Maybe the school board should have waited for another candidate

As I walked through the newsroom a copy editor on the news desk looked up and remarked that perhaps the Clark County School Board should have waited a couple of days before offering the superintendent job to Coloradoan Dwight Jones. She noted a wire story had just moved reporting Michelle Rhee of the Washington, D.C., school system had just resigned.

Rhee had raised scores an average of 15 points on elementary reading and math tests.

She also was being paid $275,000, while Jones is being offered $270,000, more than the salaries of the top school executives in New York and Los Angeles.

Rhee resigned after the man who appointed her lost his bid for re-election as mayor.

In September, the Review-Journal editorially asked why there was a rush to fill the superintendent post and prophetically stated:

“For that matter, Chancellor Michelle Rhee, who reportedly made considerable strides with the legendary miserable school system in Washington, D.C., may be looking for a new post after the recent electoral defeat of her patron, Mayor Adrian Fenty — fired by voters precisely for refusing to run his administration as a race-based spoils system, according to many. Has anyone solicited an application from that lady?”

Jones is reportedly being offered, in addition to the $270,000 annual pay, $10,000 moving allowance, a car allowance of $700 a month and mileage reimbursement, 31 days of vacation time, a five-year contract though state law only allows four, and a hefty severance package.

Author Neal McCluskey discusses Michelle Rhee's resignation on The Fred Thompson Show: