Citizens Group: School Board Should Reconsider Whether To Hire Criticized Houston Administrator

 

BY BUDDY NEVINS

 

A citizens task force has asked the School Board to reconsider whether to hire an administrator whose management at the Houston School District was criticized in an audit.

Leo Bobadilla was hired on October 20 to run huge Broward’s school construction program paid for with $800 million in new spending approved by voters last year.

The Board voted 5-3 to hire Bobadilla after Superintendent Robert Runcie insisted there was no audit underway in Houston.

Runcie repeatedly denied the existence of an audit despite widespread publicity in the Houston media that an audit was underway and it criticized the construction program Bobadilla ran.

The audit Runcie insisted didn’t exist was released the day after the School Board vote.

Amazingly, Runcie continues to insist that there was no audit of the construction program run by Bobadilla in Houston, according to sources.

The Broward Schools Facilities Task Force, which examines construction and makes recommendations to the Board, doesn’t agree with Runcie.

The group voted yesterday suggesting the Board  “revisiting the offer of employment for Mr. Bobadilla.”

My take:

The tone-deaf Board will do nothing. My experience is that the only time the majority of these Board members listened to the public is when they wanted the $800 million bond referendum approved.

I make an exception for members Robin Bartleman, Heather Brinkworth and Nora Rupert who voted against hiring Bobadilla.

 

Here is the e-mail to the Board sent today:

Dear Broward County School Board

Last night the Facilities Task Force discussed the events surrounding the School Board’s 5 to 3 decision on 10/20/15 to approve the Superintendent’s recommendation of Leo Bobadilla as the new Chief Facilities Officer.

Concerns were raised regarding the deviation from the timeline provided by Chief of Staff Jeff Moquin at the 10/1/15 Facilities Task Force meeting, especially given the time gap between the 10/21/15 effective hire date and his actual arrival in Broward County–stated by Jeff Moquin to be sometime mid-December.

The group was also puzzled by the board’s refusal to delay making a decision until the existence of an audit could be verified.

They seemed most concerned that the board’s decision to approve may have resulted from the Superintendent’s insistence that there was no audit–an audit which was in fact released October 21, 2015–the day after the school board meeting.

Further, when Jeff Moquin defended Bobadilla’s qualifications and evaluation by the selection committee, one member summarized that the issue isn’t whether or not Bobadilla is qualified, but that the School Board had not been afforded the opportunity to know about the audit or its findings prior to making a decision.

Another member reminded the group that while we’re not trying to tell the board what to do, he believed we had an obligation to let the board know what we thought.

And on that note, the following motion was passed:

Motion: With consideration of the additional information that has come to the public notice regarding the Houston School District, their superintendent, and request for an external audit, prudent action suggests revisiting the offer of employment for Mr. Bobadilla.

J. Piechura; N. Sakhnovsky
1 opposed motion carries.

Nathalie Lynch-Walsh
Facilities Task Force Chair

XXXXX

Do you want to know more about Bobadella’s hiring last month.  Below are the links, including one with video:

Slammed In Is Last Job Because of Bad Audit, Now Hired By Broward Schools 

The Bizarro World of Broward School Superintendent Robert Runcie

Exclusive Video! Did Runcie Lie To School Board? You Decide. 

 

 



14 Responses to “Citizens Group: School Board Should Reconsider Whether To Hire Criticized Houston Administrator”

  1. juliet hibbs says:

    You have it right! The 5 do nothings of the board will do nothing! What a waste!!! What a disgrace!!! Wouldn’t you think Dr. Osgood would be furious after she said she would hold Mr Runcie accountable for the hire. Disgusting. They should be ashamed

  2. Count LF Chodkiewicz Chudzikiewicz says:

    I believe I live in a part of Dr Rosaline Osgood’s District. Let me tell you about the local civic organization and community activists. Today they scheduled a meeting in City Hall on a State Issue while the elected State Officials were in Tallahassee. The City had two public hearings on their part of the issue and neither the City Elected officials or the local organizations notified anyone of those two meetings were official actions were taken. Now the local self-appointed or assn officials crowd people into the small 8th floor Conference Room witb a dozen city lawyers to be told you are in yhe wrong place at the wrong time. And obviously the neighbors there r retired or on disability as employed people are at work on a aeekday at 9:00 am.
    So with community non interest and non involvement even by educated retirees you can see a small group of non profit hacks can elect soneone on the board solely to advance her bank account thru supporting a powerbroker line dr runcie! Dr Osgood witb her conflicts would never get elected in a district witb INVOLVED EDUCATED VOTER$ who had decent community leaders not the clowns in South Middle River

