nothin Search Begins For Next Schools Superintendent | New Haven Independent

Search Begins For Next Schools Superintendent

Markeshia Ricks Photo

Garth Harries bids farewell in September 2016.

New Haven is officially on the market for a new school superintendent.

The Board of Education kicked off the hiring process on Wednesday by soliciting feedback from the public about the type of leader Elm City residents want to see in charge of their public schools. An online survey, which will be open through June 19, is now live, and people active in civic life will soon begin sharing their opinions in focus group meetings. The results will help define and narrow the work of the board and the search firm in how they analyze potential candidates.

The online survey gauges what locals think of the district’s leadership up to this point, asking respondents to rate the overall quality of education” from unsatisfactory to excellent. Then, participants are given the choice to select the top four qualities they’d like to see in the next superintendent. Options include someone who can manage day-to-day operations,” plan for long-term financial health,” recruit and retain effective personnel,” update the district with emerging best practices,” understand the needs of a diverse student population,” or set a clear, compelling vision for the future.” Respondents, finally, can add the name of someone they think would be a strong candidate for the open spot.

Throughout this process the board is committed to transparent collaboration with all stakeholders,” search committee chair Darnell Goldson said in a statement. The opportunities to weigh in will help identify the necessary attributes for our next Superintendent of Schools,” he added.

Garth Harries, the district’s prior superintendent since 2013, left abruptly lsat fall.

In July 2016, eight retired administrators called for his ouster. Mayor Toni Harp, a one-time critic, rose to his defense, but Harries continued to be dogged by criticism that he hadn’t communicated effectively with the board on matters like breaking Hillhouse High School into independent academies and pursuing a partnership with a charter school operator to open a new school.

Harries accepted a severance package last October — long before his contract was set to run out in June 2018. Reggie Mayo, Harries’s predecessor who’d led the school system for 21 years, stepped back into his old role in the interim.

This spring, the board contracted with Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates, an executive search firm located in a Chicago suburb, to run the process. The school board allocated $24,500 to the firm in compensation until services are completed,” plus an additional $13,785 to cover ancillary costs like advertising, background checks, travel costs and other expenses.”

The firm will scour nationwide to find the right leader for New Haven Public Schools,” said Daisy Gonzalez, the board’s president. The Ed Board is currently seeking an extraordinary, innovative Superintendent to lead the school system, as it continues its pursuit of excellence,” she added.

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