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Wednesday, October 07, 2015

SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH 2015-2016

The Wicomico County Board of Education has begun the search for a new superintendent, and next month the entire community will have the chance to help guide the search process.

The Maryland Association of Boards of Education (MABE), which the Board has hired to conduct the superintendent search, will hold Stakeholder Input Sessions at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14 in two locations: the cafeterias of both James M. Bennett High School and Salisbury Middle School. These 7 p.m. sessions will be for the entire community: parents, students, business leaders, community members, public officials, and other interested parties.

Both locations will also host Stakeholder Input Sessions for staff at 4 p.m. that day.

At all of the Stakeholder Input Session on Oct. 14, participants will be provided a brief presentation about the superintendent search, will participate in group discussions, and will be asked to answer three questions:
  1. What do you feel are the most positive things about Wicomico County and the Wicomico County Public Schools?
  2. What characteristics and qualifications do you feel a superintendent should possess?
  3. What challenges do you think the new superintendent will face?
The Board will use responses to these questions to shape the recruiting process for a new superintendent. The position of superintendent for Wicomico County Public Schools will be advertised starting in November, with applications due by the end of January.

In February and March, applicants will be reviewed, ranked, and screened, with some candidates having an initial, standardized interview for the post. Once the search has narrowed further, a smaller pool of candidates will have a second, more open-ended interview. After this second interview there will be a few finalists, each of whom will spend a day in the district. Focus groups from within the school system and from the community will have the opportunity to meet with each finalist.

The Board’s goal is to choose the top candidate for superintendent by around April 1, and vote to appoint the chosen candidate. The new superintendent would start work on July 1, 2016, when current Superintendent Dr. John E. Fredericksen has completed his contract and retired.

“It’s not easy, because it’s a tough job, and you want to make the right choice,” said MABE’s Dr. Ed Shirley, a retired public school superintendent who now assists Maryland school systems like Wicomico with superintendent searches. “The selection of a superintendent is the most important thing a Board of Education has to do.”

Dr. Shirley presented an overview of the superintendent search process at the Wicomico County Board of Education’s September 2015 meeting. A copy of his presentation is posted on the school system website at www.wcboe.org, on the Superintendent Search page.

7 comments:

Steve said...

So, as I see it, the appointed board will be asking for the public's input on who and what will make a good Superintendent, take that back behind closed doors, have a good laugh over it all, and come out telling us who they are going so shove up our collective arseholes.

Am I pretty close here?

Anonymous said...

I don't feel like this BD of Education should have any input other than basic criteria for the position. This county has already suffered mightily with fast Freddy, so why should we believe in the Board's ability to lead. It smells like a set-up for the next spoon-fed do as I say or I will start screaming tantrums that taxpayers will have to endure.

The next person better be a financially responsible person at all costs. That should be the top priority, followed by documented, proven, educational experience and the educational degrees actually earned. This county doesn't need another loser.

Anonymous said...

5:57, That's a lovely story! And you tell it so well; with such enthusiasm!

Now, go talk to Steve...

Anonymous said...

Hopefully, this time they'll check their candidate out very well before they hire.

Anonymous said...

5:57 Financial responsibility?... in the public sector? Bahahahaha

The first criteria for this position is a healthy appetite for fine dining and wasteful spending. That's what they're looking for.

Anonymous said...

At the County Council meeting on PAC-14 Councilman Dodd asked Bill Middleton who was hired by MABE to run this hiring process, how much this is costing tax payers. His response was $21,000. WTH!

The School Board is paying a statewide school board organization $21,000 to hire a Superintendent for us? Don't our 7 Wicomico County School Board members have enough sense to hire OUR Superintendent?

Anonymous said...

Hiring Dr. Charlene Boston, the woman who couldn't spell (remember N is for Knowledge?) - about $200K

Hiring Dr. Fredricksen, the man who blew up the budget and instilled a system of retaliation and fear... about $250K + a whole bunch of stuff we don't know about...

Telling us that we have INPUT and they want our voices heard? - Priceless...