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May 14, 2009 - By Margaret Zhou
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Under his advising, North was ranked with a perfect score, a 10, by the California Department of Education and was accredited by the Western Association of Schools. Needless to say, Mr. Kinnear’s impact on the school has been monumental. And now, Kinnear plans to extend his positive impact on education by running for Superintendent of Riverside County Office of Education (RCOE).
Kinnear is “excited to be campaigning for political office.†He has already begun the process of hiring political consultants and campaign managers and writing his campaign message. Riverside County Mayor Ronald Loveridge will endorse Kinnear and announce his candidacy at a celebration to be held on May 21. Kinnear explains that his enthusiasm spawns not only from his confidence that he can make a difference in Riverside County but also from his attachment to the RCOE. Kinnear began his administrative career in the RCOE so if and when he is elected as Superintendent, he will be returning to his roots. Kinnear explains that while he is enthusiastic, he is also frightened. He has never run for political office. “I’ve become a student again; a student of campaigning,†said Kinnear. “There are political realities I have to face. Riverside is a big county… The greatest challenge for me now is learning campaign strategy and how to finance my campaign.â€
When asked what inspired him to begin the campaign and run for Superintendent, Kinnear replied that he believes he can make a “tremendous difference.†He explains, “Most people don’t even know what the Office of Education is responsible for, what it does. I believe I can turn that around.†According to the RCOE website, County Superintendents of Schools serve as intermediaries between the California Department of Education and local school districts.
They work with the U.S. Department of Education to provide services and resources to school districts.
They also collaborate with the County Board of Education to implement educational programs, provide oversight and training for school districts in the areas of finances, teacher credentialing and various aspects of curriculum and instruction. They also provide extensive training and support for incoming teachers.
The RCOE also operates programs for students with specialized needs, such as Special Education for the severely handicapped, Head Start, Migrant Education, Alternative Education through independent study, Community Schools and Juvenile Court Schools and Career Technical Education (CTE) programs.
In addition, the RCOE administers state and federally funded grant programs and services. Aside from these three basic functions of business and financial oversight of school districts, operating educational programs and professional development working toward educational improvement.
On top of this, Kinnear believes the County Superintendent also has a fourth function: to be a voice for school districts in the county, as well as a voice for education.
Kinnear has been disappointed by the Office of Education in the past, when legislation affecting schools has been voted into place without administrators, teachers or kids knowing how it impacts them. He hopes to bridge the gap between local schools and RCOE.
Kinnear believes the experience he acquired as a principal has been great training ground for the office of Superintendent.
“I’ve had extensive experience and interaction with students, teachers, parents and the community, and I’ve been a part of the school site all my life,†said Kinnear. He plans to rely on this in-depth understanding as ROCE to form a tighter connection with schools. Kinnear says he will also concentrate on educational improvement as Superintendent. “We know we need to do a better job with English learners. We clearly know that the teaching of math, especially algebra, needs to be better. The Office of Education needs to take a focused approach in improving these areas instead of just working on staff management.†Kinnear has also been disappointed with the budget cuts, career and vocational programs have had to face. He recognizes the County must now be the provider for these programs. The first task Kinnear says he will carry out as Superintendent is to “pull together educational leaders, including administrators, principals and teachers to determine needs and establish collaborative relationships.†The second challenge will involve becoming the voice of education for the county and the third will be to use this voice to communicate a sense of urgency. The question at hand now is what Kinnear’s candidacy means for North. Kinnear emphasizes that the election is to take place in June of 2010 and that between now and then he has two jobs: serving as principal and campaigning. The first job, he says “will not be shortchanged. Being principal is still first and foremost to me.â€
However, Kinnear is confident that there are many people at the district and at North who are qualified for his current position. If and when Kinnear is elected Superintendent (Kinnear, jokingly explains he likes to be optimistic and use “whenâ€) Riverside Unified School District will choose a new principal for North—something that hasn’t happened for a very long time.
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