Should the West Jefferson Hills superintendent be on paid administrative leave?

West Jefferson Hills Superintendent Dr. Terry Kinavey has been placed on paid administrative leave amid findings that she overrode the hiring process for a high school English teacher. Do you agree with the school board's decision? [Read PG story.]

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 Funny the way it is now adays...  Should someone get placed on leave for trying to improve a district?  Should someone get placed on leave when they did not bow to nepotism, or the pressures of a football booster's association because they believe there are better canidates for their district?  Should someone who was hired to do a job be placed on leave for doing that job?  Should my childs english education be second rate because someone can send an email to 150 football boosters?  Should someone be hired today, when they failed to be the best canidate for the last several years? If there was wrong doing, then that is not fair, but if this was the judgement of a paid professional that was hired to run a district and it was within that persons job scope to make those decisions, then you have to let people do their job and reep the benefits or suffer the consequenses.... 

 Please, I am so tired of the "football boosters" being brought into this hiring issue.  A wrong doing was done and had to be made right...unfortunately there have been others who were denied jobs in the district but the issue was never pressed on like this one was..too bad it wasn't done sooner.

 A superintendent is given a job to do - and when that person does not perform to the standard of morals and ethics they should, administrative leave shouldn't even be given...just released permanently from the position.

And, for an important correction in the storypiece, Mrs. Kinavey IS NOT a doctor of education and that is a huge factor in this whole situaton. 

 In response to "funny the way it is".......I fail to see how our superintendent not hiring an extremely qualified teacher is improving the district.  By all accounts, the teacher had a track record of excellent performance and was a model for others.  The track record shows anything but second rate performance.  Secondly, there were more people at the meeting other than football boosters.  There were people there representing other school and community organizations....one of those groups being a group from the band boosters.  The comments from the board were dead on, our superintendent did have the right to override all others, but in so doing was accountable to the board.  It appears there were no legitimate reasons for not hiring this teacher raising the question, why did Mrs. Kinavey take her name off the list?

The boneheads on the school board once again bow to mob rule.  I have been in higher ed for almost 30 years and I know Mrs. Kinavey is the quintessential professional (for those of you on the board, that means a perfect embodiment of something).  If you ever met her, you would know that she has every child in the district interests at heart.  (And no, I am not a personal friend of hers, but have merely monitored her progress since the McClellan days).

Perhaps she will end up in a district where she won't be micromanaged.  Their gain, our loss.  But for now, it will be interesting to sit back and watch how long the tail will wag the dog.

 In response to "Funny the way it is" and "attila" I whole heartedly agree with your comments.  Kudos to our illustrious, incompetent school board  for once again proving our district is only concerned with football and taking care of "TJ inbreds".

"just a mom in TJ" have you considered the fact that Mrs. Breisinger has applied for numerous jobs in the district over a period of years, when Mrs Kinavey was not superintendent, and was never hired. That tells me all I need to know.  Others have applied for jobs in the district numerous times and didn't get hired, but unfortunately they aren't TJ inbreds with a million relatives and football supporters to cry fowl for them to get a job. 

"Juniper  J"  you should catch a clue.  In corporate America, "qualified on paper" people are a dime a dozen and don't get hired all the time simply because someone might not think they are a fit.

Our school board wants to taint and ruin someones career for doing something that was within their power as admiited to by the school board just to keep the mob of family and football happy.

Disgusted TJ Parent....your disgust is coming through loud and clear but no need to attack me personally.  I do have a clue about corporate america, I live it everyday.  I, like you am entitled to my opinion and I am basing my opinion on the facts surrounding the event which included a school full of teachers and administrators that felt Mrs. Breisinger was extremely qualified.  When the superintendent decided to rewrite the job description after the fact to avoid hiring Mrs. Breisinger, Mrs. Breisinger became overqualified for the position.  We now have a reading specialist who goes beyond the basic English Teacher.  She has a track record of successfully helping a long list of students to improve their reading skills.  Her hiring is a good thing for the students at West Jefferson Hills.

The residents at these meetings were not just football people, they were also band parents, educators and civic leaders.  There was no mob present and the residents all acted in a professional civilized manner.  The fact of the matter is the faculty is accountable to the principals, the principals are accountable to the superintendent, the superintendent is accountable to the school board which is accountable to all of the residents living in the West Jefferson Hills Community.  Mrs. Kinavey had the right to withdraw Mrs. Brisingers name from consideration with cause.  If there was no cause as appears to be the case, then she is accountable.  Pure and simple.  

 Ding Dong the Witch is Dead....

 Disgusted TJ Parent...  This was "the straw that broke the camels back"  ....  Start asking the Teachers, Principals, former SuperIntendent, former Teachers..  There will be one common theme when you speak to them..... and it ain't pretty for Mrs Kinavey...

 "Ding Dong the Witch is Dead"..... ... that is the common theme at all the Schools...

 The "taintng" was self inflicted....     Ira Weiss is a grizzled verteran in School District law.  Do you think he is going to fire someone for one incident.....   Like its been said this was just

"the straw that broke the camels back"....

Remember this was the band boosters, the football boosters, basketball boosters, PHARA, cheerleaders, teachers, former teachers, former SuperIntendent, former prinicpals, students, former students, business leaders of the community ......  Disgusted TJ Parent. Do some more research and you will be enlightened.  The facts speak for themselves.  

 Mrs Funny the way it is...   You must look at the facts...  Quit hiding behind your football mentality.   I guess its ironic that every prinicipal at the high school left the minute she was put in charge...  I guess it's just the ironic that the Band Boosters,  Basketball boosters, Cheerleaders, PHARA, all the teachers, former teachers, principals, former principals, students, former students, business leaders of the community support the decision. The facts speak for themselves..  Please get the facts first.  Thanks!

Well I guess this sums it up, doesn't it?  When presumable adults resort to name calling, it pretty much negates the need to respond.  Anyone who reads the comments will know exactly what and who their dealing with.

But perhaps it was meant as a metaphor?  I mean I really can't believe the the number of groups lined up against Mrs. Kinavey (cf "Remember this was the band boosters, the football boosters, basketball boosters, PHARA, cheerleaders, teachers, former teachers, former SuperIntendent, former prinicpals, students, former students, business leaders of the community ......  ").  I think you forgot the priests, ministers, rabbis, girl scouts, cats, dogs, and hare krishnas.  I have never seen so many so impassioned about a cause at WJHSD.  Maybe we should throw Mrs. Kinavey in the lake to see if she floats?  If she does, we could have that grizzled Ira officially declare her a witch, under School District Law.

Despite the obvious, what really bother me about this hunt as opposed to past hunts is the lack of professionalism on the part of the school board and its solicitor.  They can't seem to exercise independant judgment, and for that, they should be held accountable. They could have handled the matter, as they can with all personnel matters, in executive session and resolved it there.  But they feared the mob. 

And now, they hire a replacement for $500.00 per day?  If they raise my taxes I may start a witch hunt!  No wait, I 'll just go over their heads to Mrs. Breisinger.

 Oh, I forgot to mention.... I pray that the school district maintains insurance to cover legal settlements for the damage to Mrs. Kinavey's career.  Whether you agree with her actions or not, she was acting within the scope of her duties.  And yet the board and its solictior, in lieu of executive session, played out her career in the public forum.  I will make it my task to find out exactly what this episode is costing the taxpayers and will publish it.  Can you imagine the number of stadium retaining walls we could build with that money?  (oh wait, maybe just one).