150,000 the school district would staff the program. Because of controversy, only $85,000 was raised.

Morrison's response was to call a town meeting at the Incline High auditorium and announce that IB would be offered only in the 11th and 12th grades. He then appointed a “Great Schools Committee” consisting only of educators (and later a few parents) which announced it was going to meet in secret and make recommendations for Incline schools. Public outcry ended the secret deliberations. Morrison then demanded the local nonprofit turn over the $85,000; he also ordered a survey which was sent only to parents, thereby disenfranchising the rest of the community. Then, before the “Great Schools Committee” even came up with its findings, Morrison canceled even the 2 grades of IB. The community is sharply divided over these autocratic antics and many who donated generously towards IB feel they got the short end of the stick...

...Sandoval is too much of a gentleman to criticize a critic, but some of the legislators at the GOP meeting were aghast at Morrison “stabbing the governor in the back.” There was also conjecture about why a superintendent of schools would advocate taking teacher salary funds and using them for school renovations when enrollment is declining. And if he would have had to lay off 5,000 teachers who would use the proposed classrooms? Finally why would Morrison publicly side with Democrats in a meaningless political PR battle where everyone knew up front that the Democrats were going to lose?...

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