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Members of focus groups contribute to superintendent search
The USD 234 Board of Education is asking staff and members of the community for input in a search for a new superintendent.
Parents and staff were invited to focus group meetings Thursday to learn about the process being used to find a new superintendent.
USD 235 Interim Superintendent Jan Hedges introduced Dr. Howard Smith from Pittsburg State University.
"He and a couple of his colleagues are helping us do the superintendent search for our district," Hedges said. "He will talk to you about the process we will be going through. The board (of education) has asked to gather input to help as they are going into the search."
Time line and process
Smith gave the group a time line of the search process.
"This week we are doing focus groups to get input about the qualifications," Smith said.
This was the third focus group he had met with this week and one of two focus group meetings held Thursday, he said. There were also two focus group meetings Wednesday.
Information gathered from the focus groups will be compiled and presented to the board of education on Dec. 14, Smith said.
He asked those who attended what qualities they would like to see in a superintendent.
"From these meetings, we'll pull that together to the board on Dec. 14 at their board meeting and they'll set those qualifications," Smith said.
One of the things that's changed over the years in the search process, Smith said is technology.
"Years ago there was a lot of print materials. Today... information is technology," he said. "If you want to know about this district you look at the website. You can go to the KSDE website and look at all the reports that have been filed. Those type of things used to be maybe in a tri-fold. We don't do that anymore. We basically direct people to locations where the data are and then ask them to review those type of things."
At the Dec. 14 board meeting, decisions about superintendent qualifications will be made.
On Jan. 11 the application will be on paper and the board will decide on interview questions and reference check questions, Smith said.
"We build a rubrik based on those qualifications, screen the applicants," Smith said.
A rubrik is a guide listing specific criteria.
"For each (applicant) we'll fill out a report that the board will receive," Smith said.
Once finalists are determined, they will go through the interview process. The finalists will meet with staff in each building in mid-January, he said.
"You'll get an opportunity to interact with these folks and there will be feedback that you can give on them," Smith said. "We are going to find a number of people that probably have the credentials, but it's the fit.
"At the end of those interviews, hopefully there will be the fit," he said.
"Interviewing is a two-way street," Hedges said. "It's not only who is the best person for us, but they have to decide if we are the best place for them."
"The last (superintendent) search I did was for Southeast (Cherokee)," Smith said. "We had 19 inquiries last year and somewhere around a dozen solid applicants. A position like this will be somebody who has some connection to the area."
He said he has already received five inquiries. He also said there are currently 10 to 12 superintendent vacancies across the state.
Best time for a search
When is the best time to do a superintendent search, An earlier focus group asked when the best time is to conduct a superintendent search, smith said.
"In Kansas, typically a lot of decisions on superintendent hirings are made in January," Smith said. "You can get your process in place so your candidates can have applications on file by the beginning of January. Then select finalists, then interview."
There will be more applicants at the beginning of the search, Smith said.
"It's people who want to go somewhere. Sometimes...later in the spring people are making decisions to look at positions because they can't stay where they are at. But not everybody that applies in February and March has been told to leave."