The interviews for the Board of Education 2010 appointment were conducted on Thursday, April 15, 2010 in the council chambers in city hall.
 
The City Council (CC) was seated on tables that had been set up on the floor of the council chambers.
 
Present were (L-R):  Councilor Brian Skelton, Council President Gary Ivey, Councilor Jack Wright, Councilor John Greene, Councilor Gene Smith.  Also present was the City Clerk.
 
In the audience was Tiffany Ray, Birmingham News, Jason Gaston, Hoover City Schools, and this writer.  During the first interview, former HBoE member Tom Defnall came in.  Each candidate had a family member in the audience during their interview, but otherwise no other members of the public were present.
 
I will give a brief synopsis of each candidates interviews as I observed them.  I will give highlights.  I do have notes on all of the questions asked and the answers given, but will not fill this forum with them.
 
The candidate was called into the council chambers and was seated at a small desk in front of the CC.  Each candidate was given the opportunity to give an opening statement.  The plan was to give each candidate 30 minutes for their interview.  Mr. Ivey moderated the interviews, calling on each council member to ask their question.
 
The order of candidates was as follows:
 
Donna Frazier
Arnold Singer
Terry Young
Barry Thomas
 
If a answer is given to a question, I will put the councilor's initials next to the question.
 
Note:  Mr. Skelton left during Mr. Young's interview, after he asked his questions.  Councilor Mari Morrison came in shortly after Mr. Thomas took his seat, so he was the only one she asked questions of.  
 
As in past interviews, each council member asked similar questions of each candidate.  
 
Donna Frazier
Time In: 2:34 pm
Time Out: 3:18 pm
 
Mrs. Frazier had the longest interview and, in my opinion, was grilled the hardest.  I think this was fair of the incumbent.  Mrs. Frazier made some opening comments citing her accomplishments, which included serving as Board President for 2 terms; completing all State School Board Courses but 2; changing the meetings to allow for more public comments and interaction; being the only President who has required Board Self-Evaluations.
 
Answers given:
Commented on being able to devote the time to the job  
When asked why she wanted another term (JG), she indicated that she was doing it for the children. She stated her experience as both a Board member and as a parent,  having had a child in the system for the past 19 years, with the last one graduating this year.
When asked what her greatest accomplishment was (JG), she indicated that it was allowing more public participation during meetings, making the Board more of a team effort, and the Board Self-Evaluations.
Mr. Wright asked the same question of all four candidates (correct answer in parenthesis):  What are the school reserves? ($95M)  What is the HCS annual budget? ($160M) How much will it save HCS yearly if the 24 mil extension passes? ($6M/yr.)  Mrs. Frazier was correct on all answers.
When asked what attributes make a successful Board member (BS), Mrs. Frazier said transparency, set personal agendas aside.
 
Arnold Singer
Time In: 3:20 pm
Time Out: 3:39 pm
 
Mr. Singer's opening comments addressed his short time in Hoover, comparing his previous home (Edison, NJ) to Hoover.  This was a smart move, as this was a point of contention with the CC.  It seems Edison, NJ has a lot in common with Hoover.
 
When asked what attributes are essential for a Board member to have (BS), Mr. Singer said to listen more than talk; to be prepared.
Mr. Singer answered all of Mr. Wrights financial questions correctly and indicated he was in favor of the 24 mil extension.
Mr. Singer was very informed on the school budget, including allocation of funds by school.
When asked what his thoughts were on vocational school (JG), Mr. Singer said he was in favor of it, as not all students head off to college.
When asked about transparency and openness (JG), Mr. Singer said that the Board meetings had changed, that there was more public input and participation (confirmed what Mrs. Frazier had said).  He said the only thing he would change is adding a PA system at the meetings and he would have meetings alternating schools. (Mr. Singer and Mrs. Frazier are the only two candidates who have actually attended Board of Education meetings.  Mr. Singer has attended all meetings since last August.  Mrs. Frazier has attended all meetings due to being a Board member).
When asked what would be the first thing he would do as Board member (GS), Mr. Singer said he would listen to Mr. Craig's recommendations from the Task Force (Mr. Singer attended most of the Task Force sub-committee meetings).  
When asked if he considered the budget items to be the single biggest concern (GI), Mr. Singer said yes.  
When asked what he would do about it (GI), Mr. Singer said he would follow the Task Force's recommendations.  
When asked how many Board of Education meetings he had attended (JG), Mr. Singer said all since August 2009 (true).
 
