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Illinois School Board Journal - ARCHIVES
July-August, 2005
ASK THE STAFF:
Replacement process can be hassle free
This issue's question is answered by updating an article that appeared in the January/ February 1978 issue of The Illinois School Board Journal.
Question: One of our board members recently announced that his job would require him to move out of the district before his term expires. How do we go about finding a replacement?
Answer: Every school board, at some point, may face the task of filling a vacancy. In many cases, the remaining six board members find themselves in a recruitment mode, trying to find 1) someone they want and 2) someone who is willing to serve. IASB has a brief description of the steps and ideas to follow when you face a recruitment effort at www.iasb.com/files/recruiting.pdf.
However, when two or more people are interested in filling the vacancy, the challenge is quite different. Here the remaining board members must make a choice that's bound to displease someone. For boards in this situation, a few simple procedures may eliminate the confusion and emotion that often surround screening and choosing appointments, and make the process go quickly and smoothly.
It's important to note that the board has 45 days in which to fill a vacancy. If the board fails to act within that time, the Regional Superintendent of Schools makes the appointment. In either case, the appointed member serves until the next election, at which time the unexpired term is placed on the ballot.*
The process of screening candidates and making an appointment should have at least two purposes:
1) Ensure selection of the most qualified applicant.
2) Avoid haggling and hard feelings.
In addition, a vacancy presents a school board with a challenge to maintain its standards for excellence and to set an example for the staff. Put another way, if administrators are expected to do a good job of selecting staff, the board should do a good job of handpicking a board member to appoint.
To begin, members of the board must agree in advance on the qualifications they will seek in a new member. These qualifications will vary from board to board, depending on how members view their role and the kinds of problems facing the district. One approach is to appoint someone who can be of most help to the board. However, this criterion may not be suitable for all boards. Another board might place highest value on intellectual capacity. Another might want someone with influence in the community.
In any event, the board should produce a list of attributes that all members can agree on, and then use that list to evaluate candidates. Those attributes can then be rated for each candidate on a scale of one to five.
Each school board should determine its own qualifications. The important thing is that all members of the board must be committed to the attributes. Board members, if evaluating candidates by different criteria or different standards, are bound to disagree on who is the best appointee. The result will be the emotional hassle that the board should strive to avoid.
With criteria in hand, the board can begin to recruit and screen candidates, a process that can be carried out in as little as one week. Here are the steps:
1) Announce the vacancy through the news media and ask interested persons to notify the board president. All candidates are confidential, of course, and all board discussions take place in closed session. Only the final vote on the appointment takes place in a public meeting.
2) The entire board interviews each candidate. Each board member uses a rating sheet (on page 29) as a guide in asking questions and evaluating responses. Interviews are designed to determine how well the candidate fulfills the board's agreed-upon criteria.
3) Following the interviews, each board member individually lists all of the candidates who are acceptable — that is, those who meet the qualifications.
4) The board president tabulates the results and determines which candidates show up on all the lists — or at least those who show up most frequently. The aim is to get the top three candidates.
5) The board then meets in closed session to discuss the top candidates. Although the rating sheets themselves are not tabulated, they serve as a basis for discussion among board members.
6) Following discussion, each board member lists a first choice and a second choice for the appointment. The president tallies the results, giving two points for each first choice and one point for each second choice.
7) The board president then recommends for appointment the candidate with the most points. This candidate is asked to attend the public meeting at which the recommendation will be made and the vote taken. All other candidates receive a letter thanking them for their interest.
Critical interview step
The critical part of the process is the interview. Here is where board members must decide how well each candidate measures up. Questioning properly is extremely important.
For example, in determining a person's level of interest, the board can examine past school activities. Does the candidate take part in parent organizations? Attend board meetings? Has the candidate ever run for board election?
Candidates might receive credit for experience in fraternal organizations, because this indicates a desire to serve the community. It might also score high if the candidate can display some knowledge of the schools and how the board functions.
The board might ask the candidate to identify district priorities. This indicates knowledge of the district's direction and major concerns. The candidate might also be expected to know the difference between board work and staff work and to respect the superintendent's role as distinct from the board's role.
A board might also look for people with different skills and perspectives, such as management experience.
On the other hand, if a candidate exhibits a concern for only one school or neighborhood and other signs of narrow thinking, the board can ask deeper questions. The aim here would be to get a person who wants to represent the entire district and to avoid those with axes to grind.
If the school board is prepared, a vacancy can be viewed as an opportunity to help the district rather than a hassle filled with confusion and politicking.
* An appointed board member serves out the remainder of the term if the vacancy occurs with less than 868 days remaining in the term or less than 88 days until the next board election.