Terrebonne board at odds over school chief’s rating

Fresh off a heated contract renewal battle, the Terrebonne School Board shocked many when it unanimously gave Superintendent Ed Richard the highest rating possible during a closed-door evaluation.

After all, some board members were quite vocal in arguing Richard had failed to meet undisclosed expectations.

Now, several members of the school board are criticizing the guidelines used to measure the school chief’s performance, saying it falls short of providing an accurate assessment. During a Police and Education Committee meeting last week, members called for the questionnaire used to critique the superintendent to be overhauled. The evaluation forms were adopted in 1992.

Committee Chairman Gregory Harding said vague questions should be eliminated. He also wants a numerical score to replace the current ratings: “satisfactory,” “needs improvement” or “unsatisfactory.”

But such a change may be easier said than done, according to Debra Yarbrough, assistant personnel supervisor.

Instructional staff are reviewed using the same forms, she said. State guidelines governing public school employee evaluations may limit the extent to which the parish can change the process.

“The Guidelines for Personnel Evaluation require the establishment of a uniform system of evaluation for all certified and other professional personnel,” Yarbrough explained. “This means that all personnel evaluated by the local school district, including the superintendent, must meet the same standards of ‘satisfactory performance.'”

In his 20 years on the board, District 8 representative Don Duplantis said he did not recall a superintendent ever receiving less than a “satisfactory” rating.

School Board President Clark Bonvillain agreed.

Bonvillain has served the longest time – 26 years – on the board. He was also one of four members to block Richard’s contract renewal. Board members Harding, Hayes Badeaux and Rickey Pitre also opposed the renewal.

Despite unspecified concerns about Richard’s performance or inadequate review forms, the nine-member board unanimously agreed on the “satisfactory” rating.

“The board giving the superintendent a ‘satisfactory’ rating has the voting community confused,” said board member Roger Dale DeHart. “Six months ago, we voted to let Richard go. Now we are giving him a ‘satisfactory’ rating. That’s why the forms need changing. We need to give the public a little more information as to why we do what we do.”

The current review rates the school chief on 58 items divided into six categories. These include an assessment of his relationship with the board, leadership and communication/personal skills.

However, Yarbrough warned that if changes are made to the superintendent’s evaluation, all administrative and instruction staff review forms would also have to be changed. This group includes principals, supervisors and teachers, she said.

Harding said the board will review the relevant portions of the state’s guidelines before recommending a change to the evaluation process.

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