Terry Young
In: 3:40 pm
Out: 4:10 pm
 
Mr. Young's opening statement included that he was happy to be here.  Mr. Young stated that he had done a tremendous amount of research before applying for the position, including reading all articles in the Birmingham News regarding the HCS over the past two years and reading (and he stated "printing") all posts on The Hoover Forum relating to the HCS.
 
Mr. Young owns several companies and when asked if any of his companies dealt directly with HCS (GS), he stated no.
When asked how many Board of Education meetings he had attended in the past two years (GS), Mr. Young stated 0 (true).
When asked what would be some of the things he would do if appointed (GS), Mr. Young stated that he has prepared for the past two months, dug down into the finances of HCS, spent a lot of time on the parent survey, comparing it to other similar surveys, so he felt he had a passion for strategic planning.
When asked how he would supervise Mr. Craig, Mr. Young stated that he would set goals for Mr. Craig and hold him accountable.
NOTE:  During the questioning by the councilors, it was revealed that Mr. Young knew Mr. Craig on a personal level, as Mr. Young's daughter had dated Mr. Craig's son.
Mr. Young correctly described the power of a single school board member (none).
When asked what the main attributes he would bring to the Board (GS), Mr. Young stated that he had kids in the system and he sees the entire HCS as a business and he would treat it as a business.  He said that the HCS has a product to sell and that the customers were the students.  He stated that his success in private business would help in his work as a Board member.
when asked about the lack of a college degree (GS), Mr. Young stated his credentials as a business owner, as a member of the board of directors of several companies, his extensive reading background.  
When asked if he would have time for the position due to his business, Mr. Young said he would, that he's built a very good team to take care of business during his school board duties.  Mr. Young, after most questions, said that it was "a very good question" and answers often began with "first and foremost".
Mr. Young answered all of Mr. Wright's financial questions correctly.  Mr. Young stated that it was critical that the 24 mil extension pass.
When asked what attributes were essential as a school board member (BS), Mr. Young stated a love and passion for kids (it appeared that his three daughters were in the audience during his interview).
When asked what 1 item he would change, Mr. Young stated that he would implement a strategic plan and bridging the gap.
 
Barry Thomas
In: 4:11 pm
Out: 4:35 pm
 
Mr. Thomas' opening remarks included the fact that he had two children in the system, one at Hoover High School and one at Bumpus Middle School.  Mr. Thomas indicated that he had a master's degree.  He indicated that his reason for applying was that there was an opportunity for growth.
 
When asked what attributes were important of a school board member (BS), Mr. Thomas stated that strong analytical skills and a strong financial background.  Mr. Thomas indicated that many issues may only be symptoms of other issues, and not issues themselves.
When Mr. Wright asked his financial questions, Mr. Thomas did not know any of the answers (What are the reserves? I don't know; What is the HCS operating budget? $300M).  Mr. Wright corrected him on all answers.  Mr. Thomas does support the 24 mil extension.
When asked if he had attended any Board of Education meetings(JG), Mr. Thomas said he had not in the past 12 months (true) due to his family's adoption of a Ukrainian baby, something that took much of his time.
When asked about a vocational program (JG), Mr. Thomas said he was for them.
When asked how many Board of Education meetings he had attended over the past 24 months (GS), Mr. Thomas said 50% (this is false).
When asked how he would supervise the superintendent (GS), Mr. Thomas said through audits.
When asked what the strengths and weaknesses of the Zero Tolerance Policy (GS), Mr. Thomas said the strength was that it was a line in the sand, that the weakness is that you're dealing with teenagers.
When asked if he would now have the time to devote to the board (GI), Mr. Thomas said he would.
When asked what single item he would most like to change (GI), Mr. Thomas indicated he would like to see a well balanced Board.
 
