In a hasty decision on July 9th of 2024, Granite School Board appointed Ben Horsley as superintendent of Granite School District with short notice and no public forum after Dr. Rich Nye was released from his contract to serve as Senior Advisor of Education for Governor Cox’s administration. Relying on momentum and convenience over thorough evaluation and local input to inform this crucial decision prioritized institutional goals over community engagement.
In the 2023-2024 NFL football season, after a visit to the Super Bowl the prior year, the Philadelphia Eagles won ten of their first eleven games. Despite internal and external concerns, the decision makers of the Eagles’ organization chose to focus on maintaining their momentum rather than taking a step back and developing the best game plan to build on the prior success. Unfortunately, for the Philadelphia Eagles and fans like me, they had one of the worst collapses in NFL history, losing their last five out of six regular season games, their division title, and dropping out of the playoffs in the first round.
The Eagles’ historic collapse serves as a cautionary tale and as a reminder of the potential benefits that can be gained from taking a step back and actively seeking external input. I am not predicting that Granite School District will see a significant decline in the progress that they made under the leadership of Dr. Nye. I am confident that Mr. Horsley, district administration, and the Board will work together to ensure the best outcomes for Granite students and the best working conditions for Granite educators.
In reality, the biggest loss of momentum that Granite School Board will experience because of this decision is a loss of public trust. Educators. Parents. Students. Don’t they deserve transparency and input?
I respect the confidentiality of Dr. Nye’s departure and new appointment. However, the secrecy and absence of input from community councils, families, and educators in selecting a new superintendent was wrong. Granite School District set a precedent with their appointment of Dr. Nye. A transparent and thorough process, like the one that led to the appointment of Dr. Nye three years ago, is what the Granite community deserves.
I believe that decisions by local school board members should be transparent. I believe many parents would agree with me. I also believe that local school board members should actively seek the input from patrons, as they represent the voice of the communities that elected them. There was no transparency or community involvement in the Board’s decision to appoint a new leader for Granite School District.
While it is within the Board’s duties and authority to appoint a new superintendent solely based on their judgement and within the privacy of executive conversations, it was unwarranted to rush this appointment and neglect the input from those impacted the most.
Collectively agreeing to appoint a new superintendent behind closed doors, having a special session during the summer when parents and educators are less attentive to the Board’s agenda, and allowing little time for public input leaves the door open for concerns and skepticism. For example, the Board highlighted that they spent many hours on identifying a new superintendent, but the justification in selecting a candidate who was evaluated three years ago–rather than opening up the opportunity to other qualified candidates and allowing for a fair and equal opportunity based on merit–is unclear. In fact, competition should have been encouraged. Being more transparent and surveying input from the Granite community would help ease any concerns that families and educators may have. As a parent of a child enrolled in Granite District, it seems inappropriate to appoint a new superintendent without a comprehensive search. Overall, a hasty and exclusive decision from the Board raises more concerns than it solves, and ultimately undermines public trust.
There is no doubt that educators and community members will rally behind the Board’s decision and the new superintendent, as the educational success and safety of students is the primary goal of everyone involved. I hope Granite School Board members aim to be more transparent and engaging with the Granite community moving forward.
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