I don't think the Clinkscale-Buford defeat reflects rejection of the entirety of the strategic plan. Some details may be rejected by parents.

I think the Clinkscale defeat reflects the fact that parents and teachers lost confidence in Clinkscale, Archibald and Jackson because of the secrecy and arrogance. You don't vote on a secret contract to outsource food service, then have bus loads of students go to the emergency room and have no consequence.

The best thing Jackson and Archibald could do for the Superintendent is to resign. The Superintendent has had a much harder job because he was controlled by board members that parents, staff and teachers don't trust to vote in the interests of the students over the business community.

The best thing that Jackson and Archibald can do is to hang in there until the end of their terms in case the new majority proves incompetent.

The pessimist in me can see several doomsday scenarios:

1. Having sold its soul to Local 420, Purdy and the new majority short circuit the whole district trying to turn back the clock to the halcyon days of 2001;

2. Downs proves to be a better gadfly than leader and can't cope with finding real solutions to the myriad challenges facing the district, instead of just composing pithy editorials;

3. O'Brien or Jones, neither with much practical leadership experience, succumbs to the madness that seems to infect marginal school board members, and quits; or,

4. Any of the majority members is forced into a corner by choosing to make a very unpopular, but necessary, decision (like most of the ones the Clinkscale majority had to--decisions contrary to the special interests of the union, or the junta of disaffected parents) and they are attacked and isolated by their supporters.

The question is what happens then? If the majority splinters, or their supporters turn on them, do they quit? The mayor appoints a successor. Do they defect and forge a new majority with Fowler, Jackson and Archibald, to save what's left of the district?

By "madness that seems to infect marginal school board members" do you mean being a black woman?

I completely agree with the first anony's assessment that the majority lost the trust of parents and that led to the defeat of Clinkscale and Buford yesterday. What bothers me is the immediate perception of a new majority having formed. What needs to happen is that 7 people need to all bring their different experiences and perspectives to the table and use them to help the Superintendent solve the admittedly huge problems the SLPS faces, and they need to do it respectfully and thoughtfully. If one of them has a good idea, it shouldn't matter which "team" they came from, the others should get behind it for the sake of the kids. Yeah, I know, call me naive, but it's time to get over all this, people. Make the new start mean something.

I was thinking of Bill Haas.

Why did you immediately equate "madness" and "marginal school board members" with black women?

Real simple anonymous?. You used the phrase when speaking of O'Brien and Jones. Read your comments.

I totally agree with Katherine. The mentality referred to in a previous post is what has hurt urban public school education, factions, egos, and biases. They all take the same oath of office, which must somehow promote what's best for a school district and its students.

Some of the comments and predictions of anonymous could be attributed to someone experiencing "marginal madness" by some professionals.

The voters have spoken, and everyone who has been elected, past and present, deserves a modicum of respect and patience to see where they are headed.

Sorry, I referred to comments and predictions of anonymous? (Not anonymous) Can't someone choose to be a bit more original?