 
Overall impression:
 
I thought 3 of the 4 candidates gave a very good interview.  Of the four, Mr. Thomas was the only who who displayed a lack of knowledge of the Hoover City Schools, and thus gave a sub-par interview, in my opinion.  The other three were well informed and well prepared.
 
Mr. Young and Mr. Thomas have not attended a Board meeting in the past three years, although Mr. Thomas incorrectly stated that he had attended 50% of the meetings in the past 24 months.  Mr. Young at least was truthful about his non-attendance.  Although the duties of a Board member involve more than monthly meetings, I don't understand why someone would apply for a position, yet show a lack of interest in one of the most important aspects of it, the public aspect. Mrs. Frazier obviously has been there for five years and Mr. Singer has been to every meeting since last August, always asking questions.  In addition to that, Mr. Singer has also attended most of the Task Force sub-committee meetings as a spectator.  Nobody else has done that.  Mr. Singer also attended the meeting between the Board and the Council at Michael's last year.
 
Applying for this position takes guts.  Not many would do it, and I appreciate all of the candidates.  It would be great if the public would take a greater interest in attending the interviews.
 
If I took any of the candidates answers out of context, please feel free to correct me.
 
The appointment will be made at Monday's Council Meeting.

Quote from BucStopsHere on 04/16/10 at 8:21am:

 
Sorry, I thought the bios were posted already.  Here they are:
 
http://blog.al.com/birmingham-news-stories/2010/04/hoover_school_board_attracts_ f.html
 
He has no children in the system, however, he does have children (grown) that live in Hoover, if I remember correctly.
 

Hoover to fill open spot on Board of Education April 19

Quote from Hoovergal on 04/18/10 at 11:47am:

 
Two years ago (and perhaps before then), a committee consisting of five council members interviewed the candidates and then made their recomendation to the entire council, who then voted on the motion.
 
Last year the entire council participated in the interview process, and then voted at the next Council Meeting.
 
Although Dr. Lott was not there for this year's interview session, he would still be required to vote, just like Ms. Morrison, who was only there for one candidate (Mr. Thomas).  I would assume that neither Dr. Lott, nor Ms. Morrison could make a motion to recommend a candidate, since neither were there for all four interviews.  But that's just a guess on my part.
 

Are Council members required to vote?  Five years ago, Morrison and Natter abstained from voting on the recomendation for this Board seat.
 
Five years ago when this seat was up, thirteen people were interviewed by the Education Committee.  Five members of the CC sat on the Education Committee and Trey Lott was one of them.  The committee was charged with making the nomination to the CC for the Board position.  At that time, the interviews were not done in public, but the CC had come a long way from the previous appointment of Tom Defnall.  That appointment was made without the CC posting any information about the opening.  They interviewed no one, just suddenly appointed Defnall.
Back to five years ago.  Thirteen people interviewed.  Trey Lott did not sit in on a single interview.  Five people were asked to come back for a second interview.  Trey Lott, who was on the Education Committee, did not sit in on a single interview.  Word got out that one person interviewed very poorly in the second round.  So poorly, in fact, that two council people abstained from voting on her appointment.  Trey Lott, who missed both rounds of interviews, did vote on the appointment of Donna Fraizer.
The process was a sham then and for all the following appointments through the years.  No wonder no one bothers to apply.  Dr. Lott was determined it would be Fraizer.   She was from Spain Park and she was the first of three votes needed to fire CW.  The qualifications of the other canidates did not matter, the interviews did not matter.  It was a waste of time on everyone's part except for Dr. Lott.  Since the appointment was predetermined, he knew not to waste his time.   One of those candidates was Kay Witt, a BOE member at the time of the interviews and the previous year's Board President.  
Just a little walk down memory lane.  Not a comment on Frazier's years of service, only the process and Dr. Lott's roll in it.  
So will he vote tomorrow night?  Will history repeat itself?
 
