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School Board Journal
November / December 1995
January / February 1996
Hiring a superintendent in a seller's market
By MAX E. PIERSON and DOUGLAS P. BLAIR
If your school board is looking for a new superintendent this year, you should be aware that you are a buyer in a seller's market. Because of early retirement options, the pool of qualified, experienced superintendent candidates is greatly diminished. As a result, school boards may have to work a little harder and, in many cases, pay more, to secure a high-quality chief administrator.
Choosing a new superintendent is one of the biggest challenges and most important responsibilities your school board will ever face. It is also a rare opportunity for your board to sit down together and review (or develop) a mission statement, goals and objectives that will guide you in selecting the kind of leader your district needs.
Following are some tips for making the job manageable.
When you know the date of the current superintendent's departure, consider using a consultant to help review your board's options. Your IASB field services director will provide this preliminary assistance as part of your membership service, at no additional charge.
At this meeting, board and consultant may discuss:
- Whether you want to fill the position with a current employee.
- Whether you need an interim superintendent.
- Availability of candidates.
- Board/superintendent roles and responsibilities.
- Superintendent job description and evaluation.
- Salary parameters.
- The superintendent search itself, including community and staff involvement in the process, time lines, etc.
- A comprehensive review of the IASB superintendent search service.
Step One: Review the timelines
First, do not panic. Unless the resignation is received after May 15, effective July 1, then you have time to complete the rest of the steps listed below. Attempting to move too quickly can create problems. Some superintendents announce their impending departure a year or more in advance.
Step Two: Review board goals
The board should spend some time together reviewing the district's goals and mission statement. If the board has not developed goals and a mission statement, this is an excellent time to do so. In each major area of operations curriculum, personnel, facilities and finance board members should ask three questions:
- Where is the district today?
- Where should it be?
- Where will the district need to be in five years?
Step three: Formulate a job description.
The information gathered in the steps above forms the basis for the new superintendent's job description. The existing job description should be reviewed to determine whether it meets the district's current needs. At this time, too, the evaluation instrument for the superintendent should be reviewed to make sure it reflects the new job description.
Step four: Establish salary parameters
You will need to review current salaries of other superintendents in your area in similar districts. The salary ranges reported in the article on page 12 will help you get started.To attract high quality candidates, your board may need to establish a higher salary than the existing ones in your area. Remember, superintendents in neighboring districts probably would not be willing to move for the salary they are making now and your preferred candidates probably won't, either. Set a realistic salary, and regard it as an investment in your schools.
Step Five: The search
Most school districts seek the help of a consultant in managing the logistics of the search. But with or without a consultant, the board increases its chance of a successful search by investing time and energy in clarifying exactly what it wants in a chief administrator.Top candidates have multiple job opportunities. Many are concerned about how they feel they will "fit" with the board and the district. Clearly defined mission and goals statements and a thoughtfully written job description will help those desirable candidates make the right decision about your district.
Max E. Pierson is associate professor, department of educational administration and supervision, Western Illinois University, telephone: 309/298-1070. Douglas P. Blair is senior director of field services, Illinois Association of School Boards., Springfield. He has conducted more than 250 superintendent searches.
COPYRIGHT NOTICE -- This document is © copyrighted by the Illinois Association of School Boards. IASB hereby grants to school districts and other Internet users the right to download, print and reproduce this document provided that (a) the Illinois Association of School Boards is prominently noted as publisher and copyright holder of the document and (b) any reproductions of this document are disseminated without charge and not used for any commercial purpose.
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