FAYETTEVILLE — Residents will get a chance to voice their opinion on the characteristics needed for the next superintendent in the coming days through the School District’s website.
The School Board agreed Wednesday to post the profile of characteristics a superintendent needs to have and allow residents to provide feedback on the 10 points. The profile was originally developed by a residents committee before the search began which resulted in hiring Superintendent Vicki Thomas.
Thomas has resigned at the end of her contract, June 30, to move to Texas where her husband’s parents live.
The profile will be posted in the next few days, said Holly Johnson, the development and marketing director for the district. People will be able to respond on the district’s website.
Board member Bryn Bagwell urged board members to consider resident input in the selection process for Thomas’ replacement. She cited the board goals to better communicate with the community, although she said she wasn’t sure where community input would fit in the selection process.
Bagwell said she has has five people tell her they want to be on the search committee. She didn’t identify those people.
Board President Tim Hudson expressed concern the board might be abdicating its responsibility to hire the superintendent by creating a residents committee for the search process.
“I’m not inclined to say we’ll have a search committee,” Hudson said.
Board member Susan Heil said several community groups plus the general public had opportunities to meet the finalists for the job and were able to provide feedback from those meetings. One was a reception for the public at the Walton Arts Center.
Comments left on the website will be considered at the Feb. 27 meeting to add or take away points on the profile.
Board members also agreed to seek cost proposals from search firms although there was no decision on a national search for a new superintendent. Board members said they hoped to get the proposals by the next board meeting at which time they are expected to decide whether to do a national search.
The board hired Ray & Associates of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for the search that led to Thomas’ hiring.
“A search firm would be beneficial if we open a national search,” said Steve Percival, a board member. “I don’t know if a search firm could make anything happen more quickly in Arkansas than we could.”
Percival is president-elect of the Arkansas School Boards Association which does provide assistance to school districts in superintendent searches.
At A Glance
Position Profile
A resident committee in 2009 developed a profile for the new Fayetteville superintendent to replace retiring Superintendent Bobby New. The profile will be posted on the district’s website, www.fayar.net, for public input:
- Strong execution skills; organized and disciplined — able to get things done.
- Effective team building-delegator.
- Committed to high student achievement.
- Proven track record in teaching and administrative experience.
- Strong interpersonal skills, including demonstrated integrity, sense of humor, high energy, sincerity — a true role model.
- Successful communicator — able to make the complex easy to grasp; good listener.
- Strongly committed to district mission and strong values.
- Understanding of school law and finance required.
- Politically astute — able to read and adjust to the landscape/culture.
- Collaborative leader who is improvement minded.
Source: Fayetteville School Board