BOE Searches For An Interim Superintendent: The Details

First they release a statement:

“Candidates with experience in curriculum development, budgeting, community relations, staff hiring, problem solving, building projects, working with city government/boards, press relations and Superintendent/BOE relations are sought,” the statement said.

The Hour reports:

On Friday, Board Chairwoman Rosa Murray released a statement that the board will hire someone in an interim position “to allow for a seamless opening of school in the fall, sufficient time for a comprehensive superintendent search and to meet legal requirements.”

The Board of Education began its search last week but is not releasing the names of the candidates.

According to Murray’s statement, the board is interested in former superintendents with years of experience in districts similar in size and diversity to Norwalk.

Google provides us with criteria that the San Diego unified school system used. Compare and contrast:

Criteria for San Diego Superintendent
Utilizing input received from parents, staff and other constituents, the Board of Education
of the San Diego Unified School District is seeking a superintendent who has
demonstrated strong leadership and management skills and possesses many of the
following beliefs and abilities.
An educator who believes that:
• All students can and will learn.
• Decisions should be made on the basis of what is best for students.
• Fine arts, performing arts, academically challenging programs, programs for
special needs students, athletics, outreach programs, and career/technical learning
opportunities for students from a diversity of backgrounds/needs are essential to
maintaining a well-rounded curriculum.
• Learning is the primary focus of public education, and school districts should
partner with charter and private schools, colleges, universities and other
educational institutions to ensure that appropriate life long learning opportunities
are available for everyone.
• Parents must be partners in the education of their children, and schools should
reach out to parents in a family friendly manner.
• Visibility in the schools and community is essential to the success of both the
District and the Superintendent.
• What happens in the classroom is of primary importance, and that District staff
and resources exist primarily to support classroom teachers, school administrators
and other school staff in the improvement of student learning.
A leader who has demonstrated the ability to:
• Work collaboratively and effectively with the Board, staff and parents.
• Accept accountability, establish high expectations, delegate effectively and
provide support as necessary.
• Address the achievement gap and issues related to it.
• Analyze and use a variety of assessment data, in addition to test scores, in making
informed decisions.
• Attract, motivate, develop and hold accountable a high quality leadership team.
• Build strong and active local support for the schools and school matters.
• Communicate effectively on a regular basis with staff, parents, students, the
Board, the community and others.
• Develop a vision with the School Board, community, parents and staff, then
clearly articulate that vision and bring it to fruition through the development of a
plan(s) of action and milestones to achieve concrete and measurable goals
developed in conjunction with the Board.
• Embrace and celebrate diversity.
• Empower others to assume leadership responsibilities in achieving District
2 of 2
priorities.
A leader who has demonstrated the ability to (continued):
• Manage a large, complex organization while maintaining a balanced budget.
• Provide an environment of trust and respect for the work done by staff, and
promote an esprit de corps that helps maintain a high level of staff morale.
• Think proactively, being able to anticipate situations, as well as the consequences
of policy and management decisions.
• Utilize technology as a tool for improving teaching and learning, and understand
the potential of technology to transform how children will learn in the future.
An individual who models:
• A belief in the worth and ability of all, regardless of race, religion, creed, color,
marital status, veteran status, sex, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin,
age, or disability.
• Courage, empathy, fairness, honesty, integrity, openness and a respect for the
opinions of others.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Self-improvement, creativity and risk taking.
Successful experience as a superintendent is required. Successful experience as a teacher
and principal, and an earned doctorate from an accredited university, are preferred. The
ability to speak Spanish is desirable.

Check the link to San Diego though, they provide a timeline of the events and process, ya know, open and transparent.

source: The Hour, Search under way for interim schools superintendent, By LAUREN MYLO, 07/13/2009

  • Anonymous

    The only question I have regarding the San Diego situation is that the superintendent resigned in September, and a new superintendent was named in January…could Norwalk really follow such a time frame? Especially with the current issues here? Just how many candidates do you think will apply for this position?

  • Anonymous

    With a crazy board of education and a failing school district (according to NCLB), it will be a challenge to find someone. Then again, it will be fairly easy for the next superintendent to look better than the departing gentleman. All he/she has to do is be respectful of others and their opinions, and actually pay attention to what takes place in the schools. That is a no-brainer, but Dr. Corda never seemed to “get it.”

