Superintendent Search

Superintendent Given "More Than Satisfactory" Rating by Board - posted 03/27/08

Mr. Craig was given an overall rating of 3.61 on a scale of 1 to 5. That places his performance in the "More Than Satisfactory" category.

1 - Chief Executive Officer of the Board
2 - Educational Leadership of the Schools
3 - Personnel Management
4 - Facilities Management
5 - Financial Management
6 - Community Relations
7 - Management of Pupil Personnel Services
8 - Communication and Interpersonal Relations
9 - Professional Development and Leadership
10 - Professional Responsibilities

Mr. Bolt, Mrs. Frazier, and Mrs. Baker voted to extend Mr. Craig's contract until 2010. Mr. Veitch and Mr. Defnall voted against extended Mr. Craig's contract for that additional year.

The Search is over. Mr. Craig will meet with Board Attorney Donald Sweeney to work out the details of the contract.

The Code of Alabama has two sets of qualifications for Superintendents, one for County Superintendents and one for City Superintendents. With the recent appointment of Andy Craig as Superintendent, it is important to note that Mr. Craig does meet the qualifications for a City Superintendent.

The Birmingham News reported that Andy Craig is the only remaining finalist, as Dr. Mark Edwards has taken a job in North Carolina.

The Board is expected to call a 5:00 p.m. Special Meeting today (Thursday, February 22).

The Board of Education met today at 11:00 a.m. with Dr. Art Jones and Dr. Jesse Register of the Superintendent Search Firm at the Central Office. The Board unanimously agreed to remove Dr. Patricia Ragsdale's name from further consideration for the Superintendent position.

Mr. Bolt made a motion to extend the process to allow the remaining candidates, Mr. Andy Craig and Dr. Mark Edwards, to spend more time getting to know the system and the people within the system.

No details were given as to what exactly the "process" would entail at this point. No timeline was given, either.

Meeting to Determine Preferred Candidate for Superintendent's Position - Friday, February 16, 11:00 a.m. at Central Office

Friday, February 16, at 11:00 a.m., the Board of Education will meet at the Central Office with Hazard, Young, Attea, and Associates (HYA) to make their decision as to who their Preferred Candidate for the Superintendent's position will be. This meeting is open to the public.

Do you believe the Superintendent Search being conducted by the Board of Education will result in the Board appointing the best leader for our city school system?

NOTE: Poll results are not scientific and reflect the opinions of only those users who chose to participate.

Public interviews with the three candidates for Superintendent have been completed.

The candidates are:
Andy Craig, current Interim Superintendent for Hoover City Schools,
Dr. Mark Edwards, vice president at Harcourt Assessment, a testing firm in San Antonio,
Dr. Patricia Ragsdale, recently retired director of schools for Cumberland County School District, in Crossville, Tennessee.

The Board decided at a public meeting on Saturday afternoon to bring all three candidates back for the "second round" next week.

Friday, February 16, at 11:00 a.m., the Board will meet with Hazard, Young, Attea, and Associates (HYA) to make their decision as to who they will appoint to the Superintendent's position.

The dinner meetings will comply with the Open Meetings Law, as all Board members will be present.

The breakfast meeting is for the purpose of the Candidate presenting their expectations of salaries, benefits, contract length, etc. No negotiations will take place until the Candidate is offered the position.

Mr. Craig will not be taken on a Tour of the Schools and District, as he is currently working in the position of Interim Superintendent and is familiar with the Hoover School system.

Liz Wallace, president of the Hoover Parent Teacher Council, has posted an interesting commentary on the "open process" of the Superintendent Search. Click here to read her commentary.

February 11, 13, and 15 2007 [see above for complete schedule] - The "finalists" will be brought back for a more intense interview process, spending time with the Board officially and socially. Open Meetings laws will be followed whenever more than two Board members are present. The Board is discouraged from discussing the candidates with each other until HYA returns on the 15th to facilitate the discussion.

February 16, 2007, 11:00 a.m. - HYA will facilitate discussions with the Board to aid them in their decision of whom to appoint as Superintendent.

Week of February 26, 2007 - The Superintendent Candidate will be brought in for an intense Site Visit, including his or her family members to ensure the Candidate has sufficient information to make their decision.

March 6, 2007 - The Board will appoint the Superintendent effective July 1, 2007.

It may be difficult to see why the selection of a new superintendent is so crucial to your family---after all, you will rarely, if ever, interact with the superintendent during your children's years of education in Hoover City Schools.

However, Hoover City Schools have been functioning without a current Strategic Plan since 2000. Our city has seen many changes---mostly due to explosive growth in residential areas---over the last 6 years, and the current Plan simply does not address those changes.

The person that our Board of Education will appoint as Superintendent is entering the position with a blank slate.

The person that our Board of Education will appoint as Superintendent will be responsible for setting the direction of this school system for the foreseeable future.

Check the news for all of the changes Dr. Stan Mims is attempting in Birmingham City Schools. He has been a strong figure in that school system and has much power to make significant changes.

What Does the Superintendent Do?

The superintendent of a school district sets the direction and tone while responding to the often competing demands of the board of trustees, administrators, teachers, parents, students and the community.

