Fairfax City Schools Aims To Hire New Superintendent Before 2022-2023 Academic Year

FAIRFAX CITY, VA — If all goes as planned, the City of Fairfax Schools will have a new superintendent in place for the start of the 2022-2023 academic year.

The Fairfax City School Board began searching for a new superintendent in March after Dr. Phyllis Pajardo, who has been the superintendent of the City of Fairfax Schools for the last five years, announced her plans to step down at the end of the current school year in June.

At Monday night's school board meeting, Ann Monday, the former superintendent of the City of Fairfax Schools, presented an update on the search for Pajardo's successor.

To help guide her through the search process, Monday solicited input via stakeholder interviews and an online survey on what the community expected from its new superintendent.

"This isn't guess what's on the teacher's mind," Monday said. "This is we tell you what we need and you tell us how you were prepared to meet these needs. We want people that are prepared to the extent possible on the first day that they are on this job to really understand what the critical issues are and what the expectations are."

The goal was not just to identify a candidate who would be successful on day one, but someone who would continue to do the job well and stay.

Fifty-four stakeholders participated in interviews, compared to 24 who took part the last time the city was looking to hire a superintendent. Unfortunately, only 37 people completed the online survey compared to the 125 who participated last time.

Positive feedback city schools received on the survey and via the interviews included the community's small-town culture, diversity, and high degree of support for the schools. In addition, Pajardo was praised for being visible and building relationships between the schools and the community, and for maintaining the school system's positive partnership with Fairfax County Public Schools.

The interviews and survey responses revealed that Fairfax City Schools faced a number of challenges for the new superintendent. These included ensuring an appropriate level of academic rigor in the city's programs. The new superintendent needed to continue the school system's pandemic response and recovery and address the overcrowding of its facilities. Respondents also said there was a need to forge better relations between the school board, the community, and the leaders and staffs of both the city and county.

While it didn't rise to the level of a challenge, Monday noted that some of the people who responded to the survey thought it was time to revisit the city's agreement with Fairfax County.

"I'm just saying that this is something that did emerge, and obviously these views are strongly held by a number of people in the community," she said.

Monday told the school board it was not her intention to recommend hiring someone whose job it would be to change the way instruction and school services were to be delivered.

"I will be looking for, at your direction, because that is what we have established as the criteria for this job, someone who will manage the school services agreement, make sure we get what we pay for, manage the tuition process, do all the things that go along with that process and do them effectively," she said.

Monday added that she would not be looking a superintendent candidate to defend the agreement with Fairfax County, because that was a completely political process that would be decided by the community and take several years.

"We're looking for someone now who understands where we are, understands the arrangement we have with Fairfax County, and can maximize that arrangement," she said. "Overall, stakeholders believe it's an asset."

In addition, the new superintendent will need to be prepared for turnover on the School Board and the City Council following the Nov. 8 election.

The feedback also identified a need for better collaboration in the management of the schools services agreement and the tuition bill.

As far as what the survey respondents and stakeholders wanted to see in a new superintendent, they said they wanted someone who was visible, committed to Fairfax City, gives clear messages to multiple audiences, and stands up for students and teachers.

They wanted someone who was forward-thinking, open and innovative, and who had instructional experience and expertise. Someone who was "qualified to provide needed leadership to accomplish facilities management goals and plan for renovations; can help lead bonding process; finance experience regarding budget cycle; knows or can quickly learn how the tuition formula is calculated and how it works in tandem with City and County," according to Monday's presentation.

In soliciting input and speaking to stakeholders, Monday said she heard many people say that the last year has been particularly difficult due to the pandemic.

"Race, equity, and diversity are issues that are at the center of our work and certainly remain challenges for all of us who care about students and about the future," she said. "We need to have a superintendent who was up to the challenge of facing these concerns and issues with integrity."

The following is a tentative timeline presented by Monday for the superintendent hiring process.

March-April

• Vacancy announced and advertised
• Stakeholder interviews and online survey

April 18 - Closed Session

• Review of applicants to date
• Selection of candidates to interview
• Discussion of interview process, contract negotiations

April 25-28

• Selected candidates interview with the board

May

• Offer, vetting, contract negotiations, announcement of contract agreement

June 9 - Regular School Board Meeting

• Public announcement of new superintendent
• Dr. Parjardo's last meeting

July-August

• New superintendent starts

Related:

Superintendent Of Fairfax City Schools Announces Retirement