School Board Puts Superintendent Del Burns on Administrative Leave

March, 09, 2010 , by Jedidiah

photo News & Observer

Now that the Wake County School Board has decided a new course for our children’s education for the unforeseen future, it was back to the business of politics. Particularly, what happened in that closed door session concerning Del Burns, the School System’s Superintendent who resign over the busing for diversity issue that has divided almost every single resident (parent or not) of Wake County over the past week.

Next on the School Board’s agenda? What to do with Del Burns. The result? Place him on administrative leave. Chief Academic Officer Donna Hargens will be interim superintendent until a new person is appointed in the spot.

MyNC, the N&O and WRAL have more of the details on Burns’ dismissal, part of which is very compelling.

Burns, who has spent more than 30 years in the school system, said ending the system’s diversity policy would segregate rich schools and poor schools.

Dallas Woodhouse, director of Americans for Prosperity in North Carolina, has called on a nationwide search for a new superintendent that focuses on candidates in favor of the new board’s agenda.

“North Carolina’s laws leave little doubt that the superintendent, appropriately called an administrator, works for the elected school board. It says a lot that Mr. Burns cares more about socioeconomic diversity than diversity of opinion,” Woodhouse said in a statement Tuesday evening.

Some board members had also expressed concern about their ability to work with Burns for the next few months.

It’s a sad day when caring about socioeconomic diversity is a bad thing.

While I’m not calling any names or spitting any venom, simply laying out facts, Americans for Prosperity, in which Woodhouse is the director of the NC chapter, seems a bit venomous themselves, especially with this quite harsh statement on the “school board’s decision to remove Burns.” While I’m no genius, I’m quite sure that Burns resigned before he was “removed” from his powerful throne by the voice of the people like they seem to want their donors to believe. Letting him finish out the school year or coming to an amicable compromise seems a bit more human, but maybe I’m reading it all wrong and don’t play the politics game enough.

As a random aside to this, Americans for Prosperity thinks taxing sodas is a conspiracy by the Obama administration to “micromanage our lives in the name of public health”. Wow, I’m kinda speechless, as is this study which was released this week.

As was stated, Wake County is a fabulous place for education and to ruin this with this kind of politics is a shame. We can disagree on where our children are bused to schools, but when there are folks with larger personal agendas making our decisions, the outcome can be catastrophic. Digging deeper into all of this could also spell trouble I’m sure.

I see this continuing to spiral out of control on a local, as well as national, level and could have ramifications on the socioeconomic status of our County as a whole in the next few years. And as a father of an eight month old son, homeschooling has never sounded so compelling.

Americans for Prosperity Statement on Del Burns

“Over the past few weeks Mr. Del Burns has disqualified himself from continued service to the Wake County School Board.

Since Mr. Burns would not recognize the authority of the school board as directed via the people at the ballot box, what other choice did the board have than to remove him?

North Carolina’s laws leave little doubt that the superintendent, appropriately called an administrator, works for the elected school board. It says a lot that Mr. Burns cares more about socioeconomic diversity than diversity of opinion.

Mr. Burns’ behavior has helped create division in our community rather than help heal it. While tonight’s decision was difficult, the elected school board was left no other choice.”

Dallas Woodhouse
North Carolina State Director
Americans for Prosperity-North Carolina

919-839-1011 ext 3
919-671-1050 Cell

200 West Morgan Street
Suite 100
Raleigh, NC 27601
Dallas.Woodhouse@afphq.org