 
 

The Council, by a vote of 5-2, has reappointed Donna Frazier.  Mr. Greene and Mr. Wright voted no.

Hoover City Council appoints Donna Frazier to second term on Hoover school board

No surprise here!  Trey Lott voted for Frazier again.  He has never heard her's or anyone's interview for this particular Board seat.  
 
Wonder why Wright and Greene voted no?   Who did they want?
 

Quote from frustrated on 04/20/10 at 2:39pm:

 
The question posed by Mr. Smith was "How many meetings have you attended in the past 24 months?"
Response:  (paraphrase) "I don't know.  At least 50%." (meaning none in the past 12 months, half in the 12 months before that).  Wrong.  And I stand by that.  I appreciate your comment, which is "I have personally seen Mr. Thomas at meetings.".  Seeing him and him attending at least half of the meetings are two different things.  
 
Regarding council protocol:  any council member can make a motion.  Any council member can second the motion.  They didn't have to be at the interviews to make those motions.  Having said that, I would agree with you that another member could have made the initial motion.
 
I call 'em as I see 'em.  Always have.  Always will.  If Mr. Thomas was the better candidate based on his education and background, he came, IN MY OPINION (I want to emphasize that), ill prepared to the interviews.  The other three candidates smoked him, to use a popular term.  Mrs. Frazier, Mr. Singer and Mr. Young were all very well prepared for questions that the council asked of them, especially financial questions.  I'm sorry to say that Mr. Thomas was not, at least not when Mr. Wright asked him questions regarding the budget, one of the most important issues facing the school system in the next 3-5 years.
 
Regarding the term "good ol' boy politics", that is an insult to Mrs. Frazier and to the council.  "Good ol' boy politics" implies that a back room deal has been made and the appointment is just a formality.  Had Mrs. Frazier waltzed into the interview room, plopped her feet up on the desk, pointed at the council and said "Go ahead, ask me some questions, boys." and then fired off some off-the-wall answers, then I would agree with you.  Instead I observed her as an individual who came into the council chambers with  an outstanding opening statement, excellent answers to some pretty tough questions, and showing a resolve and personality that one only sees from true leaders.
 
Next time those of you who want to lob some bombs, insults, comments, etc. at the candidates based on your own personal dealings with them, why not show up for the interviews instead?  Trust me, there were plenty of open seats in those council chambers.  Plenty.  I was the only one sitting on the right side facing the council.  One afternoon of your life.  I took a vacation day in order to attend.  
 
Then again, perhaps showing up to some Board of Education meetings wouldn't be such a bad idea either.
 
Now, on to the invocation.  The invocation needs to be re-instated.  It should have never been removed in the first place.  Real government agencies have an invocation.  The Board of Education is a real government agency.  Lately, too many government agencies have been giving in to pressure from some fringe groups due to fear of a lawsuit.  There nothing to fear when the invocation is done right.  I assume by your comments that you were at the council meeting last night.  Did you have a problem with the city clerk reading their invocation?  It was short, it was non-denominational, but most of all, it was completely, 100% legal and within the bounds of the 1st Amendment.  
 
My opinion is that there was only a choice of two people for the job based on the submitted resumes and the interviews.  One of those people got it.  The other one should get it next year.

One more thing......why is a teacher spending money out of their pocket to pay for paper?  Do you think Mrs. Frazier and Andy Craig paid for the paper and ink that was used to send out a letter to parents asking for us to give the very people that waste our money more of a opportunity to waste again?  
 
Good grief.  It makes me so mad to have dedicated teachers working so very hard to educate our students and spending out of THEIR pockets and just look at what AC and DF thought was important.  Trust them....NEVER!!!!  Only a fool would give them the opportunity to extend the damage they have done to this system, in my opinion, for what it is worth.

