Richmond County School Superintendent Dana Bedden is being considered for a leadership role in a Texas school system, local board member Frank Dolan said today.
Dolan would not confirm the Texas school system interested in the Richmond County school leader, but he said he knew the Dallas suburb of Irving had a superintendent opening.
Some Richmond County board members had met with Texas officials to discuss Bedden, Dolan said, but he was not part of that meeting, and in fact added that he was "befuddled" by the whole situation.
He said recent contract negotiations between the Richmond County board and Bedden were 99 percent complete and the board was ready to meet to finish the task.
"I am stunned," Dolan said today. "I have no earthly idea what we're doing now."
He said a closed-door meeting of the Richmond school board was set for 3 p.m. Tuesday to discuss Bedden's contract, but now he said "I don't have any idea why we would bother."
A phone call to Bedden seeking comment was not returned. He was said to be in Phoenix, Ariz., at a professional conference.
School officials in Irving, Texas, a Dallas suburb, said Monday morning there was a superintendent vacancy, but officials did not plan on announcing any candidates until the final choice had been made.
DANA BEDDEN
AGE: 42
TITLE: Richmond County school superintendent
EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree from University of Florida, master's degree from Penn State University and doctorate from Virginia Tech
FAMILY: Wife and three children
I thought Bedden and Deke were going to lead their charity for Haiti for decades? He gets Richmond Cty employees to commit contributions and he's gone. Heh. But he is paid well here and the cost of living in the Dallas area is 17% higher while their salaries are 8% more. It won't be hard to find someone to come here.
Why would he leave a cash cow like Augusta for a place where they might expect results or some display of leadership.
Bedden sees the hand-writing on the wall with respect to the Budget, Furloughs, and the Gangs in Richmond County Schools....its just a matter of time before complete chaos!
With people like the first two posters, he should take the fastest thing leaving here.
If he is on the list of finalists, it shouldn't be too hard to find out. Usually when a candidate gets that far, he/she knows it's time to fess up and admit being a finalist.
Heck, the county pays him so much now for his car allowance, it has to be the fastest thing around.
Oh please, oh please, oh please. Please go to Texas, Dr. Dana.
The below is from executives search and is about the Irving, TX school superintendent vacancy. Notice the dates. Where was Dr. Bedden last week? Irving ISD
Title: Superintendent/CEO
Deadline for receipt of materials: January 11, 2010
Vacancy Status:
Interim Superintendent/CEO - Dr. Neil Dugger
Consultants: TASB/ESS Search Team
This is a CONFIDENTIAL search, only the name of the lone finalist will be released.
TIME LINE
First review: January 22
Initial interviews: January 26-28
Follow-up interviews: February 2-4
Board names Lone Finalist: February 11
Board votes to hire Superintendent/CEO: March 8
riverman, inform me on the car allowance. I was listening to austin rhodes, but i think i missed him mentioning it.
Nat the Cat.... Dr. Bedden has raised Richmond county graduation rate every year. He has even brought up Josey and Laney graduation rates. Davidson is still the number one school in GA. AR Johnson is still ranked in the top five or six schools in the state. C.T Walker is still one of the top schools in the state. His son and daughter attend schools in Richmond county. Your definition of chaos must be a good chaos then. Dr. Bedden is opening a AP Academy at Laney this upcoming year. This man has been worth every penny he's been paid.
Are you really comparing gangs in Augusta to gangs in Dallas? Please get for real. Because the only area in the CSRA who has several hispanic gangs is Aiken county.
Bedden is a professional educator. He's an improvement over what RC had before as School Superintendent. Things are improving with the school system, county commission and coliseum authority. If Bedden leaves, it would be a shame. I can't blame anyone who leaves Richmond County for greener pastures. I wish it were different.
Deerhunter, I heard Austin too and he didn't mention the name of the car. I believe I heard the same thing Austin heard because he said it sounded ridiculous. So apparently we've both heard from different sources. I heard it was a Lam.... I can't bring myself to type the whole name. Maybe someone with definite knowledge can comment.
Countyman....What I am saying is that with the current Budget cuts, and furloughs that teachers and administative staff will be having to take as result of less and less money from the State and Local Budgets, there is no way that Dr. Bedden or The Wizard of Oz can maintain the academic standards that you just enumerated above. Secondly, there are as many gang related incidents per capita in Augusta as there is in any other large city that begin and occur right here in Richmnod County Schools...A teacher's baby was just killed by so-called students that weren't even considered gang-members...that's what I call chaos!
For the record, I think Bedden did a great job here. Still I can't see raising his salary in this low cost of living area. I'll wish him well at his next stop. It's just the nature of the profession for them to keep moving. Let's think positive and try to find an even better administrator.
