The Vanguard has learned that DJUSD Superintendent James Hammond has been offered the position of Superintendent in the Ontario-Montclair School District in Souther California. At this time it is not known whether he will at accept that position. On Monday evening, the Board will have a special meeting to discuss this matter further and the Vanguard has learned that they will at least attempt to convince him to stay at that point.
Dr. Hammond was hired in the fall of 2007, and has presided over nearly three years of continual budget battles. And while the district was fighting hard to stay afloat, they also managed at the same time, thanks to the leadership of James Hammond and CBO Bruce Colby to put the district on much better fiscal footing than when they entered.
Dr. Hammond wrote in an email message to DJUSD Staff and Community on Friday, “I have greatly appreciated the hard work of all our stakeholders that has helped build a respectful and positive team among all the employees, parents and community members for the benefit of our students.”
Prior to Dr. Hammond’s arrival, there was frayed relations between the city and the school district and also various segments of the community.
For me the point that stuck out most was in March of 2008, James Hammond had barely been on the job at that point, the community was up in arms about school cuts, teacher layoffs, program cuts, etc. Students and parents marched from the Community Park to Central Park and then they marched to the school district.
Instead of hiding out in his office as his predecessor would have, Dr. Hammond seized the moment, took the megaphone and addressed the crowd. He did not tell the crowd everything that they wanted to hear, but he took a negative situation and turned it into the first step towards communication.
To me that was a great lesson in leadership. Unfortunately, the economic times and budget cuts have not ebbed.
I have a great sense that we have no finished what Dr. Hammond was brought here to do. When I interviewed he and Bruce Colby last year at this time, he told the Vanguard, “I would rather be working on ways to develop more instructional practices at every site for kids that are not achieving at grade level—particularly for Hispanic/ Latino children or African-American children who traditionally don’t tell well on our STAR assessments.”
He continued, “I wish I had more time to focus on the instructional leadership and best practices and provide more embedded professional development for teachers and classified staff to support students slipping through the cracks.”
One of the big issues facing the school district that has not been resolved due to the budget shortcoming, was the achievement gap.
In our very first conversation back in August of 2007, he told the Vanguard, “As far as the achievement gap for me, I think it’s been a very popular slogan for educators or even people in popular society to use.”
“Really what we are talking about is a performance gap on standardized tests,” he said. “So really getting our eyes to look at a performance gap on standardized tests and particularly looking at our demographics on African Americans, Hispanic and Native American Students and how there’s disparity with Caucasian and Asian Students and really what causes this performance gap is really a multitude of other gaps.”
According to Dr. Hammond, “Kids will perform better once they know people care about them.”
“All of those factors to me lead to the performance gap or what you call the achievement gap,” he said. “I think it is a very complex sophisticated question that’s going to require a lot of intentional work, a lot of research, a lot of data, a lot of student evidence to dictate our behaviors. So I’m hoping that we can begin that work because of the urgency behind the need.”
Superintendent Hammond then added, “I think that is going to be one of my biggest challenges. I think that and a lot of other things are going to be a huge part of my learning curve over the next few months, absolutely.”
Unfortunately, he would never get to work on the issue. He barely took over when the first crisis hit and the hits have come ever since.
—David M. Greenwald reporting
I wonder how big an issue compensation will be in his decision?
I wonder how much he is going to ask BOE for to “keep” him? While the rest of us have taken pay cuts he has the gall to ask for more money. Let him go down to Southern California. He has never been vested in Davis anyway.
My guess is that it won’t come down to money, because James knows where the district is fiscally.
Just as with Landy Black, this shows you the practical bankruptcy of obsessive opposition to management compensation. Landy Black is not an ostrich and neither is James Hammond. David has spent ages saying that Bill Emlen and other city employees should take a 10% pay cut. Inexplicably he never applied that standard to James Hammond, even though Hammond is paid more ($201,000) than Bill Emlen or any other city employee. I didn’t see a public statement that this year, Hammond took any pay cut at all. By some objective standards, Hammond has a simpler job than Emlen does.
Now, of course, a pay cut is out of the question. It would simply amount to asking Hammond to leave. And the job market is not an objective standard. Whether Hammond’s job is simple or complicated is beside the point. The fact that he is payed much more than the teachers is also beside the point. If the school board wants to keep him, they certainly can’t cut his pay and they may have to raise it.
