School Board Approves Process To Hire New Superintendent

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The Cherokee County School Board on Thursday gave the green light to the process it use to find a new superintendent of schools.

The board at its called Sept. 17 meeting unanimously approved the process, which calls for advertising the vacancy and reviewing applications.

Board member Rick Steiner was not present. Board members authorized the office of School Board Attorney Tom Roach to facilitate the advertising of the vacancy and collection of applications, which will be reviewed by the board.

The advertising notice and brochure are now on the Cherokee County School District’s website, and direct applicants to contact Roach’s office for the official application.

The notice will be placed on the Georgia School Boards Association website and will be advertised twice in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Official applications and supporting materials (formal letter of application; current resume; transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate-level education; reference letters) are due to Roach by midnight on Monday, Oct. 19, 2015.

School board members will subsequently screen applications and supporting materials and determine which applicants will be interviewed.

During the meeting, Board Vice Chair Patsy Jordan suggested that all members weigh in on which applicants should be interviewed, as opposed to the original proposal that a committee of board members take on this task. The Board unanimously accepted this as an amendment, and then approved the amended agenda item.

“I have faith in this process,” Board Chair Kyla Cromer said after the votes. “We are going to take the confidentiality (of the process) very seriously. We welcome all applications.”

At a prior work session, the board determined, based on the qualifications it’s seeking in a superintendent and the competency of the superintendent’s senior staff members who may apply, that there was no need to hire a search firm.

Board members at that work session also outlined qualifications they’re seeking in a candidate, which they will use when reviewing applications and making their hiring decision.

These included:

• Strong educational leader, advocate locally and statewide and spokesperson for public education, who has a knowledge of the local and Georgia political landscape;

• Commitment to a comprehensive education for all students and an understanding of our community and its diversity;

• Successful classroom teaching and school system superintendent or senior staff-level administrative experience;

• Proven record in school operations including with a system(s) that has faced significant enrollment growth, construction of new schools and redistricting;

• Strong management and communication skills;

• Desire to build upon CCSD’s strong foundation, execute existing Board Policies, Strategic Plans and the Strategic Waiver School Systems contract, while also sharing the Board’s vision for the District’s future successes;

• Current or future residency in Cherokee County; and,

• Doctorate degree in education is preferred.

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Photo: Superintendent Dr. Frank Petruzielo will retire in 2016. Credit: Cherokee County School District