Board wants Hinojosa's attention on Dallas ISD now

 Now that Dallas Superintendent Michael Hinojosa has been passed over by the Las Vegas-area school district, attention has turned to whether he can fix relationships on the school board here and move the district forward.

The Clark County school board in Nevada voted overwhelmingly Wednesday night to choose Hinojosa's competitor, Colorado Education Commissioner Dwight D. Jones.

Last week, in an attempt to keep Hinojosa, the Dallas school board approved extending his contract from June 2012 to June 2015. The vote was split, with four of nine board members voting no.

Hinojosa held out on signing the contract extension – at least until after the Clark County decision was made – but did so on Thursday afternoon. He said he plans to "reach out" to the four trustees who voted against the extension.

Hinojosa was sought out for the Las Vegas position and said Wednesday that he will not be a candidate for other jobs.

"Everybody knows I'm going to be here another five years, and we've got to work together," Hinojosa said Thursday. "I'm always trying to reach out, but it takes two people to tango."

Trustee Bruce Parrott, who voted against the extension, questioned Hinojosa's commitment to Dallas ISD.

"I want to know what his commitment is to this district – that he was ready, willing and able to go to Clark County," he said.

Several on the Dallas school board say it will take work to mend tattered relationships. Hinojosa already had a strained relationship with a faction of trustees, mostly those who were against the extension and who have also been more likely to question his decisions and proposals in recent months.

Some complained that Hinojosa did not tell them about his candidacy for the Las Vegas job. Instead, they found out the same week that reports emerged publicly that he was a likely finalist. They said he is more willing to reach out to trustees whom he considers more supportive.

"It will make the next five years more comfortable for him if he reached out to all nine board members on a regular basis," said trustee Lew Blackburn, who voted against the extension. "I think it would be to his advantage to reach out on a regular basis, person to person."

Some trustees have talked to board president Adam Medrano about changes to Hinojosa's contract. Medrano didn't have details of specific recommendations. But as an example, Blackburn said requiring a certain amount of contact and conversation with individual trustees could be worked into Hinojosa's contract.

"If it's in his contract, he has to reach out," he said. Blackburn added that such contract changes could be discussed as early as this month.

The openness of the Clark County superintendent search – the two finalists were interviewed in open session and questioned during community forums – put a larger spotlight on Hinojosa's bid for another job while under contract with the DISD. Anyone in Dallas with an Internet connection could hear him talk about why he wanted the Clark County job.

The process seemed to inspire more questions about Hinojosa's commitment to Dallas, which is his hometown.

Yet Medrano said he feels the relationships will be mended.

"I do know that he's going to reach out to the four board members that didn't vote for the extension," he said. "I think it can be done; we're all adults."

Dallas trustee Jack Lowe said he was surprised "and delighted" by the outcome. As far as repairing relationships on the board, he said, "it may be a little work, but a heck a lot easier than starting over with a stranger."

Some board members voiced surprise that Hinojosa didn't get the job offer. After all, he leads a large urban district with 157,000 students, while the largest district Jones oversaw before becoming Colorado's education commissioner served only 6,500 students.

Before taking the vote on their final selection Wednesday night, Clark County trustees described how impressed they were with both finalists before settling on Jones.

So what put Jones over the top?

Clark County board president Terri Janison said her constituents liked that Jones has ties to national education leaders. She said they also "heard a sense of urgency from Jones that he was going to come in and get it moving immediately."

The Clark County board voted 6-1 to hire Jones. The dissenting trustee said she felt the search process had been rushed.

"The votes were not against Hinojosa, by any stretch of the imagination," Janison said. "We had the utmost respect for him. We would have taken him in a heartbeat as well."
A board divided

As Superintendent Michael Hinojosa seeks to move the Dallas ISD forward, one of his challenges is a divided school board. Some say divisions on the school board that existed before his candidacy for the superintendent's position in Las Vegas may now be deeper.

clear supporters

Edwin Flores is among Hinojosa's solid supporters and has called him a "rock star" among the nation's superintendents. He voted to extend his contract. Flores was re-elected during a special election in November 2009.

Jack Lowe is a staunch supporter of Hinojosa. He voted for his contract extension and thought the board should consider raising his salary. Lowe's seat will come open in May; he does not plan to seek re-election.

Nancy Bingham is a solid Hinojosa supporter and voted for the extension. She was re-elected in May.

Less supportive trustees

Lew Blackburn often questions administrative decisions and did not like that Hinojosa did not tell him about being a candidate in Las Vegas. He did not vote for the contract extension. He was re-elected in May.

Carla Ranger is critical of Hinojosa. She also voted against the extension. Her seat is up for election in May.

Bruce Parrott is wary of Hinojosa. He voted against the extension. He was elected in May.

Bernadette Nutall has questioned Hinojosa's proposals and has said she was not told about Hinojosa's bid for the Las Vegas job. She voted against the extension. She was elected during a runoff in December 2009.

potential swing votes

Adam Medrano, the board's president, has been receptive to those who more often question Hinojosa. However, he voted for the contract extension. His seat is up for election in May.

Eric Cowan hasn't shown a clear tendency to vote with either faction. During his school board race, he was supported by a PAC that was critical of Hinojosa. He voted for the extension and said that he preferred Hinojosa stay in Dallas but that he could understand why he would consider the Las Vegas offer. He was elected in May.