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The hunt for Redwood City School District’s next superintendent is on, and the trustees are turning to the public for help.
The search process will be far from simple, consisting of nine phases, one of which took place on Oct. 8, when consultants helped the trustees flesh out a template for the search, identify district strengths and challenges, and locate “desired qualities and characteristics” for the next superintendent.
The search for a superintendent comes after Superintendent John Baker announced his retirement on Aug. 22.
In phase two, the board will solicit input from students, staff, parents, and community members on a vision for the district and the priority traits for its next leader. The anonymous survey has been published on the board’s website, available in both English and Spanish, and will close Oct. 24 at 4 p.m. The goal is “to ensure this is a collaborative and inclusive process,” according to the RCSD site.
District leadership will also host a community forum Oct. 21 from 6 to 6:30 p.m. at the Hoover Community School Gym at 701 Charter St. for the public to contribute to “shaping the future of our schools” and help create a “safe and supportive, inspirational and rigorous, joyful and inclusive environment for all learners,” as stated in the event description online.
Phase three will involve developing a description of the district and position, including key dates, which will be posted on the district’s website and on Leadership Associates’ site, which it uses to recruit candidates from all over the country.
The next phase will involve advertising the position in trade publications, active recruitment, reference checks and individual interviews with potential finalists. The board will then meet with Leadership Associates to review applicants, identify top candidates, define an interview process, and prepare interview questions.
In phase six, the board will interview the top picks with the help of Leadership Associates and ultimately select finalists. In the final three phases, the team will conduct a validation process, develop a contract and the trustees will take public action at a regular meeting to employ the new superintendent. The firm will provide and review community input with the new hire and provide follow-up services for 90 days.
At the board’s regular Sept. 10 meeting, trustees fielded presentations from three different firms before unanimously selecting Leadership Associates to steer the recruitment of a new district superintendent.
“I appreciated the fact that they did their homework, and not just presented, but also saw our meetings prior,” said Trustee Cecilia Márquez.
The firm says on its site that since 1996, it’s worked with over 750 school districts across California to staff executives in education, including Campbell Union School District in San Jose, which impressed Trustee David Li.
As stated on the board’s superintendent search page, the trustees are dedicated to “ensuring transparency, community engagement, and thoughtful deliberation in selecting the next leader of our district.”
Make your voice heard via the community surveys and community forum this month.
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