Local
FUSD maps out superintendent search
January: Post the job online.
February: Pore over applications. March: Interview and present superintendent finalists to the public.
The timeline for picking a new top officer for the Flagstaff Unified School District is taking shape. With less than two months left for Kevin Brown, the school board and search consultants are getting to the heart of searching for Brown's replacement.
The school board met with John Gordon, director of leadership development for the Arizona School Boards Association, on Wednesday to begin sketching the timeline. The board hired the Phoenix-based ASBA to help guide its superintendent search, which will also include clearly identifying what qualities and criteria the next superintendent should have.
The timeline is tentative, but it includes a March 8 "Community Day," highlighted by a public evening forum with the finalists.
"This is an ambitious activity," Gordon said.
The ASBA will post the job on its Web site, www.azsba.org, and also share the information with other state and national groups, including the Arizona School Administrators, Education Week newspaper, the three state universities and the Broad Superintendents Academy, which trains business executives to take the helm at school districts. The board will accept internal applications but agreed not to give those applicants special treatment, such as guaranteed interviews.
Applications will only be accepted online.
In the coming weeks, Gordon will meet with various groups of local "stakeholders," such as staff, students and parents, to get an idea of what characteristics people other than school board members and fellow key administrators want in the new superintendent. Those discussions will help shape the text of the job posting.
Board member Paul Kulpinski and president Deb Harris said they want to see diversity in these groups of constituents.
Kulpinski also said he likes the idea of a community mentor, such as a leader from the city or Northern Arizona University or Coconino Community College, to pair up with a potential new superintendent.
Board clerk Beth Heerding seconded the "mentor" idea.
"I'd like to see some 'average Joe' citizens involved, too," she said.
Gordon said getting about 20 to 30 high school students together to grill the finalists would be particularly insightful.
"I'll tell you what, they'll take it seriously and give you good feedback," he said.
The board agreed to hire the ASBA for $7,000 for an all-inclusive search package. FUSD is a dues-paying member of the association, which also provides legal and policy direction, training and lobbying for public school districts.
This price quote does not include travel for candidates, nor will the district offer that separately to potential replacements. FUSD can offer relocation expenses in the new superintendent's first-year contract, but it cannot provide travel expenses for people not employed -- or employed yet -- by the district.
Superintendent positions are opening up across Arizona, giving FUSD some competition for choice candidates. Small-to-medium-sized districts in Prescott, Humboldt, Coolidge and Casa Grande are also looking for new leaders.
FUSD aims to have its new superintendent in place in July, the start of the fiscal year.
In the meantime, the district has planned to have an interim trio of leaders. From January through June 2010, Barbara Hickman, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, will be the interim superintendent, with backup from Bob Kuhn, assistant superintendent of operations and a yet-to-be-named, internally chosen "Director of Curriculum and Secondary Instruction."
Hillary Davis can be reached at hdavis@azdailysun.com or 556-2261
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Leave your comments below:
Fred wrote on Nov 6, 2009 12:52 PM:
" My question is this; why does it take a consultant to help in hiring a new Superintendent? Just another example of wasting probably tens of thousands of dollars on something which does not need to be done. For crying out loud, it is not that hard. The candidate needs to be certified in Arizona or able to be. Needs a specified level of education and experience with school districts of this size. Needs a positive record in educational leadership. What is the problem here? This is not rocket science!
Of course, more money will be wasted in flying people in, putting them up in the nicest hotel in town and then wining and dining them. The district does NOT do this when it hires the most important people....its TEACHERS, why is the Superintendent different?
In the end, the couple of hundred thousand spent could have been used to hire at least four teachers for a year or keep several programs afloat.
The district wants to public to support them and fund programs and schools, then they publicly waste money like this....No wonder they do not understand why they lost the override. "
Of course, more money will be wasted in flying people in, putting them up in the nicest hotel in town and then wining and dining them. The district does NOT do this when it hires the most important people....its TEACHERS, why is the Superintendent different?
In the end, the couple of hundred thousand spent could have been used to hire at least four teachers for a year or keep several programs afloat.
The district wants to public to support them and fund programs and schools, then they publicly waste money like this....No wonder they do not understand why they lost the override. "
retired and vocal wrote on Nov 6, 2009 8:38 AM:
" While searching for the superintendent, is it not true that Ms. Hickman and Mr. Kuhn will be paid additional monies for the "extra workload?" Class sizes for teachers and counselors at schools have been increased, with some counseling services going down from 2 staff to 1 staff. These people continue to do their jobs for the kids, because they are directly involved and committed to the students and their families. They do not receive any additional monies for the "extra work load." Why should the administrators? The failure of the override was a clear indication of confidence levels in our FUSD administration, and we are going to pay them more to clean up their mess? "
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The Arizona Daily Sun, Copyright 2009 © 1751 S. Thompson, Flagstaff, AZ
The Arizona Daily Sun, Copyright 2009 © 1751 S. Thompson, Flagstaff, AZ
Online editor wrote on Nov 6, 2009 2:30 PM: