KC SCHOOL CHIEF KEEPS UP PRESSURE TO EXCEL

In all the years that the Kansas City School District has been under the thumb of a federal judge, there has been plenty to watch. The spectacle has been anything but entertaining.

Even when one U.S. district judge declared his oversight was no longer needed -- after decades and millions of taxpayers dollars with precious few positive results, agitators found another judge to put the district back under the control of the federal judiciary.

One of the worst things that has happened during all of this has been the swinging-door effect on able administrators. The Kansas City district has probably had more superintendents in recent years than almost any other public school district in the state.

The current superintendent, Benjamin Demps Jr., has developed a widespread reputation for taking on anyone who tries to detract from the district's mission to educate students. Demps has done battle with district patrons, state legislators and school board members. Now he has added another battle front: administrators in schools that aren't improving performance.

Of Kansas City's 75 schools, at least a third are performing poorly based on student test scores, dropout rates and graduation rates. Demps' response to the poor performance looks a lot like what would happen to mid-level managers in private industry who fail to meet goals and expectations: Nine principals are being relieved of their management responsibilities. Two other principal-level administrators are being reassigned. In all, a third of the beleaguered district's schools will have either new principals or more scrutiny when school starts this fall.

It is a sad fact that enterprises funded with tax dollars rarely are treated the same way as businesses whose owners, stockholders and customers expect certain results. But Demps clearly believes students and district taxpayers have a right to expect a high level of performance and results. And if those benchmarks aren't achieved, his answer is simple: find new people to get the job done.

The shuffling of administrators by Demps came as a surprise. For one thing, he doesn't have anyone in mind to replace those principals who are being asked to take other assignments. The changes also created something of a ruckus among district staff members, because it's time for the Missouri Assessment Program tests. But it's also the time of year when school districts let teachers and administrators know if they have contracts for the next school year.

Demps is keeping up the pressure to turn the district around even as his own fate as superintendent is in jeopardy. The district needs a hard-nosed administrator at the top. It looks like Demps is doing a lot of things right.