The Buffalo School Board is expected to interview another candidate Tuesday for schools superintendent. WBFO's Focus on Education Reporter Eileen Buckley says he is the former Memphis Schools Superintendent.
"You have to have a hook to bring parents to school who are not accustomed to wanted to come up and be a naturally demand parent," said Dr. Kriner Cash from an interview withhttps://vimeo.com/113739852"> the Somerville School District in Massachusetts as a superintendent finalist in December of 2104.
New York State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia is recommending the school district hire Cash.
"The purpose of our meeting on Tuesday was to meet Dr. Cash," said Buffalo School Board Minority Member Barbara Seals Nevergold.
The city school board has been called to hold a special session at 10:00 Tuesday to interview Cash.
Cash resigned from the Memphis District in 2013 after his contract was not renewed by the school board following a district merger.
Majority School Board Member Carl Paladino, who hasn't participated in past superintendent interviews, wrote an email to Board President James Sampson last week that included Commissioner Elia. Paladino stated he was "willing to hear cash out" because he "comes highly recommended", but only if Cash would be agreeable to appointing Paladino's preferred candidate, Kevin Eberle, as a deputy superintendent. Eberle is one of three local candidates for the superintendent position.
Paladino also stated in the email that "bringing in a black only to pacify" the black minority on the Board is "abhorrent" to him.
"We have 50% of our student population are African Americans, so how can you placating African American women on the board, bringing an African American leader as abhorrent," responded Seals Nevergold. "Not only is he overstepping his bonds, but he's undermining the rest of the board."
Cash had his share of controversy. One Memphis news article says he was criticized at times for using abrupt and blunt behavior.
After leaving the Memphis district he was a finalist for several other district superintendent searchers. According to WBFO's on-line research, Cash was interviewed in March of 2013 for the New Bedford District in Massachusetts. In July of 2013 he was also a finalist in the New Haven School District in Connecticut.
Cash interviewed in December of 2014 in Somerville. He was also one of three finalists for superintendent in New Orleans in May of 2014. Most recently Cash interviewed this past May for the top leadership school job in the Lowell School District in Massachusetts.
Cash has a long list of education work. He served as an associate dean at Howard University School of Education. He also worked as a superintendent in Martha's Vineyard and served as chief of accountability for the Miami-Dade Schools.