Insulting to the Council?!!!  Are you kidding me?  How about insulting to the to the public and those applicants?
 
It's always back room politics.  Ms Fraizer interviewed poorly five years ago, so poorly that Morrison and Natter refused to vote for her, but her appointment was demanded by Trey Lott.  How insulting to all those applicants then and now that he could not be bothered to sit in on a single interview.
 
Fraizer, Bolt, Baker, Veitch, Cooper-they were all chosen well in advance of aany paperwork being turned in.  Back room deals were struck in every case.
 
Insulting to to Council?!! The Council insults the applicants and the public every time they put on this show.  
 
And, by the way, the first two or three years that Frazier was on the Board, she got herself into hot water time and time again with her constant public comments.  So much so, that after insulting an entire community, the Council demanded that she write a letter of apology to that community.
 

THIS is insulting.  This is the transcript from Bill Veitch's interview in 2007.
 
Bill Veitch
Smith: Anything he would like to say: He has no statement.
Smith: If you go for another term what would he like to accomplish:
Veitch: Same reason he would like to be reappointed. Five years ago there were come difficult times. Discipline issues, the rezoning of schools at Simmons which would have affected Green Valley, Trace Crossings and part of Bluff Park. Many times he was the one against four when a vote was taken. He felt the Board has turned the corner. He felt we have always had a good system but he feels it will be better and he would like to be here to see it happen and be a part of it.
Smith: What are your strengths?
Veitch: He feels he brings common sense to board. He has courage to do what he feels is right and do it in a civil way. He feels he can get along with most people. He shows up to the meetings. He has a commitment to attend and conduct meetings with civility.
Morrison: Having been on board for five years you has more experience, how will this be helpful:
Veitch: He felt there is a learning curve. It took a year for him to understand all the terminology. He has seen some contentious times as well and he feels he can better deal with these now. He feels he has learned some lessons in this respect. He has also learned what not to do.
Morrison: Any consideration for long term planning:
Veitch: He stated they function in a way that the Supt. will present a plan and the Board will vote yes or no. He does not want to micro manage the school system. His vision is to have excellence in everything. He wants the best academics as well as the best sports program. He wants to build the whole child. He stated they have not been presented with specific building plans. He felt that they are getting better in every area. He would like to give kids more choices, i.e. a great drama program.
Morrison: Do you envision any partnership with City?
Veitch: He stated they have talked about this. They are two separate entities but with the same goal. What is good for one is usually good for the other. He does not see us as opposed. There may be a disagreement as to how to implement something but this goes back to being civil. There is no need for City and Board to argue. He felt they should be able to partner for the good of both.
Lott: One thing comes up over and over that communication is not good between board and citizens. How are you going to improve this?
Veitch: He stated he does not know of anyone that he has refused to let speak at a board meeting. He felt a better job could be done publicizing the positive things they have done. He felt there is a fine line and the press and public wants to know everything the Board does. Discussing law suits, good name and character must be done in executive
session as told to do so by their atty. He stated they have only met in exec session five times in five years. A childs disciplinary session is always done in exec session. He wished that public information needs to be more proactive. He felt the public would feel better if they knew more about the particulars. In most instances the public would be ecstatic about the state of the schools.
Skelton: What is best trait of board member?
Veitch: He feels that common sense would be most important. You can be high school graduate or Rhodes Scholar and if you work well with the other Board members, you are willing to listen to other members and willing to compromise, be committed to being there and willing to compromise you would be a good Board member. He feels that he has this trait.
Skelton: Do you feel the board works better now than in the past.
Veitch: He felt the board represents many areas, opinions, personalities, and places in life. This board has not totally agreed on anything but they are willing to talk and listen and they are courteous and willing to work together. He felt they all have the best interest of the kids. They just come from different backgrounds and experiences. This is a more proactive and involved Board. He did not feel they should ever go back to what they had. He felt he has sown some seeds and he would like to see them “come up”
Wright: City Council expanded to seven members whom he felt was a good idea. Would it be good to expand school board?students and community. He does not feel that many of these people are necessarily mean but they have had their feelings hurt and are not being listened to. They do not know any other way to respond.
Smith: How doe you envision system getting better?
Veitch: He has two theories of thought. There are newsletters, pamphlets and emails go out. They advertise events and about what is going on. He has a theory about parental involvement. During the talk about rezoning there was a lot of parent involvement. Most parents like the system and they are proud to say they kids attend Hoover schools. You hear from parents are not happy about something. We do need to be more proactive, but other than hiring someone to email everyone in the city to inform parents about meetings, he felt that people are aware of the biggest part of what is going on. He felt that most parents that are interested are active. Most are happy with system. He felt people do and go to things they are interested in.
Smith: Does he hear from teachers that they wished for more parental participation?
Veitch: He stated he has not heard this lately. May have heard this a couple of times when rezoning issue was being discussed.
Veitch: He stated he had not thought of this. He felt the Council has a more contentious job with various issues that must be worked with. He stated he would not be opposed to it. He stated he would not want to be President again.
What are you thoughts on Zero tolerance:
Veitch: Thanks for questions. Five years ago when this started what was in the policy was the way it was with no deviation. He was on the wrong end of many 4 – 1 votes because he does not feel that one size fits all. There are some things that must be zero tolerance such as bringing a gun or knife to school. He did feel that having a shirttail out which calls for a mandatory minimum punishments, he felt you must look at record of student. Judges do this and do not rule in a vacuum. He has not seen the revised discipline manual. There has to be rules but common sense must be applied. He has zero tolerance for some things and tolerance for others.
Negative connotation goes along with being on the Board. How has this past term affected his family and could it affect his children:
Veitch: He stated there are some well meaning people that criticize any decision. There are those that have personal agendas and would destroy anyone that gets in their way. These people do not mention the best interest of the children. His wife had to endure a political campaign. She was also interviewed by Gov. Riley. There was much negativity on that end. She felt and stated she was the best person for the position she was seeking and she was going to do what was necessary and the right thing to do. Otherwise we are left with at whimp. He stated this has affected him and he has had emails and articles have been written that hurt. He also gets encouragement from coworkers, teachers,