On most of the district’s budget issues, Hammond pretty much drove the bus in a straight line. Yes, rain has poured down onto the road lately, but it really doesn’t take that much imagination to compute the shortfall and announce how many teachers have to be laid off. Yes, it is much better than Murphy, who should have driven the bus in a straight line, but still managed to veer off into a ditch. But I don’t see anything here that is all that amazing.
Likewise with the achievement gap. It hasn’t changed much, and there is no easy way to change it much. It would take a large shift in resources that could create big political waves. In any case, the most serious achievement gap in the region is not between whites in Davis and a few Hispanics in Davis, it’s between whites in Davis and a whole lot of Hispanics in the rest of the county. Davis is a high-achievement district, and the best that it could do for K12 education is to share it with more people. But that is up to the city, not the school district.
The one dramatic feature of Hammond’s record so far is athletics. He may have done more for varsity athletics at Davis Senior High than any DJUSD superintendent in history. However, it means that the district has no facilities money for anything else, at least not for a while. For instance, I didn’t get the sense that Hammond has thought much about bicycle safety, which is unfortunate because it’s the way that about 30% of DJUSD students get to school every day.
Just as with Landy Black, this shows you the practical bankruptcy of obsessive opposition to management compensation. Landy Black is not an ostrich and neither is James Hammond. David has spent ages saying that Bill Emlen and other city employees should take a 10% pay cut. Inexplicably he never applied that standard to James Hammond, even though Hammond is paid more ($201,000) than Bill Emlen or any other city employee. I didn’t see a public statement that this year, Hammond took any pay cut at all. By some objective standards, Hammond has a simpler job than Emlen does.
Now, of course, a pay cut is out of the question. It would simply amount to asking Hammond to leave. And the job market is not an objective standard. Whether Hammond’s job is simple or complicated is beside the point. The fact that he is payed much more than the teachers is also beside the point. If the school board wants to keep him, they certainly can’t cut his pay and they may have to raise it.
On most of the district’s budget issues, Hammond pretty much drove the bus in a straight line. Yes, rain has poured down onto the road lately, but it really doesn’t take that much imagination to compute the shortfall and announce how many teachers have to be laid off. Yes, it is much better than Murphy, who should have driven the bus in a straight line, but still managed to veer off into a ditch. But I don’t see anything here that is all that amazing.
Likewise with the achievement gap. It hasn’t changed much, and there is no easy way to change it much. It would take a large shift in resources that could create big political waves. In any case, the most serious achievement gap in the region is not between whites in Davis and a few Hispanics in Davis, it’s between whites in Davis and a whole lot of Hispanics in the rest of the county. Davis is a high-achievement district, and the best that it could do for K12 education is to share it with more people. But that is up to the city, not the school district.
The one dramatic feature of Hammond’s record so far is athletics. He may have done more for varsity athletics at Davis Senior High than any DJUSD superintendent in history. However, it means that the district has no facilities money for anything else, at least not for a while. For instance, I didn’t get the sense that Hammond has thought much about bicycle safety, which is unfortunate because it’s the way that about 30% of DJUSD students get to school every day.
My best guess is that Hammond will take the offer in Southern California.
Davis’ commitment to closing the “achievement gap” was always more comforting rhetoric than a value that the Davis voter backed when real decisions were on the line. Hammond’s cryptic comment about the achievement gap being a complex issue and that the primary is that “children perform better when they believe people care about them” is remarkable in its frankness and, IMO, reflects his frustrations that will move Hammond to Southern California.
Those comments were from when he was hired, Davisite.
Kuperberg: I never applied the standard to Hammond because as soon as the fiscal crisis hit, he vowed to double up on any pay cut the teachers got, and when they did not take a pay cut last year, he took one anyway. That’s why I never had to press for it. You will notice I criticized Colby for taking a pay raise in 2008.
