Residents Say New Racine Unified Superintendent Needs Business Background

constituents took the opportunity on Nov. 17 to help shape the debate on qualities for the ideal superintendent candidate.

About 20 community members joined representatives of the search committee in the Washington Park High School Auditorium and all had differing points of view. Some expressed their opinion on the personal attributes the candidate should have, while others shared their larger vision for the district as a whole.

“I feel that RUSD is in desperate need of a learning environment with discipline and accountability,” said Gina McCarthy, a science teacher at Case High School. “We need someone who has the ability to lead and communicate.”

Other members expressed a strong desire for the candidate to have a business background. That particular qualification of the candidate is a hot-button issue in the next selection. 

A number of community members expressed their concern that the candidate should have business experience at Monday’s Listening and Linking Session, said Stacy Tapp, RUSD Director of Communication and Public Information.

“I want somebody with a lot of business experience,” said Monte Osterman, Racine County Board Supervisor. “I also want a loser, someone who’s been knocked down in the mud, but never quits. I want someone who serves the customer – the student. And I want someone that will embrace this job as a lifestyle.”

Unified parents also had the opportunity to weigh in on how the district’s new leader would affect their childrens’ education.

“Past performance is the best indicator of future performance,” said Deborah Pierre-Louis, a parent of three children in Unified schools. “I think you should cast a wide net; we could use some fresh ideas in Wisconsin. This is someone who will lead my children’s education. I don’t want a superintendent who’s going to come in and fail.”

Those who would still like to weigh in on the superintendent search can fill out an electronic survey available on the district’s website at http://www.racine.k12.wi.us/.

The search committee anticipates receiving six responses on Nov. 18 from the search firms the district requested proposals from, said Sue Kutz, board vice president and chair of the search committee. The board will approve a search firm in December.

After the forum, Pierre-Louis said she was happy she made her thoughts known. 

“They provided a forum for what I think is a really important process,” she said. “My husband and I are involved parents. We have established relationships with teachers, but we need someone that’s able to bring people together.”

The new superintendent will indeed have a tough job, to which school board President Bill Van Atta alluded, mainly because Racine has the highest unemployment rate in the state and Unified is a mostly urban district. 

“Research has shown that poverty does have an effect on academics,” Van Atta said. "We want to close the gap between white students and minority students, and the new superintendent must have some urban experience. It is important that we have a well-rounded individual.”