03/02/2015 – Superintendent Search Update

03/02/2015 Work Session
eboard link icon  Agenda Item – E.1.Superintendent Search Update
Community Liaison Group

Superintendent Search Update

Gary Solomon (CEO PROACT – Superintendent Search Firm)
The community engagement portion is complete.  We will continue to listen to various groups as they come to us.  Included here is a summary of the data we collected from the community engagement sessions.  We met with over 1000 people.
I bring 2 documents tonight for your approval.
1.  Marketing plan
2.  Position Profile – We listened to the board and done stakeholder engagement, we have put together a position profile.  The first part of the profile is a glimpse of the district.  The first 11 pages are a 10,000 foot view of the district.  Pages 13 and 14 is the job description.
The marketing plan we’ll use to recruit for the superintendent position.
Recruiting update – We recruited at the AASA, American Association of School Administrators conference last week.  Thus far 119 people have demonstrated an interest in the position.  Of that, 30 are sitting superintendents, 15 are deputy are assistant level administrators, 9 are direct deputies or assistant superintendents, and 3 regional people.  This is without a position profile up or any marketing.  We are confident we will present a slate of talented and diverse candidates for the board to consider.
We met with the community liaison group today.  We rolled out next steps, procedures and protocols.  It was a 2 hour passionate discussion.
At this time I ask the board to approve the marketing plan and position profile.
Vickie Turner (School Board)
What is the size of the liaison group?
Solomon
18
Turner – Where did you get the input for the qualifications listed in the position profile?
Solomon – The state mandates, collective conversations with the board and community.  Somebody asked me, “Do we want to cast a broad net or a precise net?”  They wanted to know the level of details.  We want to cast a wide a net as possible.  The position profile and minimum qualifications are just that.  We’ll pursue people way above that.
Stan Jester (School Board) – Eventually you’ll take this candidate profile.  Will you create a rubric?
Solomon – We will use an evaluation rubric created from the position profile to evaluate the candidates.
Jester – Will we see the rubric before you start applying it?
Solomon – Yes.
Turner – I went to many of the community engagement sessions and they echoed my sentiments that we don’t necessarily want somebody with an Ed.S.  Why did you disregard that?
Solomon – We heard mixed views.  The majority wanted the Ed.S.  I’d be happy to make that a preferred qualification.
Jester – It’s standard practice for the board to reserve the right the liaison group or PROACT dismisses.
Solomon – The board will be presented with totality of the applicant pool.
Jim McMahan (School Board) – The liaison group this afternoon was great.
Jester – Please put these documents on eBoards
Solomon – Over the next few months the board members and liaison group will become the most popular people in your county.  People will come up to you in the gym and the grocery store and will offer you their ideas about the best superintendent.
We want a fair and equity process for all the candidates.  If a candidate approaches you, please pass them along to the chair and we’ll put them through the same process.
Melvin Johnson (Chair – School Board)
The liaison group has been instructed that all communications regarding the superintendent should be directed to PROACT and not the board.
Marshall Orson (School Board)
I’d be happy to pass out a stack of cards with PROACT’s contact information on it as people approach me.
Michael Erwin (School Board)
What is the estimated timeline?
Solomon – I need about 6 weeks to recruit and a week to vet.  7 weeks from now, we’ll present candidates to the liaison group.  They will ween that down to 9-12 for the board.  The board will determine the semi finalists.
Erwin – What is the time commitment for the board?
Solomon – 2 days if you want to interview 10 candidates.  The finalist interviews are a three day commitment.