I see the Vancouver Sun has a column about Eric Mercer’s mysterious disappearance.
Anyone have anything to add?
For “Prince Rumour,” the scuttlebutt on this one has been almost non-existant.
Yeah…the people who know are keeping quiet about this one. Dead silence.
A rumor about a conspiracy theory. Ah HTMF. 
Best move in years by the trustee’s of the SD. Followed by another great play in the hiring of the new Super. Let the healing of torn relationships with all user groups begin. I’ve enjoyed all the scuttlebutt for Eric’s departure… Sadly, none of it is too surprising…
That’s what happens when you order Chicken Chow Mein, Beef Chop Suey, and Chicken Fried Rice together…
The stars align, and changes happen.
… I’m hungry.
Maybe because some of the “groups” principals etc. were being informed they had to step up to the plate and do their jobs. Evaluations on teachers might be one…no ruffled feathers there…BCTF/Principals association.
Maybe some of the Trustees never liked him in the first place?!
Who applied from Rupert? How big was the pool of superintendents they had to pick from? It seemed to be a pretty quick pick compared to previous superintendent searches.
I like my theory better.
Also from a post found on the Vancouver Sun Blog “There have been so many changes in senior management in B.C. school districts! Deputy education minister James Gorman told trustees…that since 2001, there’s been: - an 85 per cent change in superintendents, - a 66 per cent change in assistant superintendents, and - an 80 per cent change in directors of education.”
Change happens.
I don’t know what happened to Eric Mercer, but if you want to have a look at a School Board that goes through Superintendents check out the history of the Cowichan School District for the last twenty years or so. When the superintendent doesn’t do the Boards bidding, he or she can easily be shown the door.
Maybe it’s an excuse because the trustees’ aren’t capable of doing their jobs and need a scapegoat. Remember it’s all perception.
I think you’re on to something there. It makes total sense that a superintendent would be fired because he/she attempted to have the district’s principals and teachers become more accountable for the success of their students. I can totally see the school district firing someone for doing that. 
Could be because of improper business practices. Like buying all new furniture for the not yet approved Alternate school WITHOUT following the school guidelines from a store that employs your spouse?
I think they’re allowed to spend $x without approval. With 12 years in at SD52 I think they let the wrong person go.
A previous super spent over 200,000 big ones moving 1st Nations to the old Alternate school without consultations and they kept him? Another one alienated everyone from each other because of unending wit and charm and was later fired from a different SD.
Mr Mercer I think was making waves by making people accountable and the apple cart was emptying.
I would not get too caught up in the expenditure theory.
A majority of the trustees on the board were involved in the hiring of Eric so one can go out on a limb and suggest it goes alot deeper than furniture purchases. IMO this is not a case of “firing the coach” for the teams lack of performance, but the coaches performance in and of itself.
Bird, holding people acountable is great and should be done but again IMO one still needs to use tact and diplomacy not arrogance and ignorance. The apple cart emptying was more like really good educators/managment leaving for various reasons left unknown to most.
Mercer didn’t buy the furniture, and had nothing to do with the choice of vendor. The furniture was pretty cheap too.
Hmm … perhaps everyone on the SB is keeping quiet because they messed up. Did they actually do a reference check. MIG thanks for the update … I heard that rumour … didn’t actually think it had merit but I went fishing with it anyways!
Maxwell you’re right about the coach theory. As far as arrogance and ignorance… I do have foot in the mouth disease, but so do a lot of people that have been persecuted.
I have learnt over the years, respect and tact, and not to open my mouth without as much information as possible.
I’d like to see the names of the educators/management that made this great choice.
Maxwell I’m sure you’re aware of how politics work and decisions are made based on constituency sentiment not on whether it is a good or right in some cases.
One thing I do know about this situation is that Mr Mercer was railroaded and that maybe people should really be pressing to ask, why? Maybe, while inquiring, ask when your childs’ teacher had their last proper evaluation done. That alone (teacher evaluations) “might” have caught the 2 that were sent to jail. We can’t speculate on that because that is done and gone.
Maxwell ask your Trustees how Mr Mercer was hired and what that majority really was. That might give you some insight into this situation.
Bird
Good points, I am not that familiar on the how/ways that our school board works. Just new to the system … that said who is the board accountable to for their actions? Besides the Liberals … ?
The voters, but we can only hold our elected officials accountable when an election finally rolls around. 