  • Education the great equalizer.

    Well this, is, interesting, very interesting.

    This was recorded last year.

    She has come a long way in a short time.

    http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/9170

  • Mrs. Peacock

    Thank you, number 3. I agree with much of what Rhee says, and the interesting thing is that there are many wonderful teachers in our district, headed toward retirement, who truly care about the kids. Unless things change for the better and the cold, unfeeling factory-like atmosphere changes in our district, then we can expect new idealistic teachers to burn out very quickly and never impart that energy and inspiration that many veteran teachers have managed to hold onto since they first began teaching prior to the age of standardized testing. Oddly enough, Michele Rhee and the teachers’ union have similar goals and concerns. If Michele Rhee feels that Mr. Wallace is the model teacher (takes his kids out to McDonald’s for after school help in Calculus), then she would subsequently have to support a motivating, dynamic, and supportive school climate that empowers teachers to teach. Also noteworthy is the fact that Rhee has fired over 3o principals in her district.

  • Anonymous

    #3: I don’t know a lot about Michelle Rhee, and so I did some research of various blogs and newspaper articles, including some from The Washington Post. Reporters say that she has a total of three years of teaching experience and that her first year was so bad that she told her father that she didn’t want to return to the school. Her claims of dramatic improvements in her students’ scores on a test of basic skills are entirely without backing; she readily admits that she cannot produce the evidence of the claim of success. No one else can produce it either. When challenged, she downplays her claim. Even the principal of her school can’t produce the data, data which should have had researchers in her building to see what she had done so effectively. And since she was teaching in a school that was run by a private company, you would think that that company would have seen a goldmine in her teaching practices. My guess is that it didn’t happen the way she claims.

    As for her plan to increase dramatically the payscales for teachers who give up tenure, no one knows how she can get that kind of money, and she is deliberately vague when pressed.

    From this quick research, I learned that Norwalk isn’t the only school district that fails to do the necessary background checks on its superintendents. So many people need to believe that there is a savior out there, someone who has the answer to what ails our education system. So many people so desperately want to believe that they forget the need to be critical of claims by charlatans.

  • anonymous

    So Rhee is the “Joe Clark” of DC education. Maybe Marion Barry can do that job too. They elect him to everything else in that city. Now that Rhee’s reputation has been slightly tarnished, she may be just right in Norwalk. Just ask the bunch of second chancers around these parts.

  • Anonymous

    Michelle Rhee’s downfall will be her lack of skill in dealing with people. She has to work with the public and with DC officials, and she has to work with the bargaining units. An imperious attitude works for a while, but it isn’t good in the long run.

  • Anonymous

    Someone must respond since Rhee is not on this blog to defend herself.

    Someone posted about Rhees’s downfall.

    Did someone read want they want to read?

    Did someone note Rhee’s age?

    That she is battling unions, that no one could ever put a dent in that armour before?

    What about that she is doing all this while a single mother of two and taking care of her ailing parents?

    I wouldnt bet against Rhee. She has the energy and the courage to overcome all obstacles that stand in the way of her students.

    Her accomplshments?

    Well she had the mayor disband the board entirely and put his money where his mouth is.

    Something that keeps getting recycled is money.

    Rhee got her money for her teachers.

    What most are not aware of;

    is that there is a whole lotta dough sitting on the sidelines. Some foundations and organizations are ready capable and willing to make it happen.

    What those extremely valuable resources wont do is just toss dollar bills out there at what doesn’t work. They want there dollars to count.

    There are grants that are available currently that have never been pursued here in Norwalk.

    And its a safe bet we will see x prize’s shortly for educational excellence from the private and public sectors.

    Yes we, most surely, CAN.

  • Anonymous

    A couple of corrections:

    She is not a single mother taking care of two children. She left them with her soon-to-be-ex-husband, who lives near her parents. He is going to move closer to her so that he will continue to care for them.

    She did not get the money for the teachers, and that may not happen.

    I read multiple sources.

  • Anonymous

    Some folks get it right away, some need more encouargement. How did a discussion about education turn into a supermarket tabloid?

  • where is the money?