Fairfax on Track to Pick New Superintendent
Replacement for Superintendent Jack Dale should be in place by May, school board members said Monday as they explored the kind of relationship they wanted with the system's new leader.
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Fairfax County School Board members are on track to have a new superintendent chosen by the end of April.
After a work session Monday afternoon, School Board Chairman Ilryong Moon (At Large) said the Board was keeping to the schedule outlined in November 2012, hoping to publicly announce the new leader of one of the country's largest school systems in May.
“We are having our first round of interviews this week,” Moon said, adding that he and his colleagues hoped to hold interviews Wednesday and narrow the pool down to approximately three finalists by Sunday.
Those chosen will be interviewed a second time, and the Board will then choose its preferred candidate, Moon said.
During the work session, the Board explored the relationship they hoped to have with the new superintendent. Discussion revolved largely around collaboration and honesty.
The Board has enlisted the help of search firm Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates in finding a replacement for outgoing Superintendent Jack Dale, who will retire in June.
At-large Board member Ryan McElveen and Jane Strauss (Dranesville) said they hoped the new superintendent would bring a positive and inspiring attitude to the workplace.
“So much of what happens in this area is people yell at each other all the time,” McElveen said. “People yell at us, we yell at the administration, and vice versa.”
Officials also wanted roles between the superintendent and the School Board to be defined and recognized.
“I think sometimes the leadership team and the superintendent have made policy decisions without our being involved at all until after the fact when the community or somebody else gets all upset about something,” Patty Reed (Providence) said.
Megan McLaughlin (Braddock) wanted a superintendent unafraid to have frank, straightforward conversations with the Board about initiatives that might not be working or challenges the school system was having. She said officials in Fairfax County had a tendency to accentuate the positive aspects and strengths of the schools even though challenges still existed.
“There’s this pressure to perform and to have these test scores constantly increase,” McLaughlin said. “I don’t want our superintendent to come in and feel like we expect a miracle worker or somebody to come in and just suddenly make everyone feel great.”
But McElveen didn’t know if some residents would see it that way.
“I think the community might expect a miracle worker,” he said.
This is Strauss and Moon’s third search for a superintendent. Strauss said there will be a significant “re-norming” process in order to get the Board and new superintendent on the same page and working harmoniously.
“That re-norming process will be probably the most significant thing we do in the first year with the superintendent, with the community and with ourselves,” Strauss said.
See also:
Profile of next Fairfax Superintendent Takes Shape
Parents Seek Business Sense, Transparency in New Leader
Parents: New FCPS Leader Should Maximize Limited Budget, Show Respect
Catherine
9:45 am on Tuesday, March 12, 2013
This comment is from The Patch's related article on parent comments about the superintendent search: "More than one community member expressed the desire for a future superintendent who will listen and value community input. Meeting attendees agreed Dale has not respected and valued that input." And this a statement from this article above: "This is Strauss and Moon’s third search for a superintendent. Strauss said there will be a significant “re-norming” process in order to get the Board and new superintendent on the same page and working harmoniously." - Part of the dysfunction between our community not feeling "heard" lies at the feet of School Members like Strauss and Moon who have simply been on the board way too long. The public has been very vocal in calling both Strauss and Moon on the carpet for their myopia on a myriad of issues (Fairgrade, discipline, long overdue implementation of FDK, teacher pay etc...) - including their selection of the tone-deaf Dr. Dale as superintendent a decade ago. New leadership should also include fresh school board members who aren't political party stalwarts that get re-elected time after time after time because of their strong political party ties. I'm hopeful the same public that is yearning for a more "open" superintendent, will also apply these principles to the next school board election in three years. We don't need Strauss and Moon back for another 20 and 14 years respectively.
Virginia Fitz Shea
6:11 pm on Tuesday, March 12, 2013
There is no need to have a “re-norming” process in order to get the school board and new superintendent on the same page and working harmoniously on the major issue of the elementary school schedule. They have worked closely together to maintain the current SNAFU: "Situation normal: all f---- up."
Superintendent Dale and the members of the school board have carefully avoided trying to allow students to have five full days of school each week. Instead, they maintain the dysfunctional practice of dismissing elementary school students two hours early every Monday. Apparently they prefer this epic SNAFU to continue indefinitely. If the school board continues to evade this issue, I certainly hope that the new superintendent is willing have a frank, straightforward conversation with the board about improving the schedule for the students while making alternative arrangements for teacher planning time. There is no need to hire a miracle worker. Just be sure and hire someone with a proven track record of providing all students with at least an average amount of time in school. We should not hire a superintendent who cuts corners on the amount of time students are allowed to be in school each day.
Virginia Fitz Shea
6:32 pm on Tuesday, March 12, 2013
correction-- I mistakenly said "new superintendent" when I meant "current superintendent." The first sentence should read:
There is no need to have a “re-norming” process in order to get the school board and current superintendent on the same page and working harmoniously on the major issue of the elementary school schedule.
Virginia Fitz Shea
6:35 pm on Tuesday, March 12, 2013
To editor--In case you would like to have a corrected version in one comment--here it is:
There is no need to have a “re-norming” process in order to get the school board and current superintendent on the same page and working harmoniously on the major issue of the elementary school schedule. They have worked closely together to maintain the current SNAFU: "Situation normal: all f---- up."
Superintendent Dale and the members of the school board have carefully avoided trying to allow students to have five full days of school each week. Instead, they maintain the dysfunctional practice of dismissing elementary school students two hours early every Monday. Apparently they prefer this epic SNAFU to continue indefinitely. If the school board continues to evade this issue, I certainly hope that the new superintendent is willing have a frank, straightforward conversation with the board about improving the schedule for the students while making alternative arrangements for teacher planning time. There is no need to hire a miracle worker. Just be sure and hire someone with a proven track record of providing all students with at least an average amount of time in school. We should not hire a superintendent who cuts corners on the amount of time students are allowed to be in school each day.