Attachment E

Wednesday, November 15, 2017 at 3:37:09 PM Pacic Standard Time

Subject: Fw: Editorial submission?

Date: Thursday, November 9, 2017 at 11:02:40 AM Pacic Standard Time
From: Kelley, ScoG
To: Rombardo, Neil
AGachments: image001.png

From: Gross, Sam <SGross@reno.ganneG.com>

Sent: Saturday, November 4, 2017 5:41 PM
To: Kelley, ScoG
Subject: RE: Editorial submission?

Hey there, ScoG!

The person youre looking for is BreG McGinness, hes our opinions editor. His email is bmcginness@rgj.com.

Sorry it took me a few hours to get back to you,

-Sam

---
Sam Gross
K-12 educaYon reporter

PART OF THE USA TODAY NETWORK

Mobile: 775.219.9328
Oce: 775.788.6343
sgross@rgj.com

rgj.com

From: Kelley, ScoG [mailto:SGKelley@washoeschools.net]

Sent: Saturday, November 4, 2017 11:54 AM
To: Gross, Sam
Subject: Editorial submission?

Hi Sam, I'm working on an editorial apologizing to the community about how the superintendent
evaluaYon was done. I can't nd the email for who at the RGJ editorial department I would submit too.
I'd like to get in-touch with that person today to see if it's possible to have the editorial published in
Sunday's paper. Any help you can provide would be much appreciated!
ScoG, trustee

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 Wednesday, November 15, 2017 at 3:37:54 PM Pacic Standard Time

Subject: Fw: Editorial submission: "Washoe County, speaking on behalf of the School Board, we
messed up."
Date: Thursday, November 9, 2017 at 11:03:09 AM Pacic Standard Time
From: Kelley, ScoO
To: Rombardo, Neil
AGachments: image001.png

From: McGinness, BreO <bmcginness@rgj.com>

Sent: Sunday, November 5, 2017 12:39 PM
To: Kelley, ScoO
Subject: RE: Editorial submission: "Washoe County, speaking on behalf of the School Board, we messed up."

Absolutely making the x now.

BreG McGinness
Engagement editor

PART OF THE USA TODAY NETWORK

Mobile: 775.771.2968
Oce: 775.788.6204
bmcginness@rgj.com

rgj.com



From: Kelley, ScoO [mailto:SGKelley@washoeschools.net]
Sent: Sunday, November 5, 2017 12:12 PM
To: McGinness, BreO <bmcginness@rgj.com>
Subject: Re: Editorial submission: "Washoe County, speaking on behalf of the School Board, we messed up."

Hi BreO, thank you for posdng the editorial this morning. I was wondering if I can make a small
correcdon? In this paragraph:

Davis three-year contract called for a midyear review, which should have occurred in March 2017.
However, four new board members myself included joined the School Board that month.

Can you change it to:

Davis three-year contract called for a midyear review, which should have occurred in March 2017.
However, four new board members myself included had just joined the School Board.

Page 1 of 3
That must have been a typo on my part, since we joined the school board in January.
ScoO

From: McGinness, BreO <bmcginness@rgj.com>

Sent: Sunday, November 5, 2017 8:05:06 AM
To: Kelley, ScoO
Subject: RE: Editorial submission: "Washoe County, speaking on behalf of the School Board, we messed up."

ScoO-

The op-ed is online now, and will appear in print on Wednesday.
hOp://www.rgj.com/story/opinion/voices/2017/11/05/behalf-school-board-we-messed-up-
kelley/833756001/

Thanks,
BreO

BreG McGinness
Engagement editor

PART OF THE USA TODAY NETWORK

Mobile: 775.771.2968
Oce: 775.788.6204
bmcginness@rgj.com

rgj.com



From: Kelley, ScoO [mailto:SGKelley@washoeschools.net]
Sent: Saturday, November 4, 2017 4:25 PM
To: ren-columns <columns@rgj.com>
Subject: Editorial submission: "Washoe County, speaking on behalf of the School Board, we messed up."

Hi RGJ, I hope it's not too late to have my editorial, wriOen on behalf of the Washoe County School
Board and in reference to last week's superintendent evaluadon, appear in Sunday's paper? Please let
me know if you have any quesdons.
ScoO



By ScoO Kelley, Clerk, Washoe County School Board

Washoe County, speaking on behalf of the School Board, we messed up.
Audience members who watched our evaluadon of Superintendent Traci Davis Thursday night

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probably felt it. I certainly felt it as we discussed the preliminary scores, which ranged from 1.64 to 3.4,
depending on how each School Board member interpreted the volumes of evidence wed all received.
The context this evaluadon took place led to inexcusable gaps and confusion in the process.
Davis three-year contract called for a midyear review, which should have occurred in March 2017.
However, four new board members myself included had just joined the School Board. The
workload to get caught up on everything at Washoe County School District was overwhelming. A mid-
year superintendent review should have been brought forward by the Board or sta, but wasnt.
Then, in rapid succession, we faced the 2017 Nevada Legisladve Session, followed by School Board
President Angie Taylors diagnosis with cancer, and nally a $40 million budget decit. A
superintendent review could have occurred during this period, but didnt. In the future, the Board and
sta must take responsibility to make sure requirements like this are met.
The Board started the superintendent evaluadon in August, and by then it was too late to do a midyear
review. We hired an outside consultant to organize the process because we wanted it to be unbiased,
and we didnt want to put District sta in the posidon of evaluadng the superintendent. Thats our job.
Every Board member received an evaluadon rubric, survey results from School District sta and the
community, and volumes of evidence from the superintendent and her leadership team. In addidon,
every Board member relied on their own experiences with the superintendent, as well as visidng
schools, talking with District employees, volunteers, and members of the community about her
leadership.
During the superintendent evaluadon meedng, aws in the process wed approved became apparent,
especially the omission of a midyear evaluadon, and the type of evidence that the superintendent and
trustees reviewed. Aser more than four hours of public comment and discussion, the Board voted 4-2
to improve her performance to Accomplished.
How can we do beOer next dme?
Well discuss this more in-depth during future meedngs, but doing a midyear evaluadon and stardng
the end-year evaluadon process sooner are cridcal.
The School Board has already began several long-term governance strategies that will help, such as
creadng key performance indicators for the Districts strategic plan. This strengthens the role data will
play the next dme we evaluate the superintendent.
We are passionate about governance, but freely admit that this work is never nished. If cidzens have
ideas on how we can improve, please let us know, either through public comment, emails to the
Board, or out and about.
As for the superintendent evaluadon? Washoe County, we messed up, and well do beOer next dme.

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