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Warren board mum on search process
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Richardson
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Thomas
By Ed Runyan
WARREN
With the start of school only about a month away, Warren City Schools have made no public announcement regarding the search process for a new superintendent.
Regina Patterson, school board president, said at the end of Tuesday’s board of education meeting she has “no update” on the search and that the district has done no advertising for its next superintendent.
“And that’s all I have to say,” Patterson said.
Other board members also did not comment.
The school board installed Loree Richardson, former associate superintendent, as acting superintendent at the June 28 board meeting — the same meeting at which the board accepted the sudden resignation of superintendent Bruce Thomas.
Thomas resigned June 24 in an email to Patterson, saying he had “become increasingly less comfortable with the decisions the board has been making.”
At the time of Thomas’ resignation, the board was finalizing his first-year performance evaluation and was seeking input from Thomas on the document.
Thomas declined, saying “it will not be necessary” because he was resigning.
His resignation came less than a month after the board eliminated the job of coordinator of student counseling and family engagement, citing financial concerns.
Kristen Lewis, who was romantically linked to Thomas in April, was hired as coordinator of student counseling and family engagement in November, at Thomas’ recommendation, to implement an anti-bullying plan in response to several high-profile bullying incidents.
Thomas served as superintendent in Warren less than a year, having come to the district from the Marietta City Schools, where he also served as superintendent for one year.
Thomas also worked just one year in the job before that — as assistant superintendent in the Cleveland school district.
Thomas, who earned $110,000 as Warren superintendent, implemented aggressive policies to improve student performance during his year at Warren.
One tactic was to devote resources to the Ohio Department of Education’s Ohio Improvement Process, a program Thomas worked with while employed by the Ohio Department of Education during the 2008-09 school year.
In Thomas’ evaluation, which each of the five board members signed June 28, it is clear that they were pleased with Thomas’ educational leadership, even calling him “an excellent visionary as to what it takes to move this district forward.”
But board members pointed to his dealings with board members as “a very weak area,” saying he needs to “spend more time with each board member, discussing concerns and issues with all, and involve new board members in discussions.”
The board also felt Thomas had lost his passion for engaging the community in the goals of the school district.
“Initially, he tackled his challenge with fervor; however, recently he seems to be distancing himself from the stakeholders in the community,” the evaluation said.
On a ratings scale from 1 to 3, with 2 being average, Thomas received a 1.4 on relationship with board and community relations, 1.8 on staff and personnel relations and educational leadership, 1.9 on business and finances, and 2.0 on facilities management and personal qualities.
Thomas does not have a published telephone number and could not be reached to comment.