Lots of rumors floating around..The plot thickens..(this story has legs)
This is starting to remind me of Lane Kiffen and UT. Notice they announce their selection Thursday. Don't expect anyone to find Bedden until after then. By the way, the conference in Phoenix where he is supposed to be doesn't start until Thursday.
the Richmond county school system is already a chaos!!
Only an idiot walks into contract negotiations without having another suitor ready to hire them. Just another example that Dr. Bedden is far too intelligent and talented to waste his skills in Richmond County, GA.
Good luck Dr. Bedden, I hope RC pays you $250k annually and GIVES you a Lamborghini.
What a shame, I think Dr. Bedden has done a very good job for our school system. I was in agreement with what Countyman was saying until he made the ridiculous statement about gangs in Aiken County. Hispanic, who knows, but Richmond County is gang territory, not Aiken County and everyone knows it.
Dr. Bedden has done fine job for Richmond County. It is no surprise that he is being vetted by another school system.Hopefully, we can re-sign him for a few more years.
"I have no earthly idea what we're doing now." At last, someone who speaks the truth! But not to worry, if RC has to find another Superintendent, we can tell them our great "economic indicator" plans, they will be clamoring to come because of our new TEE center. Oh, wait, what if they get the impression that the leaders in RC aren't too interested in schools but are more concerned with trolleys, TEE centers, parking meters and ballparks?
Augusta citizen.... I don't say things unless they're true. I think you mean Augusta's is more reported on. Because its the main city in the CSRA.
The signs are all there and some are covered in graffiti. They're letting parents know gangs are alive in Aiken County what they need to be stopped.
Investigators say there are at least seven in the county:
Folk
Bloods
Crips
Nortenos 13 and 14
Soreno 13
18th Street gang
http://www.wrdw.com/home/headlines/55887552.html
Read the last three and look at my previous post.
Yes I read referenced article, then and now. I have no doubt that Aiken County will be on top of this, ounce of prevention. Yes Augusta is more reported on, and unfortunately probably less aggressive in dealing with the problem. Same as City of N. Augusta shutting down the teen club with the same owners as the one that ARC took forever to shut down. Hey, I live in ARC, used to live in N. Augusta. I care about Augusta, but the crime here is worse than I realized when I made the move.
Best of luck to Dr. Bedden whatever may come. Hopefully, the RCBOE can convince him to stay despite the clamor of the anonymous street committee. Those who know know that the school system has made tremendous gains under his leadership despite the trying circumstances. Don't believe me? Ask anyone at the state level who have no dogs in the fight.
I think Dr. Bedden has done a good job, considering the cards he was dealt. Get used to other School Districts in the country looking for leadership of his caliber. How quick we forget the Lark Legacy.
Ayetidiosi, I was thinking more like a Bentley. lol
Oh...you have to love the carpetbagger mentality! Dr. Bedden once told RCBOE employees to get off the bus if they weren't ready to fell in line with his policies. Sounds like the bus has reached its last stop. Check out this link to the Dallas Morning News.
http://irvingblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/02/newspaper-reports-geor...
Maybe now people will realize that Augusta does not have a good reputation in either government or education. There are reasons why no one wants to stay. Bedden has every right to go work somewhere else, and if that's what he wants to do, then I wish him well. I think he saw the future of education and the schools in RC, and it's not good. "Augusta- The Revolving Door City"
RCR1 is right on target. Richmond County went seeking Bedden because he gets the right results. Nat T.C., it's not about the money, it's about what you get for the money. If A-RC is smart, they'll complete the contract negotiations and sign Bedden. If not, some other school system that needs top help will gladly scoop up Dr. Bedden and will get their money's worth. Let's hope the B.O.E. is smarter than they usually act.
From some of the posts, I can see why he would be leaving. As an acquaintance once said, "You can't argue with fools". Good luck Dr. I don't blame you one bit. As far as finding someone else, yes maybe for a moment. It doesn't take much to see that Richmond County has become a Georgia landfill. The only ones to blame are the voting citizens. Augusta could be the premier city of the State, but until the County gets more intelligent citizens it will never happen. Of course, how will there ever be enough intelligent citizens if no one wants to live there. No one wants a new stadium, most don't want a Tee Center, many don't like the Kroc Center, no to a new Civic Center, Golf Hall of Fame to the weeds. The most important thing to happen in Richmond County in the past 10 years has been a gastric bypass. Even the Judicial Circuit is so corrupt that no one can get a fair and speedy trial.
The Augusta Chronicle ©2012. All Rights Reserved.
