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'That poor woman." We've been hearing those words being uttered by too many people as they talk about Elizabeth Celania-Fagen, the incoming TUSD superintendent. It's not an auspicious way to start a job.

The undercurrent in that statement is disturbing: That the Tucson Unified School District is so inexorably dysfunctional that anyone stupid enough to actually want the top job must have no clue what she is getting into, because if she knew what TUSD is really like, there would be no way she'd take the post.

Dr. Celania-Fagen, welcome to TUSD.

Instead of projecting collective inadequacies and entrenched stalemates onto the new superintendent before she even moves to town, it's time for the people of TUSD to look inward and take stock of how they contribute to the problems that have become so intransigent in Tucson's largest district. There is enough responsibility to go around.

We can hear the protestations: "Wait! I'm not the problem! It's so-and-so and the such-and-such department that doesn't do any real work and . . . and . . . and . . ."

And therein lies the problem. Instead of working toward a common goal and looking at the district as a whole, it's easier to lop off chunks and parcel out blame piecemeal. TUSD can't change for the better until all parts can agree on a common goal; namely, providing an excellent education to children within the budget confines of our strained public-education system.

No superintendent can be successful, even in the most collegial and well-funded of districts, unless he or she is supported — or at least not sabotaged — by her Governing Board.

In TUSD, the dynamic between the Governing Board and the superintendent has developed a particularly destructive pathology. Superintendents are brought in with great fanfare and optimism and words of support. Some time goes by, the superintendent makes difficult decisions that cause ripples among this group or that, and before long board members who were supportive begin to make their opposition known publicly. Board members overstep their role — to set policy — and try to insert themselves into decisions where they don't belong.

The relationship erodes, confidence is lost, fingers are pointed and nothing really changes within the district. Adults in TUSD blame each other, saying "It's not me, it's the other guy," and ultimately, kids are the ones who pay the price, sitting in crowded classrooms with outdated textbooks, with teachers worried about getting a raise that at least keeps pace with the rate of inflation.

TUSD is in a tough spot right now. The district is facing huge deficits — they're projecting a $20 million hole for next school year.

Superintendent Roger Pfeuffer recommended closing four elementary schools and the Governing Board has made several hard choices to whittle away at the deficit: It has approved increasing class size for most kindergarten and first-grade classes and OK'd a change in staffing formulas that will result in some schools essentially having to choose between a librarian or a counselor.

The Star's George B. Sánchez reported Wednesday that TUSD could lose almost 300 people, although an unknown number of those people would likely be hired back to fill vacancies left by retirements or resignations. According to TUSD spokeswoman Chyrl Hill Lander, the district now predicts that no more than 100 people would be out of a job in the end, although exact numbers won't be known until March 28.

TUSD needs a Governing Board that will lead by example through hard times. Instead, TUSD has a split and dysfunctional board that first voted in January against starting the closure process at Ochoa, Rogers, Wrightstown and Corbett elementaries. The board then heard a financial presentation and, about two weeks later, voted to start the closure process.

Most recently, board member Joel Ireland, who is running for re-election, said he is leaning against closing at least two of those schools and wants to revisit the librarian/counselor changes the board approved in February. This sort of Captain Do-Over routine is cruel to families, students and district employees who need decisions they can count on, even if they're not decisions they want to hear.

The board vote to hire Celania-Fagen was split 3-2, with board President Alex Rodriguez acting as the swing vote.

Celania-Fagen has said she's not concerned by the split and is confident she and the board will move forward together. Some view her statements as proof that she doesn't know of the lion's den she's about to enter.

But what if she does see what's wrong with TUSD and still believes she can overcome the divisions and help the district move forward? What if instead of being naive, Celania-Fagen is already refusing to play the old games and comes to the district fresh? What if this change could actually be good for TUSD?

It's time to give something new an opportunity to flourish. And that's a job big enough for everyone in TUSD.