I was a coach for 15+ years, so I often view life through those goggles. How often do we hear about coaches that get fired after having just one losing season? If you combine all of the NFL and the NBA seasons guess how many coaches, all time, had a losing season and went on to win the coach of the year award? Just one, and that was Johnny Kerr. He coached the Chicago Bulls, when they were a new expansion team. Even though it was a losing season the Bulls posted the best record, at that time, of any expansion team. Coach Kerr only coached 3 NBA seasons but went on to work for the Suns and Bulls for 30 more seasons, in broadcasting. Did he deserve the “Coach of the Year” award? I guess that is up to interpretation but clearly it was a one off. While his coaching career was short, and maybe not a good fit, he must have been both a good guy and employee, to hold an NBA job for 30 more years.
I have talked many times with Superintendent Banner. We explored our different views about CPSD and we shared about much more touching family matters. Mr. Banner is a stand up, loving, successful Dad, a very involved community member and he is clearly passionate about education. This has been made evident from our conversations, and from the comments/support he has gotten from many other community members.
A comment I made to Mr. Banner, whan I strongly opposed the levy that passed about 6 years ago, was a coaching reference. After about four seasons they are your players. Most, if not all of the players you inherited, from the previous coach, are gone. If you continue to lose, in subsequent seasons, there is no one more accountable than yourself. Either you hired poor asst. coaches or you struggled to teach the fundamentals your players needed to win.
With a game, there is a score at the end, and a season, a win/loss record. I know many people don’t like using state test scores to evaluate “winning” for education. The hard fact though, is that scores are a concrete measure from year to year. The fact is, even though Mr. Banner works hard, is a good influence, and is loved by the community, test scores continue to falter, since 2019, when he became Superintendent of CPSD.
From my perspective Mr. Banner is a great community member and hard worker who wants the best. I have seen him work late into the evening here at board meetings and other community events. From my past experience he worked harder, than the board of 6 years ago, since he was the one at the late community meetings, not the board members. He was even willing to stay later talking with me in the parking lot.
As the proud Dad, of an NFL player, I think he could appreciate my analogy of a coach that has had several losing seasons. Most, if not all, losing coaches work just as hard and are just as passionate, as winning coaches. However, sometimes they just aren’t the right coach, for those players, on that team, during that season.
Every losing season (school year) from here forward, is at the feet of the Board. The students only know what they are taught and clearly, as evidenced by testing outcomes, something isn’t working and the trade deadline, it’s quickly approaching.
A well stated, balanced observation, Mr. Hills. Your letter is a cadid assessment of Superintendent Banner’s poor record in improving the Clover Park School District’s failing academic achievement, yet it acknowledges his other efforts and strengths.
It reminds me of the 1960 World Series (as a 14 year old in Brooklyn NY) between my team, the NY Yankees and the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Yankees, winners of their 10th pennant in 12 years, outscored the Pirates 55–27 in this Series, out-hit them 91–60, out-batted them .338 to .256, hit 10 home runs to Pittsburgh’s four, got two complete-game shutouts from Whitey Ford.
The Yankees lost the Series in 7 games.
Success in baseball is not measured in pennants won, runs scored, hits, batting average, homers hit, complete games or shutouts pitched. It’s measured by the number of games you win. So it is with education in general and CPSD specifically. All the money, people, “stuff”, community outreach, ideological values, technology, meetings, new buildings, presentations and best of intentions are only important to the extent that the product is a “winner”: students proficient in the academic skills they need to thrive in society after graduation. Clearly statistics show that is not occurring.
Don’t confuse effort with results.
CPSD’s failure academically ultimately lies at the feet of past and present Boards. Once elected, representatives too often defer to hired “expert” employees. In doing so, a leadership vacuum is created and nature (and bureaucrats) abhor a vacuum. What you get is an “administrative state” that values bureaucratic rather than representative objectives and priorities.
This occurs at all levels of government. The “writing on the wall” was early on when Superintendent Banner formed the CPSD DEI “Stakeholders” with only 7 parents on an 83 person group primarily staffed by CPSD employees and outsiders with DEI interests. The Board should have put its foot down about real community representation but failed to do so. With the lack of any push-back, the Superintendent and administration were free to do what they thought necessary administratively rather than what the public thought necessary educationally.
The results were all too predictable.