[i]I never applied the standard to Hammond because as soon as the fiscal crisis hit, he vowed to double up on any pay cut the teachers got, and when they did not take a pay cut last year, he took one anyway.[/i]
That sounds like a really magnanimous record; unfortunately the description is all bun and no meat. It’s as simple as stating what Hammond has been paid in 2007-08, 2008-09, and 2009-10, and how much he would have been paid if he hadn’t taken whatever pay cut. You seem perfectly happy to toss around specific salary numbers and specific percentages when it comes to other people, but when you talk about Hammond’s salary, you don’t use even a single digit from 0 to 9.
GK: What do you think Hammond should get paid, considering what the going rate is for superintendents?
He has never been vested in Davis anyway.
Why do you say that?
For instance, I didn’t get the sense that Hammond has thought much about bicycle safety, which is unfortunate because it’s the way that about 30% of DJUSD students get to school every day.
A valid issue, but so much has happened in the district in the last two years that I question if there was really adequate time to address it.
No one has addressed that James Hammond’s family lives in So CA. All things considered I am sure he would like to live with his family. I have been gone for a week. Do we know if Chief Black is leaving?
Here, to get the discussion started, here are the superintendent salaries that I did find, according to the “school accountability report cards”:
2009-10: ??? Hammond
2008-09: ??? Hammond
2007-08: $201,760 Hammond
2006-07: $188,660 Murphy
2005-06: $150,762 Murphy
2004-05: $141,760 Murphy
It shouldn’t take much detective work to fill in those question marks.
wdf: [i]What do you think Hammond should get paid, considering what the going rate is for superintendents?[/i]
Following my usual answer, he should get paid the going rate. But first of all, I would like to see some transparency. It has gotten tedious to have David praise Hammond for taking a pay cut, without any of us knowing what he actually makes. I said at the beginning that he makes $201K, but that’s two years back.
wdf: [i]A valid issue, but so much has happened in the district in the last two years that I question if there was really adequate time to address it.[/i]
I have sitting next to me a district brochure entitled “Davis Joint Unified School District – Green Schools – 21st Century Schools with a Green Future”. They had time to make a brochure to brag about how green they are. They had time to photograph students on bicycles for this brochure. But if you look at the actual message of the brochure, the Davis Green Schools Initiative is just a recycled grab bag of conservation ideas; it doesn’t make any one idea sound more important than any other idea. They could have used the exact same brochure in any district in the country.
And of course, they had lots and lots of time and money for the stadium. In fact, if you’ve been to a school board meeting, budget crisis or not, they have a lot of time for a lot of things.
SODA: “No one has addressed that James Hammond’s family lives in So CA. All things considered I am sure he would like to live with his family.”
If James Hammond’s family lives in So CA, then it would seem quite understandable that he would jump at the chance to leave for there if the salary is right. But then didn’t the BOE know that when they hired him in the first place?
DGM: “He continued, “I wish I had more time to focus on the instructional leadership and best practices and provide more embedded professional development for teachers and classified staff to support students slipping through the cracks.”
What is needed is a commitment to scrap “new math” and convoluted texts, and get back to the basics. Beef up ESL programs, don’t eliminate the best one the city had (at Valley Oak). Don’t dump all the problem children (troublemakers) and learning disabled students at DHS together into Transition Academy. Separate the discipline problems from the learning disabled students.
I used to teach eighth grade math and physical science in a school district that consisted of kids whose parents were from a military base, a shoe factory and from local gov’t jobs. My classroom was a portable, stuffed with as many as 42 kids at a time. My slower students didn’t fall through the cracks on my watch – I used the text books as a guide only, and supplemented by making sure to teach the basics. I used mental arithmetic excercises daily, had students work problems every single day, was always available for questions before, during and after class. I tutored students on the side. IMHO, I have no doubt the same system I used then would work today…
wdf: He has never been vested in Davis anyway. Why do you say that?
SODA: “No one has addressed that James Hammond’s family lives in So CA.”
I think SODA answered your question.
SODA: Landy Black is not leaving, he was not offered the job in Fairfield.
DMG: “SODA: Landy Black is not leaving, he was not offered the job in Fairfield.”
I’m sorry Landy Black feels he will not advance in his career here in Davis to the extent he wishes to, but happy he is remaining in Davis for the excellent job he has done under some very trying circumstances.
