(Oct. 3) Editor's Note: The Rochester Board of Education has released a superintendent search community survey, available here. The original story is below:
A fractured Rochester city school board is moving ahead with a search for a new superintendent -- a process that has been muddied by confusion and conflicting perspectives among the people leading it.
Last week, the school board approved a final list of focus groups that will help shape the search firm’s approach and priorities. Advertising for the superintendent’s position is scheduled to begin in November. The application deadline is Dec. 15
But that approval was not without a kerfuffle about last-minute revisions.
"The voices of the other people have been smothered, and you made these changes without acknowledging that these changes were going to be made ... I don't see how that is fair,” said school board member Jacqueline Griffin. “This is not controlling the narrative. This is being fair and just to all the commissioners on this board.”
However, a discussion about pending changes to the drafted list took place at the previous meeting in which all school board members, except for James Patterson, were in.
“Every commissioner participated in this. There was, however, confusion, and those who might have thought they were prepared did not even understand the assignment,” board member Camille Simmons said, adding that the board clerk had been seeking categorized groups of possible participants. “We were to give nonprofit organizations, and ... instead, individual names were provided. So it made it a little more confusing.”
The revised list now includes broader and more inclusive groups than the draft that had been debated. Delaying a vote on it was not a viable option
“By continuing to prolong finalizing this list and getting it over to the search firm, they're not going to be able to contact all these groups and ensure that they have the opportunity to participate,” board clerk Rahimah Wynn said.
The focus groups will take place for two weeks starting on Oct. 14.
Meanwhile, as the search process moves along, at least one board member already has his sights set on a possible candidate.
“I personally believe that the district, and even myself in this role, has made a mistake by going through a superintendent search when we have amazing potential right here next to us,” board member Isaiah Santiago said. “I 100%, stand by our interim superintendent and that's because stability is important. And I also stand behind him for permanent superintendent.”
What is certain is that whoever is selected to be the permanent superintendent will have to work with a school board that was partly accused of interference that led to the last superintendent’s departure.
Griffin said the board needs to respect boundaries with any superintendent, particularly regarding regulations and policies that don’t involve the school board.
"That may have been something that has affected other superintendents in the past,” she said. “So myself included, I am making sure that I stay away from that, and when I see it, I will bring it to the attention of others.”
Commissioner Camille Simmons said board members need to be honest with themselves and the public.
“I really hope that we as commissioners recognize that we must not stand in hypocrisy at the dais, and that we must really check our self-awareness and our understanding of the words we speak,” she said. “And understand when we are not aligned with the words that are coming out of our mouths.”
