First Posted: 1/15/2009

We know there are those who will fight the selection of Johnny Hunt as superintendent until the contract is signed, but that is precisely when that effort should end. For us, the time to move on arrives two paragraphs below.
Last August, when Colin Armstrong announced his decision to leave, we knew what would happen. The school board embarked on a course that was guaranteed to divide this county, and it put an exclamation point on its disregard for the public by jerking it around, first saying Hunt was no longer a candidate, and then hiring him when no one was looking.
On Monday, expect more evidence of some board members' disregard for the public when they argue for a four-year contract for Hunt. Because of the board's split, the odds are higher that this marriage won't work and a buyout is ahead. Moreover, Hunt's resume, which doesn't include previous work as a superintendent, simply isn't worthy of a four-year contract. We believe he should be on a short leash, not a long one.
But Hunt's resume doesn't suggest he can't do the job, and we have never taken that position. What we have said is, because the board and the community are divided, that makes the job harder for Hunt than for someone who doesn't bring his baggage aboard.
While we have fought his appointment every step of the way, we pledge we will work with Hunt and treat him fairly. We will require two things from a Hunt administration - honesty and accessibility, and we have no reason to believe that he will not provide both.
Supporters of Hunt have told us all he needs is a chance, that he has the skills to lead the school system to higher ground, and the charisma to bring the public along. We have also been told that Hunt will not turn the central office into a employment agency, that his administration will not be polluted with cronyism, nepotism and political hires. It is up to Hunt to make sure that doesn't happen, because if it does, we are duty bound to report it, and the public will abandon him.
We will call on the board now to leave its closed session when all the contract work is done and to vote 11-0 to hire Hunt. That move would be symbolic, but it would indicate that those who oppose Hunt are ready to forget the past and join Hunt and their fellow board members in pulling from the same direction.
We implore the public to support Hunt and his administration. If he falters, that failing should be because he wasn't up to the job, and not pre-ordained because of a recalcitrant public.
We have just watched as some members of the school board and others in the public, more concerned with winning than educating children, worked to undermine Armstrong's administration. We remind board members and the public, if you do the same to Hunt as they did to Armstrong, then you become them.