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Jeanne Whynot-Vickers has to cover her previous post as she sorts out her new superintendent duties.

By KELLEY BOUCHARD, Staff Writer September 21, 2007

In her new role as interim superintendent, Jeanne Whynot- Vickers says she plans to restore financial security and public trust in Portland schools, and she knows she can't do it alone.

For a start, as she assumes the duties of former Superintendent Mary Jo O'Connor, Whynot-Vickers must reassign the work she has done for nine years as assistant superintendent of Portland's elementary and middle schools. In the meantime, both jobs are hers.

"I'm double-booked like an airplane for the next two weeks," Whynot-Vickers said Thursday.

The School Committee ended weeks of wondering on Wednesday when it unanimously named Whynot-Vickers to replace O'Connor on a temporary basis through June. O'Connor resigned Aug. 29 in the midst of a budget crisis that also led School Finance Director Richard Paulson to resign on June 30.

An investigator's report, commissioned by the committee, leveled blame on O'Connor, Paulson and the committee for failing to stave off a $1.7 million to $2.5 million deficit in the $82 million budget for the school year that ended June 30. The full amount of the deficit has yet to be determined by auditors and city finance officials who started overseeing school budget matters in August.

In taking charge of Maine's largest school district, Whynot- Vickers said she is identifying and prioritizing her new duties, getting a handle on the financial challenges ahead and reaching out for help from her staff, the community and experts in school administration.

Whynot-Vickers said some of the people she plans to tap for guidance include J. Duke Albanese, former state education commissioner, and Richard Barnes, associate professor of educational leadership at the University of Southern Maine, her alma mater.

Whynot-Vickers agreed to take the interim position when the committee, working with the Maine School Management Association, was unable to find an outside candidate who was willing to do the job, said Benjamin Meiklejohn, the committee's finance chairman.

Meiklejohn and other committee members said they expect to have an equally difficult time attracting candidates when they advertise the permanent position, probably in January, because of the district's financial problems.

"It's going to be a tough sell," said Rebecca Minnick, committee member. "It's going to have to be someone who likes a challenge."

Minnick said Whynot-Vickers' broad experience as a teacher and administrator in Portland schools for 26 years will help get the district back on track financially, boost staff and student morale and restore credibility in the system.

Whynot-Vickers said it's too early to tell whether she'll apply for the permanent position. For now, she's focused on figuring out what's on her plate and setting priorities for getting things done.

Her educational philosophy centers on personalizing education for children of varied learning styles and cultivating critical thinking skills that allow students to be flexible, lifelong learners. "I believe in teaching for a world that isn't here yet," she said.

Regarding her leadership philosophy, Whynot-Vickers said she believes in creating conditions that allow change to happen when it needs to and being able to manage change when it happens.

"As a leader, I know I don't need to have an answer for everything, but I must be able to find the answer when necessary," Whynot-Vickers said. "We are smart people. We will figure it out."

The next steps in addressing financial troubles will be taken at a finance committee meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Portland Arts and Technology High School.

Meiklejohn said the committee will receive an update on the deficit, including a reconciliation of grants spending, and a draft recovery plan from top school administrators.

Meiklejohn's committee was scheduled to meet with the City Council's finance committee on school budget issues Wednesday, but the meeting was...