Dear Source:
Dr. Lynn Spampinato is in the U. S. Virgin Islands. Seemingly, she has change, politics and power plays on her mind. She made the rounds to radio, television, civic, and political organizations. She has been giving a bleeding heart liberal pitch to parents too. However, in those places where Dr. Spampinato worked before, she was known to care about money not poor parents. She was seen as one who "extorts money from taxpayers." Also, she acted like a panhandler bringing back memories of nineteenth century carpet-baggers. While she has been called bright, and appears to talk a good talk, Dr. Spampinato's employment and performance records look ragged and erratic. During the last six or seven years she has worked some nine different jobs. Almost, always, she leaves under strange circumstances.
Recently, Dr. Spampinato's job performance history has become a curiosity. The comments about her include: controversial, not a people person, a bad fit, one who does not get on well with school administrators, and, a person who fumes too much. Further, she comes to school districts with friends and companies to which she has connections and financial dealings. With such a track record, Dr. Spampinato is a hard sell to progressive school organizations in the U. S. Can a black educator with as ragged an employment history walk into a white community and be trusted with the future of white students?
The Virgin Islands are a colony. But everyone living here is not colonized. We must acknowledge that the scenario we are fostering borders on open insanity. Clearly the citizens here are being enticed into a "for profit web," being woven by a person quite savvy about the business of education. Admiral Richard K. Turner of Pittsburgh, PA, described Dr. Spampinato as "able to extort money from taxpayers again and again," while she moves from place to place. In about two months here, the education commissioner in waiting, has made the press rounds, encountered roaches, seen eight years of dirt on school floors – waxed over, finds no school data, and sees worthless academic programs. What a poor display of cultural competence for someone aspiring to lead in a school district, which is culturally different?
An argument that there is no data in U. S. Virgin Islands schools is a deliberate lie, or pure naivety. Recently, a group of educators with the outfit Learning Point, affiliated to the University of Illinois, worked in our schools. They were sensitive, effective and empowering. Who can forget the leadership and academic prowess of Dr. Lynn Gaddis? Her group started to transform Virgin Islands schools. That should be built on – not discarded. Before the citizens in these islands are saddled with a decision that can cost money and regrets, there should be a looking away from Dr. Spampinato's promises. The focus ought to be her job performance where she worked before. Interestingly, she speaks of other districts as being successful, not those where she worked.
Whitman T. Browne
St. Thomas
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