And for the record, these are the Minutes as typed up by the Council.  They kept a transcript in 2007 and 2008, but decided not to keep a transcript in 2009 and 2010.  
 
Congratulations to Mrs. Frazier.  She has been an attentive and concerned board member.  I long ago gave up believing that the Council knew how to choose a good board member.  Heck, I'm not sure I know who makes a good board member.  I feel fairly confident I can tell who DOESN'T make a good board member, but it's really a wild card.  
 
And I'm sorry to burst your bubble, googling, but the Board Appointment is Good Ole Boy Politics at its finest.  You can rest assured that Mrs. Frazier suits the Council's Agenda, whatever that is.  This particular City Council has no concern for school-aged children (they don't vote or contribute to political campaigns).  This particular City Council has cut the school system loose (by cutting off tens of millions of dollars in funding and overseeing the placement of Andy "The Puppet" Craig as Superintendent.  This particular City Council has its own agenda, and it certainly does NOT include the children attending school in Hoover.  
 
But that's okay.  We all have to meet Our Maker one day.  Maybe that's why Mr. Skelton wants that Invocation back so badly....to save his own soul for the horrible way he's treated our schoolchildren.
 
I'm sorry you weren't around in 2004 and 2005, googling.  That's when a truly fair picture of the Council would have been painted for you.  I guess you should feel lucky that you don't have the horrible memories I have.  This Council will do down in Hoover's history as the body that broke the school system's back.  Watch and see.
 

Good observatons, googling:
 
http://blog.al.com/businessnews/2011/07/former_cfo_of_central_leasing.html

Quote from aka_deplume on 07/13/11 at 12:38pm:

 
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