The Clarke County Board of Education has delayed a final vote on hiring sole finalist Robbie Hooker as superintendent until Sept. 1 after complaints that the board has not taken any public input on Hooker’s appointment.
The local NAACP chapter called on the school board last week to hold a community meeting with Hooker before confirming him. The selection process “lacked any semblance of transparency or community involvement” and “failed to follow minimal protocols of fairness or equal opportunity,” chapter president Alvin Sheats wrote in a letter to school board members, current superintendent Xernona Thomas and accreditation agency Cognia.
The district will host a meet-and-greet with Hooker from 3–4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 28 at the school district’s Prince Avenue headquarters. The final vote to hire Hooker—originally scheduled for Aug. 25—will instead take place before the school board’s 6 p.m. work session on Thursday, Sept. 1. The board voted to name Hooker the sole finalist for the position earlier this month.
Hooker, a longtime CCSD teacher and administrator who currently heads the Social Circle school system, was chosen to replace Thomas, who had announced that she would retire by the end of the year. He is expected to take over starting Oct. 10.
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