So, to continue with this question of how much Hammond is actually paid, the district web site says that he did take a 5% pay cut, from ??? in 2008-09 to ??? in 2009-10. Another thing that I don’t know is whether that minus 5% came on top of an automatic raise of some kind.
Since David is bemused by the idea that Hammond’s management seems fairly standard other than what he has done for varsity athletics, here is the point. Yes, unlike David Murphy, Hammond did not mess everything up by concealing liabilities from the school board. That’s great, but it does not make him Warren Buffett.
It is also lumping two different issues together to say that Murphy failed with a good budget while Hammond is doing well with a bad budget. Murphy messed up the facilities budget, not the operating budget. Hammond has been honest with the facilities budget, which is certainly an improvement, but he also spent all of it on the stadium, leaving nothing for other purposes.
He probably started thinking about leaving when the trustees rolled him on making the Valley Oak Elementary a charter school.
Ontario is a much larger district and his family is down there somewhere so it would be natural for him to take the job, serve more kids, make more money, and be closer to his family.
His greatest achievement was diversifying the administration, a change that in time should pay dividends as they in turn diversify the staff. When push came to shove they were able to eliminate the climate coordinator because they had appropriate role models in leadership positions. It seems there has been less in the news about race issues at the schools under Hammond’s tenure a tribute to his leadership.
As for facilities like many in administration Hammond is a jock and has spent money that needed to be spent on the football stadium. In an era of tight budgets you can always argue over where the facilities money gets spent but if you worked with kids as Hammond has you would understand the important role sports plays in the social, emotional and physical development of young people. I have seen many students, who, because they were able to succeed in sports were able to make the rest of their academic growth a success. Many kids go to school for the activities and the sports, they do the math because that is the bargain to participate in the areas that they enjoy.
Hammond is a great asset to any school organization, I wish him the best and hope that the people who found him have an equal success finding his replacement.
[i]As for facilities like many in administration Hammond is a jock and has spent money that needed to be spent on the football stadium.[/i]
I can see an argument that they needed to spend some money on Halden Field. Yes, the field was lumpy and the track was dirt. But did they need to spend so much money that there was no facilities money left for anything else? Did they really need a pavilion with a veranda and concessions? Do they need a press box on top of the stands? I understand that David was in danger of twisting his ankle out there on that treacherous grass. But what does a press box do for anyone’s safety?
They could have spared that press box and replaced some of the school lockers at, for instance, Holmes. Halden Field will have a spanking new press box, but many of the student lockers will still be junk.
No one has addressed that James Hammond’s family lives in So CA. All things considered I am sure he would like to live with his family.
I am a little puzzled that this is coming up. I heard Hammond refer to his family in southern California his first year here, and Hudson wrote a piece about them and his long distance commute. But then this year I heard more than one person refer to his having at least one kid in the Davis schools. So now I’m not sure where his family is located.
David brought up some positive aspects of his leadership that I have appreciated.
What is needed is a commitment to scrap “new math” and convoluted texts, and get back to the basics.
I like what I am seeing in the math classes my kids have had. I don’t know what kind of math you call it, but it appears to cover basic concepts adequately. Is there standardized testing available to show that “back to basics” math is a better approach than the “new math and convoluted texts” that you refer to as being taught currently in Davis?
Beef up ESL programs, don’t eliminate the best one the city had (at Valley Oak).
Who was the ESL coordinator at Valley Oak? Is that person still employed by the district? If so, where?
wdf: “Who was the ESL coordinator at Valley Oak? Is that person still employed by the district? If so, where?”
It is hard to assess the current condition of ESL at DJUSD. There is no information about it on the district web site. There is supposed to be a DELAC (committee), but there are no agendas or minutes shown.
From Ingrid Salim, DTA president, to DTA members, this afternoon:
Hi everyone,
Dr. James Hammond has now made this information public and it will likely be in the newspaper soon. I wanted you to all have a chance to read it from me first.
Last Thursday evening Dr. Hammond received an offer from the Ontario School District to be their superintendant. He does plan to accept. He will be released from his contract here, so we will NOT be paying for more than one superintendant 🙂
My expectation is that the Board will name an Interim for this next year, while they conduct a search. I have no hint yet as to whom that Interim will be.
