Sunday, March 16, 2014

UPDATE on Superintendent Search -- Search Firm to Conduct Survey from 3/17 - 3/25

The D181 Website has been updated with the following information:

"Superintendent Search

District 181 invites the community to complete a survey to assist in the District’s search for the next superintendent. The survey asks respondents to consider the District’s strengths, issues facing the District, and skills and characteristics to seek in a superintendent. The survey will be open March 17 through March 25 and can be accessed on this webpage once it is live on March 17. The Board accepted the resignation of current Superintendent Dr. Renée Schuster on February 10, with the resignation effective June 30, 2014. On February 24, the Board approved the hiring of BWP and Associates to lead the superintendent search process. The firm developed the survey and will lead focus groups to further capture staff and parent input in the search process. The firm anticipates presenting a slate of candidates to the Board of Education in April."                                             (Source:  http://www.d181.org/board-of-education/surveys-and-engagement/index.aspx)

We look forward to the Board of Education sending out official notification to parents and community members of this Survey prior to the response period commencing on March 17.  We also hope the Board of Education will create a LINK on the D181 website (similar to what other districts have done*) that will keep the community updated on the search process and include the following information:
  • Timeline of the search process
  • Information about the "focus groups" referenced above that will also explain if the focus groups will be open to all, or limited in number (and if so, what method will be used to select the participants.)
  • Superintendent Leadership Profile developed by BWP after the survey and focus groups.
  • Regular updates.

In the meantime, the following information is available on the BWP (the search firm D181 is using) website:

"Community Consolidated School District 181 Hinsdale, Illinois
Announcement of Superintendent Vacancy
The Community Consolidated School District 181 Board of Education, Hinsdale, Illinois, announces the commencement of a search for a new Superintendent of Schools who will assume responsibilities on either May 30th or July 1, 2014. This is an outstanding professional opportunity for a qualified and experienced educational leader to work with an enthusiastic and supportive community, staff and Board of Education.
The Hinsdale Elementary School District 181 is located in highly desirable DuPage County, approximately 19 miles west of downtown Chicago. District 181 includes seven elementary and two middle schools. The K-8 student population of almost 4,000 is characterized by high academic achievement. There are also numerous programs that support the academic and social emotional needs of all the students in the district. Parents are involved and are supportive. The community takes great pride in its schools.
The schools are supported by a strong administrative team, a dedicated Board of Education, and a devoted staff of teachers and support personnel. District 181 has proven to be a great place to work and live.
Application Procedure
Interested candidates are urged to complete the online application process at www.bwpassociates.com as soon as possible. This will be a “ROLLING SEARCH”, with applications being screened as they are received. Applications will be accepted from February 27, 2014 until the new Superintendent is selected.
An Application should include: 􏱕 A completed online Applicant Data Form 􏱕 A letter of application indicating qualifications and reasons for interest
in the position 􏱕 A current resume 􏱕 A brief description of major professional accomplishments 􏱕 College/University transcripts 􏱕 Four to six letters of recommendation 􏱕 Evidence of eligibility to be a Superintendent in Illinois
All of the required material should be submitted online at www.bwpassociates.com. Application materials will be treated confidentially. Applicants are requested not to contact members of the Board of Education.A regionally competitive compensation package will be offered to the successful candidate. The Board is willing to work with the candidate concerning issues generated by the Illinois Pension Cap.
Each candidate will be informed of the Board’s selection and appointment of the new Superintendent. The final selection and appointment is the sole responsibility of the Board of Education.
BWP and Associates, Ltd.
872 South Milwaukee Avenue, #221 Libertyville, Illinois 60048
For additional information, contact BWP search consultants:
Dr. Mark Friedman Dr. Anne Noland Mr. Steve Griesbach Dr. Phil Ehrhardt
847-975-8393 630-624-3336 708-822-8706 630-514-7003
An Equal Opportunity Employer"
________________________________________
*  Examples of another district website's Superintendent Search link (this district is also using BWP):
Frankfort District 157-C:  A link called "Superintendent Search" is on the District Office homepage: http://www.fsd157c.org/static.asp?path=3038.  This link opens up to the following page (which has sub-links to detailed search information):   http://www.fsd157c.org/static.asp?path=3038,6769

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

A couple of thoughts. First, if the district/Board really wants feedback on the qualifications needed in a new superintendent, they will need to do more than post an unannounced request on the website. 90% of parents don't read the website, they rely on the e-mail communications sent out by the admin. A lack of significant response by parents will surely cause Mr. Turek to believe that "parents don't care about superintendent qualifications and are happy with the status quo" so this absence of a sincere desire to solicit information is problematic from the start. Second, I thought that the superintendent qualification and search information from the Frankfort school district was fascinating. I wonder if our BOE will solicit as much information as theirs has. The amount of information sought and the wide variety of groups from which it was sought was impressive. Hopefully the search firm will recommend this course of action and our BOE will agree to it. I am doubtful, though, as parents still have yet to see any sort of request for "satisfaction" input from parents.

Anonymous said...

I'll bet my last dollar that the BOE, especially Clarin and Nelson (who have no children in 181) will try to find a superintendent who will continue with the status quo since they find L4A so wonderful for our kids. They will want to continue this ridiculous plan, despite the fact there were multiple parents complaining at the last meeting. The mere fact the superintendent's search was hidden on the 181 website speaks volumes.

Gary Tietelbaum said...

We could save a lot of money by posting the Superintendent position on Craigs List - No doubt there are thousands of suitable candidates -

Also, we should incorporate a little "brand building" strategy into the Superintendent search in order to improve the overall appearance of D181.

Specifically, I think we should make every attempt to ditch the middle-aged dumpy house frau look so common with the EdD candidates and go with a little more "LuluLemon" look more befitting our local community standards.