The school year is coming to a close for most districts, but for some leaders, it’s an end to their careers in education. Multiple districts around the country are conducting nationwide searches looking for their next superintendent with rather short timelines. Do school boards have enough time to gather community input and interview potential candidates ahead of the next school year?
Superintendent turnover has emerged as one of the most prominent issues in K12 education as most leaders are nearing the age of retirement. Add to that the overwhelming external pressures that drive many out of the profession, inevitably leading to inexperienced leaders entering the superintendency. Now, school boards are left to find their replacements this summer, but it’s not easy.
Memphis-Shelby County Schools in Tennessee has been searching for a superintendent since August after former superintendent Dr. Joris Ray resigned amidst alleged personal misconduct. Since then, Toni Williams has been holding down the fort as interim superintendent. Now, the district is nearing one year without finding a replacement, and there’s no indication that it will be over anytime soon, Chalkbeat Tennesse reports.
The board made plans to find a replacement by spring this year and for them to be working this summer, but the process has been interrupted for a third time as the board agreed to vote to widen its criteria to find a more suitable candidate.
But districts like Akron Public Schools are taking a more swift approach, one that has leaders divided.
APS announced in late April that it will be moving ahead with its superintendent search but under a strict timeline. In a press release, APS specified that the deadline for applicants is June 5. They’re also seeking input from students, staff and the community.
One board member worries that the process is moving along too quickly.
“In my humble opinion, we’re kind of rushing it a little bit,” Board Member Job Perry told Ideastream Public Media after the district’s vote to move forward with the search. “You know, we have an interim (superintendent) who’s doing a great job right now. Our schools are doing fine. There’s a lot of turnover in our city right now.”
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Like MSCS, another district is opting for a longer timeline to ensure it receives the best pool of applicants.
The Madison Metropolitan School District in Wisconsin announced on Monday that its board members agreed to accept an extended timeline presented by consultant Alma Advisory Group. As a result, the district likely won’t name its next superintendent until March 2024, according to The Cap Times.
MMSD’s current superintendent Carlton Jenkins, who announced his retirement in February, is scheduled to step down in July, which means the district may go eight months without a replacement.
“This is a process you should do if you’re feeling that a longer timeframe may give you better stakeholder engagement, if you’re feeling that your current interim is able to stay through the end of the school year and can support any sort of stability and strengthening of the organization, potentially readying the organization for your next leader,” Alma CEO Monica Santana Rosen told the board, The Cap Times reports.
