Time to change leadership
read more recent story comments Reader comments| Cowboy Thursday, April 12, 2012: 11:30 am More from Cowboy  | I could not agree more other than to state that in fact it is not only time for Furniss to seek other employment, but past time. I would also suggest that we replace the school board. |
| NanaJQ Thursday, April 12, 2012: 12:11 pm More from NanaJQ | How about a change in the maintenance dept too? |
| justlittleome Thursday, April 12, 2012: 12:22 pm More from justlittleome | The facts don't lie, they speak for themselves. It's time for a change but start with Furniss. |
| Jimtinner Thursday, April 12, 2012: 12:33 pm More from Jimtinner | Wow lets throw Furniss under the bus! Most of the events that happened were the case of an individual doing something wrong. Is the fact that they were adults and did their wrong doings with their free will the bosses fault.I found the latest events of wrong doing very obsense but the men where at fault for their own actions. Thats the problem with our country no one admits or owns up to their mistakes it is always someone else's fault. It seems to me the school system is doing all it can for our children. |
| STANDING BYE Thursday, April 12, 2012: 1:38 pm More from STANDING BYE | From a good friend who lives in the former school system Furniss came from,when he came to MSD the school system he left in Northern Indiana was glad to see him go, as things there was in a turmoil.To this day I still remember the friend saying "IM GLAD YOU GUYS ARE GETTING HIM as WE ARE GLAD TO RID OF HIM!"/So when he did first come to MSD, I remember he had all the parents to come in and meet him;so we went in had a nice chat; and from that day on whenever I would see him out on the street, he acted like he NEVER saw me in his life! Nuff said! |
| Spanky Thursday, April 12, 2012: 2:28 pm More from Spanky | Cheers for the R-T to finally STEPPING-UP and jeers for the R-T for FINALLY stepping-up. It is a shame that it took a personal/professional affront to a paper staffer for them to garner the guts to do what's right. Don't get me wrong, I'm for whatever force is necessary to remove Furniss. He is, in my opinion, an ineffective and inefficient administrator for the salary he receives. The best part is, once he is gone, we can drop the expensive high rish automobile insurance the school district, aka TAXPAYERS, must endure for his ability to drive a corporation vehicle. Please, take your band of cronies with you and don't let the door hit ya where the Good Lord split ya. |
| KenSnyder Thursday, April 12, 2012: 5:00 pm More from KenSnyder | I too applaud the R-T for the public discourse. Regardless of where I stand on the position, or where others stand, we benefit from a conversation related to pursuits of excellence and higher standards for our leaders and local officials. As President Truman visually illustrated, the leader must say, "The Buck Stops Here." Yes, Mr. Furniss is not guilty of the actions of everyone under his leadership. However, the culture that serves as an incubator of such actions without commensurate consequences is a culture that must be changed. I couldn't help but notice that a significant majority of the examples listed in the editorial were directly or indirectly at MHS. While Mr. Furniss may rightfully earn the ire of the paper and public for not a strong enough turn around (for after all, shouldn't we be asking, "is good actually good enough for our kids?"; remembering that "good is the enemy of great"), we need to look at other leaders too who have outlasted their commitment or competency. Consider the following example and apply them to a school. In baseball, you need to be "strong up the middle." You need a good pitcher and catcher, as well as a strong middle infield (short stop and 2nd base) and centerfielder. Is it possible that—strong multi-level leadership—is what is needed in a school system? We need a strong Board President, Superintendent, and strong leadership at the Principal level at your High School and at least one Middle School and Grade School, each serving as flagships at those levels of education. If excellence is pursued at each level of education, it can spread throughout all levels. However, if leadership is lacking at the top—as well as the other levels—a strong turn around is highly unlikely. So, do we have strong leadership “up the middle” (i.e. at all levels)? Instead of seeing mainly negative in these spaces, I would prefer, for a moment, to focus on a positive answer to that questions. I believe we do have that leadership at the Middle School level at East. (I am not saying we do or don't at West. I cannot speak to that.) The Principal is strong in the three C's: Character, Competency and Chemistry. He's a high character man. He is very competent at what he does. He is good to work with and has proven that (unlike his predecessor). We need strong leaders--men and women--at all levels of leadership who possess Character, Competency and Chemistry. I applaud the discourse. Let the public AND the School Board pursue further accountability for our leaders. We are at an optimum time for introspection, advancement and innovation. Let the turnaround begin today in our individual lives, in our homes, and in our schools. |
| Just observing Thursday, April 12, 2012: 5:25 pm More from Just observing | I agree and respect the reporter for their stance on this mess! What is the probability that he will step down, slim to none? When you set a precedence that it is ok to drink and drive, get arrested and maintain your job as a public figure, yet they expell students for lesser issues. One particular person directly below Furniss should plan to retire, resign or go away as well. While he may be labeled the "nice guy" that used to be your teacher, he is part of the problem and not the solution! Almost as though he has his hand up Furniss rectum and controls him like a minion. I will be patiently waiting to see what transpires here, however I hope they look at all the issues! As far as the High School that may require a sanatation truck to remove all of that garbage! We all have a voice and a vote, pay attenttion to this! |
| nanateacher Thursday, April 12, 2012: 6:30 pm More from nanateacher | If we agree that measures must be taken, then we MUST support our board when they try to address issues with leadership. It seems that when one tries to take a stand, no one stands with him/her and he/she is left holding the bag. Leadership IS responsible for leading, which must begin by example, and that must be true at all levels of administration. |
| Moose 65 Thursday, April 12, 2012: 9:12 pm More from Moose 65 | I remember when Mr Furnis was arrested for drunk driving and the school board didn't fire him that there would be a lot of problems as how could he fire another teacher and not be sued cause he wasn't let go. Until the house is cleaned out the community will never feel things are being done corectly. |
| jdigger Friday, April 13, 2012: 2:58 am More from jdigger | we need to rid the school system of all the assistants also, not just Furnis they all have not lived up to responcibility of the job as well as the ones who investagated this in the first place, the high school princible. |
| moco55 Friday, April 13, 2012: 9:11 am More from moco55 | I agree that we should "sweep the house" and rid our tax funded facilities of the dirt. It was wrong to have kept Furniss when he did wrong. How can he be a leader when he can't lead by example? Anyone else under the roof that has done wrong should be looking to relocate. As long as Costin and the others are living up to their word we need to stand behind our school board. That means them holding their upcoming meetings at facilities that will hold large crowds. The community as a whole, needs to provide a positive image if we ever want to be respected by others. One of the first things prospective employees searching to locate is the community, it's services and schools. We have many fine teachers who should be commended. |
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