Superintendent to spend more face time with board

Lawrence Schools Supt. Randy Weseman’s most recent annual job evaluation included criticism that he wasn’t communicating effectively with all school board members.

To address the complaint, Weseman will begin regular private meetings with members of the board. He’ll sit down with two members each Thursday, he said. That means all seven of the elected representatives will meet with the superintendent at least once a month.

“That’s a directive,” Weseman said. “It was suggested I improve communication with the board.”

No subject about the district will be off-limits, he said.

The school board assesses the job performance of the superintendent annually. Points of emphasis for Weseman are identified for the upcoming year. For 2003-2004, the board made internal communication a priority.

One of the main advocates of better communication among board members and the superintendent won’t be around to see it. Jack Davidson, who didn’t run for re-election, left the board at the start of July.

In Weseman’s last annual review, Davidson made clear his disenchantment with the level of dialogue between Weseman and the board.

Too often, Davidson said, board members were blindsided by policy initiatives. The amount of the $59 million school bond, which was defeated by voters in April, essentially was announced by the school board president after consultation with Weseman.

“There was no, ‘What do you guys think?'” Davidson said. “There were too many things like that.”

Board member Leni Salkind said she welcomed the opportunity for all board members to have regular contact with Weseman. As vice president of the board, she and President Austin Turney already meet regularly with the district’s top administrator.

“You’re constantly in the loop,” Salkind said.

But the five other board members have not, until now, had routine access to Weseman.

Salkind said the board’s three new members — Rich Minder, Leonard Ortiz, and Cindy Yulich — probably would be the biggest beneficiaries of the new schedule.