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Editorial
All about leadership
Article published on Tuesday, May 6, 2008 |
Pinellas County School Board members face the difficult task of trying to find a successor to the superintendent of one of the largest school districts in the United States.
The issues facing the School Board and superintendent are challenging – namely, trying to ensure students receive a good education in the wake of declining enrollment, state budget cuts and controversy over school assignment plans.
Superintendent Clayton Wilcox plans to leave the district in June, accepting a job as vice president of education with the Scholastic Corp. in New York. Wilcox has been at the helm of the school district since November 2004.
In the wake of budget planning, Wilcox’s departure comes at a tough time, but there is no good time for a superintendent who oversees the district as large as Pinellas County to leave office. All indications are that Wilcox wants to handle his resignation and transition as professionally as possible.
Board members need a lot of leeway from their constituents in making a decision on who the next superintendent should be. Conducting a nationwide search may be considered time-consuming and expensive, but for a school board that has 152,000 students to limit its search by geographic boundaries would be short-sighted.
The board should keep all options open in deciding how to proceed since hiring a superintendent is one of the most difficult and most important decisions they will have to make.
Board members may have sharp differences of opinions on who they should choose, but they should make a concerted effort to avoid spatting that could undermine the selection process and drag it out indefinitely.
Since the board may receive all types of advice on who they should or should not hire, conducting a thorough search and having an extensive interview process will help stave off concerns that they are showing favoritism to any applicant or special interest group.
The board expects to name Julie Janseen interim superintendent. She brings good credentials to the table, having worked in education for 37 years. She has been principal of Countryside High and St. Petersburg High and most recently, a deputy superintendent. Janseen, or whoever is named interim superintendent, also will have a tough task, too, particularly since he or she will have to get up to speed quickly in the wake of budget planning for the next fiscal year.
The recent announcement that Pinellas school officials may close seven to 10 schools and eliminate 147 jobs – among other issues – will require board members to make tough decisions that may be unpopular.
Pure and simple, it’s all about leadership.
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Article published on Tuesday, May 6, 2008
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