Many of you may know that Dr. Hammond originally intended to move his entire family (wife, three children) to Davis from Seattle, WA. For various reasons, his wife concluded that this was not where she wanted to reside and instead moved to Southern California where she has family and friends. During his tenure, Hammond has spent weekends with his family and his week work here. This year, Dr. Hammond and his wife had this year concluded that their family simply could not withstand the separation any longer, and planned to move the family here for the Fall. James Jr, his oldest son, actually has been living with his dad here since the semester and attending North Davis. But Hammond also
continued searching for other positions closer to where his family is now
residing, to keep their options open, and in the end made the decision he feels is best for his him and his family.
I am happy for him, that he has found a position that will allow him to live and work where his family feels most comfortable. I have felt his sadness and longing for his family as he’s been here. But I am sad for us, as we are losing a visionary leader, a man willing to say what he believes and to stand up for those who don’t have a voice. I’ve appreciated the inspiration he’s provided for some of the movement we see in our direction. I’ve also appreciated his directness and his support of our members. I hope one day to work with him again, such is my respsect.
Ingrid
I gave more thought this afternoon to the idea that it was very important to renovate Halden field (a) for the sake of safety, and (b) because sports is important to children. Let’s take them at face value. Halden field is only one of four tracks and field sites in the district. The other three, at the junior high schools, are also dirt tracks. The one at Emerson is in terrible condition, while the one at Holmes is a crummy design, since it’s a square with sharp turns at the corners. I don’t know about the fields, but they would have to be in much better shape than the tracks to be very good.
If sports safety and sports inspiration are the concern, why is it that the district spent all of its money on a luxury renovation of ONE stadium, complete with a press box and a concession building, instead of also improving the tracks and fields at the junior high schools? I totally understand the value of physical exercise, and competitive sports and the feeling of achievement from sports. But the stadium is more about watching sports than playing sports.
Over the years our kids have done various performance activities, from music to ballet to cross country running. I understand the point about achievement and physical exercise and all that. I even understand boosterism, up to a point. However, there are two things that none of the extracurricular events for our kids have never had or needed. One is a press box, and the other is a concession building. They have had press and they have had concessions, but it has never made sense to construct buildings for them.
Congratulations to Dr. Hammond, I wish him the best. E Roberts Musser-“What is needed is a commitment to scrap “new math” and convoluted texts, and get back to the basics. Beef up ESL programs, don’t eliminate the best one the city had (at Valley Oak). Don’t dump all the problem children (troublemakers) and learning disabled students at DHS together into Transition Academy. Separate the discipline problems from the learning disabled students. ” I could not agree more with your comments. I started school in a very rural setting in North-West British Columbia. We had a few Dick and Jane readers, a globe and a blackboard. The students came from many different cultures including Eastern European, Arab, French, English, first nation Canadians and one American. Miss MacDonald worked with us in groups and individually and we worked with one another, not competitively. We were advanced based on comprehension of the subjects. Miss MacDonald would be horrified by the thought of any pupil “falling through the cracks.” We learned to love learning.
I hope that Dr. Hammond does not leave DJUSD. I understand he has to think of his family first, however, he has done a good job serving DJUSD, and served to stabilize things after Murphy left the school district in chaos.
wdf1: “Many of you may know that Dr. Hammond originally intended to move his entire family (wife, three children) to Davis from Seattle, WA. For various reasons, his wife concluded that this was not where she wanted to reside and instead moved to Southern California where she has family and friends. During his tenure, Hammond has spent weekends with his family and his week work here. This year, Dr. Hammond and his wife had this year concluded that their family simply could not withstand the separation any longer, and planned to move the family here for the Fall. James Jr, his oldest son, actually has been living with his dad here since the semester and attending North Davis. But Hammond also
continued searching for other positions closer to where his family is now
residing, to keep their options open, and in the end made the decision he feels is best for his him and his family.”
