Ravenna school board fires superintendent for low student achievement

Justine Lofton:

The board’s decision to replace VanLoon came after its performance evaluation of him in December resulted in a score of 2.41 out of 4.

A score of 2 means “minimally effective,” while a 3 is “effective.”

“Knowing that I’ve had effective or highly effective ratings for the past nine years, yes I was very surprised,” VanLoon, 53, said of the score.

The goal is to have a new superintendent in place by July 1, said board President William Funk.

A special meeting on the superintendent search will take place at 6 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 18, at the district’s administration office, 12322 Stafford St. in Ravenna. During the meeting, the board will discuss the search timeline, salary range, contract length and selection criteria.

Funk said he hopes to find a superintendent who can improve student performance on standardized testing.

“The data clearly indicate that being able to read is not a requirement for graduation at (Madison) East, especially if you are black or Hispanic”.