  3. Peter McIntosh says:

    I cannot imagine that the hiring of staff by the Superintendent, needs the approval of the Community Facilities Task Force or any other community group, having no authority or accountability for the management of the Organization.

    Nathalie Lynch-Walsh Facilities Task Force Chair, clearly have a right to articulate personal opinions, in regards to the appointment however, that is the extent of her responsibility.

    The only staffing decision the Public should have any input, by opinion, is the hiring of the Superintendent of Schools.

    Until the Superintendent is replaced then Robert Runcie is fully accountable for his recommendations for filling all staffing positions.

    An Audit is not grounds to deny the subject appointment, unless such an Audit uncovers potential criminal complaints. Everyone, including the Auditors have the right to second guess the management process or the decisions of the candidate while he was in Houston however, it cannot be an indictment to exclude him from employment without a criminal complaint.

    Let us move on, while watching carefully the execution of the Bond Program and holding the Superintendent fully accountable for the performance of his management team.

  4. Count LF Chodkiewicz Chudzikiewicz says:

    The Superintendent of schools is not a monarch, head of a religion or even a lifetime termed US Supreme Court Justice – the only three catagories that fit into Mr Mc Tosh’s idea of Dr Runcie’s status. You dont need a criminal conviction to can Dr Rincie only the fear of public outrage at the Board members who support him. The Noard would can Dr Runcie in a minute once they thought their finances and political influence would be hurt by continuing him in office. Every Report every resolution exposing the miserable Runcie Administration or questioning it is another nail in his coffin.

  5. Charlotte Greenbarg says:

    There you go again, PM. It’s not Chair Lynch-Walsh’s personal opinion, which of course you very well know because of the vote taken by FTF. But because you use the tactics of the system on which you depend, you glide smoothly past the truth.

    Charging someone falsely as offering a “personal opinion” is an old tactic that you and yours use against any one or any group that tries to hold greedy, incompetent governments accountable.

    And you know as well that the FTF was created by one of the many Grand Juries to oversee and advise the District on Facilities matters. Which is what FTF does. Too well for some. Another inconvenient fact that you choose to ignore.

    Accusing the audit of simply being another opinion in the mix has been a tactic employed by corrupt governments going way back. In Broward the Office of the Chief Auditor has been vilified by more than one incompetent, corrupt Board member and/or administrator.

    An audit that uncovers incompetent and incoherent administration is obviously a reason not to hire, except in Broward, where such a person would fit right in.

    Your attempt to define that only criminal behavior would exclude a candidate from being hired is once again an example of how a corrupt district’s defenders operate.

    In the unlikely event that you would ever risk personal capital to operate a private business, hiring practices that you defend would land that business in bankruptcy within a year.

  6. @Peter says:

    Peter,
    Maybe the advisory boards have no power at all to impact policy or hires. Maybe the public at large has no power at all. Maybe all of that is true. Very convenient that it be expressed now, one year after the bond passed. Before the bond passed it was all about community input and transparency. Now it’s about Runcie doing whatever he wants and answering to no one.
    I used to be very supportive of Mr Runcie’s initiatives. I voted for the bond and told my neighbors to do the same. What a disappointment to know that this is what happens in the end. It was probably his plan all along.

  7. Amazing Karnack says:

    Dr. Peter,

    Karnack says you are right. Karnack says we should move on and the Board should hold the superintendent fully accountable. Karnack says the Board should hold him accountable by letting him go for purposefully misleading them. Karnack says the Board should hold him accountable by letting him go for not performing the due diligence required for a hire of this importance. Karnack says the Board should hold him fully accountable by letting him go for the complete failure of the bond program to produce anything to this point. Karnack says the Board should hold him fully accountable for total malfeasance to perform any of his job responsibilities like raising test scores and grades, improving technology, improving purchasing activities, improving anything whatsoever. Karnack says the train has left the station.

