Representatives from School Leadership, LLC presented to the North Shore School District Board of Education on what the search firm is looking for in superintendent candidates for the district. Specifications, developed from survey results, were brought before the board at its meeting on Oct. 22.
The board chose School Leadership to assist in the superintendent search. The firm has since met with stakeholder groups and collected survey data to develop a profile of the ideal superintendent candidate.
“They were open and honest,” Martin Brooks, one of the firm’s representatives, said, “and they shared with us all the information we were hoping to get in order to begin to put together a set of specifications for the job.”
Brooks said he and colleague Rina Beder met with 26 stakeholder groups, 21 in person and five virtually. He added that the questions asked includes, what skills, leadership experiences and characteristics should be sought in a superintendent candidate.
A survey was open from Sept. 28 to Oct. 12, in English, Spanish and Mandarin for more stakeholders to submit feedback. According to Beder, the survey had 191 responses.
“Most of the respondents to the survey were residents of the district with children in the schools,” Beder said, “and that is consistent with what we see in most districts. I’d say every district that we work with.” Some respondents were those living in the district with children in private schools and others may have had one child at North Shore and another in private school.
One factor the survey asked stakeholders to consider was which two prior professional experiences are most critical for their ideal superintendent. The two most popular options were “leader in improving an already high performing school district” and “superintendent of schools.”
Survey participants were also asked to select three skills that they believed were most critical for someone to be successful as North Shore’s superintendent. The three skills that received the most votes were “curriculum and instructional knowledge and leadership,” “knowledge of budget, finance and facility planning” and “short and long-range strategic planning.”
Beder explained that the data was used to outline the district’s key strengths and challenges. Among the strengths were parents taking pride in sending their children to North Shore schools, an “excellent and highly dedicated” staff and leadership and an innovative approach to education. Challenges included loss of revenue from the settlement between Nassau County and Long Island Power Authority Glenwood Landing, the Propel NY Energy project and addressing high pressure and growing social-emotional needs of students.
School Leadership representatives compiled specifications based on survey, focus groups and forums.
“Broadly, the successful candidate,” Brooks said, “will be able to move the educational program forward, manage the budget and plan for an uncertain financial future, communicate effectively with a high expectation community and unify the district around a shared vision.”
Six specifications were presented, with each naming traits and goals of the ideal candidate. Among the criteria were someone who seeks to build on the district’s strengths and shared values, approaches situations with integrity and professionalism, is committed to improvement and knowledgeable about how curriculum, instruction and assessment affect learning, fosters strong relationships and builds trust, plans strategically and anticipates challenges and can maximize resources and engage the community in long term planning.
The board approved the specifications at the meeting, allowing School Leadership to launch the search.
The firm has begun advertising, and applications close on Jan. 4. The firm is searching primarily in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut but also in national groups.
Trustees Brian Hanley, Maria Mosca and Lisa Cashman, as well as Vice President Lisa Colacioppo, thanked Brooks and Beder for their work.
“I have great confidence that you’re recruiting, and I’m hoping we’re going to get dozens of applications,” Mosca said, “and I feel very good about your expertise being the first look-through, making recommendations.”
