CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. – He has been accused of misspending the school district’s money and not having the credentials to get the job.
On Thursday, the embattled Superintendent for the Clintondale School District in Macomb County sat down for a one-on-one to clear the air.
He said he views the attacks on his credibility as a direct threat to his reputation and his job, and he wants his district to hear his side of the story.
He has a lot to say.
He said he has haters because he’s made hard decisions on accountability. He said he had done nothing wrong. He said he has the proper credentials to hold a position as a superintendent in the state of Michigan, and he said he fully expects that his contract will be renewed at the next board meeting on July 25.
Two former board members have raised concerns about what Rodriguez Broadnax placed on his resume to get the superintendent’s job in the Clintondale Community School District. They claim in North Carolina that there is no record of him teaching in that state and no record of proper licensing and certification to teach.
“In North Carolina, like other states, there are different rules for certifications lateral entry, or whatever you want to call it, just like an alternative route,” said Broadnax. “I really did not get a license there, did not have a license in North Carolina, but it does not show I did on my resume that I had a license in North Carolina.”
Broadnax’s license to teach in Nevada is also being questioned because his detractors said they could find no record of his declared teaching license number.
“In Nevada, I applied for a license never got one in Nevada because of their certification requirements or rules, but I stayed there two years as superintendent, the board and I worked through those issues,” Broadnax said.
Paula Tutman: “And so you’re saying that they knew you didn’t have a license?
Broadnax: Yes.
Tutman: Nor did they require it, nor did you put that on your resume?”
Broadnax: No, No.
His credentials and resume entries for Indiana and South Dakota are also challenges.
On Wednesday (July 13) night, Broadnax sent a 10-page document with photocopies of various certifications addressed to the Clintondale School Community.
It includes a read-out from the executive search company that submitted his resume for the job before his being hired on July 1, 2021, re-asserting they did their due diligence in vetting him.
In that document, he also addresses questions about district monies on out-of-town school trips he spent and got reimbursed for on personal items and alcohol, saying, “We do not always get it right.”
“I took a team, and nobody did anything malicious that they wouldn’t ordinarily do,” Broadnax said. “Somethings were just hooked to the district’s credit card at the hotel. That’s it.”
Tutman: Was it a mistake?
“That was a mistake that we didn’t realize the district credit card was hooked and that alcohol would be hooked onto the hotel credit card,” Broadnax said.
His final summation of the ordeal:
“I think we should focus on what’s important, and those are kids,” Broadnax said. “I’ve been to school. I have my education; I have my bachelor’s, master’s, and a specials degree. I have my certifications as a principal and a superintendent. I also have eight years as a superintendent. This shouldn’t even be a question again.”
Local 4 spoke to some of the former school board members who are challenging the credentials and spending practices, and they say, despite the written and verbal disclosures and assurances from Broadnax, they stand by their accusations that he is not qualified to lead this school district.
They also say that all they are asking is for the school board, not the head-hunting agency, but the school board to do its own due diligence for themselves, like look at the resume he submitted and look at his current resume. Make some phone calls, report their findings and put the matters to rest.