Didn’t the BoE know of this issue when they hired Hammond? Shouldn’t part of the hiring process include some discussion of the likelihood the person will be sticking around and truly be committeed for the long haul? I really feel the BoE didn’t do its homework here…
Didn’t the BoE know of this issue when they hired Hammond? Shouldn’t part of the hiring process include some discussion of the likelihood the person will be sticking around and truly be committeed for the long haul? I really feel the BoE didn’t do its homework here…
Do want the BoE to get answers on where a candidate will locate prior to offering the position? I think that’s a reach, Elaine. A stronger argument could be made that perhaps Hammond didn’t do his homework. Most job situations I’ve seen involve a job offer, candidate would then give final consideration to the job, living arrangements, desirability of the community, etc., and then a decision on the part of the candidate as to whether to accept or reject the offer.
Good point E Roberts Musser. Dr. Hammond does not reside in Davis and Bill Emlen does not reside in Davis either. It looks the both the school board and the city council need to do a better job of requiring the people that hold these important positions (Sup. and City Manager) to reside in Davis.
At least it is something to consider.
It looks the both the school board and the city council need to do a better job of requiring the people that hold these important positions (Sup. and City Manager) to reside in Davis.
It would be desirable for such individuals to reside in Davis, and district employees sending their kids to Davis schools does inspire added confidence in the rest of the community, but I disagree on making it an absolute requirement.
Hammond’s long distance commute to S. California is obviously problematic, especially if you’re raising kids. But in general a choice of where to live and which school to send your kids to is very personal and depends on the needs, values, and interests of those involved.
A few observations… often heard it said that “up-&-coming” school administrators serve 3-5 years in a district, then move on… looks good on resume… Hammond fits within that profile, basically… same is true, generally for City Managers/City Administrators, but Emlen wasn’t on that “track”… his career history was not tracking on CM/CA. So…. what is TRUE? Salim indicates it’s a fait accompli, yet the Enterprise says there’s a meeting tomorrow, where Tim Taylor is quoted to the effect that the fat lady hasn’t sung yet… My instinct is to trust Tim, whom I’ve known for years, rather than a union hack, but usually, the new employer won’t announce until it’s a done deal — offer & acceptance– otherwise, their “next” pick & the community will know they’re dealing with a second pick or an “also ran”… somebody is not being truthful…
what is TRUE? Salim indicates it’s a fait accompli, yet the Enterprise says there’s a meeting tomorrow, where Tim Taylor is quoted to the effect that the fat lady hasn’t sung yet… My instinct is to trust Tim, whom I’ve known for years, rather than a union hack,
In watching school board meetings, I’ve observed Salim to be more candid, direct, and truthful than I’ve seen in many of her predecessors. In looking at the school board agenda for tomorrow’s meeting, the only item posted for discussion in closed session is:
“a. Public Employee Release: Superintendent”
See:
[url]http://davis.csbaagendaonline.net/cgi-bin/WebObjects/davis-eAgenda.woa/wa/showMeeting[/url]
There maybe other interpretations, but to me I read that as Hammond asking to be released from his contract. He has a job offer and a family in S. California, and he clearly misses spending time with his family. I don’t think there’s anything more to discuss, except a workable transition.
But why didn’t his wife want to live here? That is the big question I have.
wdf1… you truncated my comment… based on the latter part of it, one would have surmised that I gave credence to Salim’s info upon the preponderance of evidence… the fact that the Ontario’s papers published the announcement of the offer… that said, I do not need to (IMO) need to take back my other comments… the school teachers & staff “gave up” 50% of what city employees have, and MUCH less than have been exacted from most state employees…
As to Mr. Toad… perhaps his wife read the Enterprise &/or this blog…
wdf1: “Do want the BoE to get answers on where a candidate will locate prior to offering the position? I think that’s a reach, Elaine. A stronger argument could be made that perhaps Hammond didn’t do his homework. Most job situations I’ve seen involve a job offer, candidate would then give final consideration to the job, living arrangements, desirability of the community, etc., and then a decision on the part of the candidate as to whether to accept or reject the offer.”
Correct me if I am wrong, but the BoE knew there were potential problems inre Hammond’s family situation – seems to me I read about it in the Davis Enterprise when he was hired – that there were concerns he might move on if a better job offer presented itself in other places he and his family would prefer to live. Shouldn’t part of the job interview involve figuring out from the candidate just how committed s/he will be to the job/community in the long term?
Elaine: I understand your concern, however, I think that if Dr. Hammond leaves tomorrow, it still was well worth it to hire him.