Pedicone and MAS: dueling press conferences

by David Safier

I didn't attend the press conferences held by Pedicone and faculty/plaintiffs from the MAS program Thursday, so I'm depending on reports from the Star, KGUN and the Capitol Times for my information.

The message from the MAS press conference is clear: Pedicone deserves an "F" grade as superintendent, and he should resign.

The Star has this:

"Pedicone has proven to lack the courage, skills or abilities to lead TUSD in a critical time," the [MAS] educators said. "He divides our community when we need unity, lies when we need honesty and uses deception to hide his true intentions."

In Pedicone's press conference, he graded TUSD over his 5 month tenure and gave it a "C," saying the district has strong programs but has problems of division and lack of trust, and he has no intention of resigning.

Pedicone also said the Ethnic Studies issue created a lack of focus. Unfortunately, lack of focus is what I have sensed in virtually every public statement Pedicone has made on any issue where a strong statement might provoke controversy. He uses blurry language to try and keep from offending anyone — meaning, he tries not to say much of anything. That's a problem. Ducking and dodging is not leadership.

Example: KGUN reporter Steve Nuñez wanted to know if Pedicone has any regrets about his handling of the Ethnic Studies situation, especially the large police presence and arrests at a Board meeting. See if you can figure out this reply:

"If I know what I know now about the manner in which we could have processed through that, I would have probably tried to prevent that from happening, just because it created a level of distraction," answered Pedicone. "Certainly kids didn't need (the distraction) at the end of their experience in high school."

Huh? "the manner in which we could have processed through that"? "I would have probably tried to prevent that from happening"? And why would he "have probably tried to prevent" it? Not because the police presence and action were improper but "because it created a level of distraction"?

I listen to how people say things as much as what they say, and beginning with Pedicone's first statements as superintendent, I've heard this same kind of obtuse, I-don't-really-want-to-take-a-position language.

But even with these concerns about Pedicone, I don't think, after 5 months on the job, he should resign. I may change my tune a few months down the road, but, though he hasn't been an ideal superintendent, "ideal" is an impossible standard for anyone taking the helm at TUSD, with its checkered history, and at a time when it's facing a decreasing student population, draconian budget cuts and a Republican-dominated state government that may hate TUSD even more than it hates the city of Tucson.

I also believe Pedicone's Ethnic Studies situation was complicated by Stegeman's resolution. Before that, Pedicone's not-quite-clear statements were buying him time until Huppenthal made his final pronouncement about the MAS program. Stegeman ill-conceived proposal created a direct confrontation which put Pedicone in a situation where he had to choose sides, something he doesn't do well, and he chose badly.