On Tuesday the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a resolution recommending a Superintendent Search Committee. This Monday the DeKalb School Board will vote up or down on the search committee and its purview.
Question: Do you support having a Superintendent Search Committee? Why?
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Here is what community leaders from around the county are saying about a Superintendent Search Committee:
Scott Holcomb, State Representative – “Parent Councils United, which in my house district includes members of the Emory/LaVista Parent Council, the Tucker Parent Council and the Dunwoody/Chamblee Parent Council, is recommending that the BOE appoint a Candidate Selection Committee, comprised of recognized community leaders. Doing so would indicate that DeKalb County is ready to move ahead using best search practices by partnering with key stakeholders.”
Fran Millar, State Senator – “Since there is a professional search firm, I believe they should engage a representative group of community leaders in the process. The administration should not be involved (Board controls the process) except as a resource. Employees do not hire their boss period.”
Lee May, DeKalb Interim CEO – “I recommend the creation of a selection committee that would interview the list of candidates offered by PROACT.”
Diane Allers, President of Dunwoody Chamblee Parent Council (DCPC) – “A community based search committee is completely invested in the outcome of our superintendent search and will help to guide PROACT in searching for candidates”
Judy Limor, Vanderlyn School Council – “A county of our size and diversity must use its own community leaders to help search for a new superintendent. That is the ONLY way that our needs will be heard, recognized, and (hopefully) addressed going forward.”
Leslie Freymann, DCPC Officer – “I do very much support a Superintendent Search Committee”
Lisa Victory, Dunwoody High School Council – “The Superintendent Search Committee should represent an inclusive and broad population of stakeholders from the community. Its purpose should be to manage the search firm.”
Amanda Rountree, Dunwoody Elementary PTO Co-President – “I support having a Superintendent Search Committee.”
Brent Morris, Dunwoody Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors Chair – “To mirror what APS did is healthy for DeKalb as a whole. ”
Shari Bayer, Vanderlyn School Council – “I think it is critically important to have a community-based search committee lead the search firm. “
“Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice. Moderation in pursuit of justice is no virtue.”
I absolutely support a search committee made up of prominent DeKalb County citizens! Why? This is arguably the most important decision impacting DeKalb County since residents chose their elected officials. The BOE has an opportunity to build community confidence by engaging DeKalb in the process. They will ultimately make the decision whether they have a search committee or not, however if they choose to have a committee that (in my opinion) identifies a slate of final candidates for the Board’s screening and keeps the process transparent by bringing it to the public eye in a positive way, they will earn public trust and gain the confidence of parents, teachers and administrators who will ultimately have to embrace the new Superintendent. I hope the board will make the right decision and I hope that PROACT will honor their wishes.
MaryLea
MaryLea Boatwright Quinn
DCPC Co-Vice Chair
PCU member
Most importantly- mom of 2 DeKalb County Elementary students!
It is imperative that a Superintendent Search Committee be formed for this process. Input/feedback from the community stakeholders is vital in seeking out the best potential candidates; particularly considering the diverse footprint in DeKalb County- this ensures all voices are heard and recognized. This is clearly a “best practice” model that should be adopted.
Pam Melton
Dunwoody High School Council, Chair