    FROM BUDDY:

    It is shocking to note that Superintendent Runcie told the Board that he probably performed more due diligence before hiring Bopadilla than he has done with any other. It makes me wonder about his other hires.

  8. Talks like a politician says:

    @#3
    So it takes a criminal complaint to stop a recommended employee of the SBBC from being hired???

    It is absolutely criminal that the opinion of the task force is recommended to be ignored.

    Broward’s schools, especially in the eastern part of the county are in horrendous disrepair. That is criminal action by past and present administrators.

    Take off your blinders, your loyalty to whomever, and your political correctness and stand up for the students of Broward County. Yes, it is their footsteps you hear gaining on you as you age out of the system. They deserve a quality environment in which to learn.

  9. An Observation says:

    You know there comes a point where the public doesn’t agree with the School Board, the School Board’s own Advisory Boards doesn’t agree with them, you have on video Runcie lying to the School Board, Houston clearly proving the audit exists, and a continual lack of accepting reality. Add to that that the $800 million bond is already being delayed and going to waste.

    I guarantee that we will hear someday about they don’t have enough money to do what they promised, it is taking longer than expected, and their own audits showing the money was wasted.

    When will this madness stop?

    When will the School Board Members get it? They were elected to represent and help oversee the School System. Not to defend the School System. They may know something about teaching in schools (maybe), but not how to operate a school system.

    What it clearly shows is that some of the School Board Members really aren’t qualified to do this job.

    The last time something like this happened, School Board members were not re-elected or went to jail, and to this day they still don’t understand why.

    This is why. But then the damage has already been done.

  10. Count LF Chodkiewicz Chudzikiewicz says:

    If you go back to Mr Nevins’ columns of say 2009 n 2010 on the Broward School Board County Commission, even my favourite corrupt deal now being secretly worked on in Ft Lauderdale City Hall the Bahia Cabanas land swap that rips off the city and endangers health but helps the members of the Ft Lauderdale get treated well by the developers in the words of one of the Commissioners at lunch one day. You see the same sellouts of the public year after year and no one runs against volunteers to work against or franking contribute a dime to get honest n fair responsible government. In 2010 Mr Nevins and or bloggers complained a Commissioner went back on his platform to have only reasonable development he promised in 2009. Then when said Commissioner was up for re-election he had NO OPPOSITION and still votes for over development on PUBLIC Bahia Mar land with ALL his colleagues despite Fire & Rescue warnings of Public Health dangers!
    Look the County defunded the Historical Commission n funded the useless vanity Holocaust rip off in Hollywood because of Geller’s lobbying n Gunzenburger’s fear of his challenges. Year after year developers racial politics ruin government AND NO ONE DOES A THING ABOUT IT! Dont blame the corrupt gutless elected officials n their minions and lobbyist buddies blame the stupid lazy greedy ME DECADE PUBLIC!

  11. Chaz Stevens, MAOS says:

    FROM BUDDY: It makes me wonder about his other hires.

    Well, to be fair, when hiring from Craigslist, one needs to lower one’s standards a bit.

  12. It is about time. says:

    Unfortunately, everyone has said everything which needs to be said. Runcie lied, not once, but three times. Osgood, Levenison, Freedman and Murry all said from the dias, that Bobilla was a good hire. Moany of them said they would hold Runcie accountable. Good was absent. That is the list of the board members who need to go.

  13. Calcetines says:

    It’s amazing that we are paying over $187,000 for Mr. Bobadilla. That is way more that SBBC has ever paid for anybody in that position.

    I’m sure that we can find someone locally very capable of running the SBBC Facilities department for that kind of money without having any issues. Perhaps someone from private industry.

  14. MoreBS says:

    On many more than one occasion the Leading Ladies have said they are going to hold Runcie accountable and that it’s his job on the line. Enough of Peter crying wolf. Either do the job you were elected for or get out. I didn’t vote for the bond and I am glad I didn’t. It’s the same old same old which means in no time, we will have a new Superintendent and a new Board. I personally can’t wait for the next election.