Staying the Course in Superintendent Search

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Editor,

Here’s a few thoughts after attending both the Sept. 29 town hall style meeting of the school board on the search for a new school superintendent, as well as all three general public meetings of the board’s executive search team.

As we predicted, the Sept. 29 school board meeting was well attended by a cross-section of people with vital interests at stake in continued and enhanced success of our schools. The discussion was positive and forward looking, and the board members who attended listened closely to the community.

The results of a consensus building exercise by the discussion facilitator were quantified and posted at LBUSD.org along with the audio recording of the session.

As I told the school board at its Dec. 8 meeting, public interest in selecting a new superintendent runs high.  In addition to being stopped on the street, beach, or in the market, at this year’s sublimely peaceful Hospitality Night it seemed every other conversation turned in a hopeful way to the superintendent search.

Yet, attendance was light at the three general meetings with the board’s consultant, Dr. Farley. That’s perhaps for the same reasons vitally important school board decisions too often are made without adequate public participation.  But that didn’t stop us from getting to know Dr. Farley’s methodology and philosophy about what makes a strong and successful chief administrator.

Among other things, Dr. Farley understands school board capacity building for more consistently sound public education governance requires clearly defined boundaries between the roles of a high-functioning board and a confidently capable superintendent.  Blurring differentiation between governance and administration can foster negatively politicized codependence masquerading as positive “teamwork.”

Farley’s grasp of these and other fundamental principles materially improves odds our current school board will not repeat past mistakes hiring senior central office staff. That gives me an informed expectation our school board will be given the ability to hire a well-qualified new superintendent.

We even have reason to believe the board will be able to choose from among a final roster of excellent candidates whose success serving the students and families in our community schools can be reasonably predicted.

If it happens, that would be nice for a change, promising more consistent school governance based on local community determined “best practices” in the future.

Howard Hills, Laguna Beach

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