Board to Set Schedule for Superintendent Search

The search for a new superintendent for the Rapid City Area Schools gets underway tomorrow (Saturday, 12/19) at 8:00 a.m. The Board will meet with representatives of the search firm to discuss the recruiting process; ways to solicit citizen input; the establishment of committees of staff, parents, administrators and community members; and the overall schedule for screening candidates and interviews.

The consulting team has already prepared a survey designed to elicit some sense of the skills and qualities that the District and the community are looking for in a superintendent. The public may also be asked to comment on which qualities are most important right now given the many issues facing the District.

Framing the Search Process

In selecting a new superintendent, school districts are often faced with a chicken and egg question when it comes to strategic planning. Should the Board develop a strategic plan and then hire a superintendent with specific skills that fit with the District’s priorities? Or, should the Board hire a new superintendent with the skills needed to lead the strategic planning process and then hope that this person will also have what it takes to implement the plan once its developed? The Board in Rapid City will benefit from a number of long-range planning efforts that have been completed in recent years under Superintendent Peter Wharton, including a facilities plan, a strategic plan for Native American education, and a well-developed District Improvement Plan. But the existing overarching strategic plan is out-of-date and is not likely to provide guidance to candidates for the position.

When it gets down to recruiting and selecting candidates, the Board will also have to think about whether they want to promote from within or hire from outside the District. Often this kind of decision is influenced by the current challenges facing a school district or any organization. If a board feels that the organizational culture is strong, the vision is sharp and trust levels are high, it makes sense to promote from within to keep the plan on track. If there are problems in the culture, trust levels are low and change is needed, many organizations will look for a fresh face to lead the process of change.

At tomorrow’s meeting the Board will attempt to wrestle with these issues and more.  A copy of the agenda for the meeting is here: Board agenda 121909. Read Kayla Gahagan’s story in the Rapid City Journal.  The meeting will be held in the Community Room at CSAC at 300 Sixth Street.