The Board of Education wants community input on the type of candidate it should hire to become the school system’s new superintendent.
The Board, along with executive search firm Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates (HYA) will hold a public forum on Wednesday, March 4 at Walter Johnson High School (6400 Rock Spring Drive) “to give MCPS students, staff, parents and community members the opportunity to identify the educational priorities and leadership qualities they would like to see in the next MCPS superintendent.”
It appears unlikely HYA will bring a list of potential candidates for the community to vet and comment on. The Board of Education hopes to have a new superintendent in place by July 1.
The Board hired the firm for $35,000 (plus other reasonable expenses) after former Superintendent Joshua Starr resigned. Starr and the Board came to a resignation agreement earlier this month after it became clear at least four members of the eight-person Board opposed giving him a new contract.
Starr will receive the remainder of the salary he was owed under his contract, which ran until June 30, a $46,583 payment for unused sick and annual leave in accordance with his contract, and health insurance benefits through the end of 2015.
HYA was the search firm that helped the Board hire Starr and his predecessor Jerry Weast. HYA has assisted in superintendent searches for 14 of the country’s 25 largest school districts and more than 1,000 searches over the last 20 years.
The Walter Johnson forum on March 4 is set for 7 p.m.
MCPS says an online survey will be available soon for those unable to make it to the forum.