The superintendent is the CEO of the school district. He or she sets the tone, charts the course of the district, and works closely with the board of trustees [Board of Education here in Hoover]. The superintendent is also responsible for hiring and supervising the other administrators in the district, including the chief financial officer and the school principals.

Working with the board can pose significant challenges for the superintendent. The board is the superintendent's boss. They are responsible for hiring and firing the superintendent, and evaluating his or her performance on a regular basis. Since it is an elected body , new members might be chosen every few years. [Please note that this is not true in Hoover--our Board members are appointed by the City Council, one every five years in April of the year]. This change can create a different dynamic in the relationship with the superintendent from year to year, depending on who is elected.

The principals are the key leaders at each school. It is the superintendent’s job to evaluate their performance and see to it that they are effective leaders, working with the teachers at the school to serve the needs of students and meet the district goals.

The superintendent must also respond to the demands of all the other constituencies in the district: the teachers, students, parents, staff and the community at large. He or she must consider how to allocate the financial and human resources of the district in order to achieve the best results. While being mindful of all the competing demands, a great superintendent will ultimately be guided by a singular question: What is best for all students? ---from "What Makes a Great Superintendent?", by Lisa Rosenthal, Greatschools.net Staff

Superintendent Search Firm to Present Superintendent Candidates -
Monday, February 5, 2007, 4:00 till 7:00 p.m. at the Central Office (Jack Farr Administrative Building) - open to the public - posted 01/10/07

Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates will present the names of three Superintendent candidates to the Board of Education. This will be the first opportunity that the Board and the community will have to hear the names of persons being seriously considered for the Superintendent's position here in Hoover City Schools.

A workshop will also be conducted to assist Board of Education members in interviewing candidates for the Superintendent position.

The list of Characteristics Desired in our Next Superintendent has been posted on both the HYA website and the Hoover City Schools website. This list was developed from the Focus Groups, individual discussions with the Board, the Community Meetings and the Leadership Profile Forms submitted.

Dr. Jesse Register of Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates (HYA) presented the results of the Leadership Profile Form, the focus groups, the community meetings, and the individual meetings with faculty and Board members at a public meeting on December 14, 2006.

The complete report showing detailed results of he qualities and practices of what different stakeholders groups believe our new Superintendent should reflect can be found on the Hoover City Schools' website.

The Community Meetings were held Wednesday, November 29, at 6:30 p.m. at Hoover High School, and Thursday, November 30, at 6:30 p.m. at Spain Park High School. These meetings were facilitated by the Superintendent Search Firm, Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates.

Dr. Art Jones and Dr. Jesse Register from Hazard, Young, Attea, and Associates facilitated the meeting.

Dr. Jones asked the attendees to relay strengths of the Hoover City School system.

Many were mentioned: the ability of the student body to achieve at high levels if opportunities for achievement are presented, the IB program availability, the proximity to UAB, AP courses at the high school level, and the student body diversity.

Challenges that were mentioned included the perception of a weak elementary curriculum, the lack of vision for the District as a whole, and the lack of accountability within the system.

Attendees put forth that the next Superintendent should have a strong educational background and should assist in character development as well as academic development. The school Leader should be one who can take our system to the next level in achievement, and should embrace high expectations for all children within the system. A school Leader with experience in school choice (e.g., magnet programs) was also mentioned.

Click here to read Mr. Bill Veitch's letter of invitation to the Community Meetings.

This is your chance to give your input into what kind of Leader we need to take our School System into the next decade.

If you are unable to attend one of the Community Meetings, the Leadership Profile Form should be completed and returned to school offices or the central office, or faxed/mailed to Hazard, Young, Attea, & Associates (HYA) by Friday, December 1, 2006.
Fax number: 847-724-8467.
Address: 1151 Waukegan Road, Suite 200, Glenview, IL 60025

The Community Meetings on November 29th and 30th are the best opportunity for you to provide input into building the Leadership Profile for our School System's Leader. The Holiday season will have begun, but PLEASE make time to attend one of the Community Meetings for the General Public.

Focus Groups for Employees and PTO Leaders

If you are an employee of Hoover City Schools, please take the time to attend whatever Focus Group meeting you are invited to. HYA will be facilitating these focus groups and expressed their sincerity in their efforts to give all stakeholders a voice in building the Leadership Profile.

Times Announced for Community Forums - posted 11/03/06 -
The Community Forums, which will be facilitated by HYA, will be held at the following times:

Wednesday, November 29 - Hoover High School Theater - 7:00 p.m. - click here for directions - (Hoover High School is #1 on the map)

Thursday, November 30 - Spain Park High School Theater - 7:00 p.m. - click here for directions

The Leadership Profile Form is used to gather input from Community
members about what is needed in a Superintendent for Hoover City Schools. Click here to download the form.

Forms should be completed and returned to school offices or the central office, or faxed/mailed to Hazard, Young, Attea, & Associates by Friday, December 1, 2006.
Fax number: 847-724-8467.
Address: 1151 Waukegan Road, Suite 200, Glenview, IL 60025

Please take a moment to complete the survey and make your voice heard in this most important decision that will affect our children's futures and the future of our community.

Official Minutes of the Board Meeting with Hazard, Young, and Attea. View these Minutes by clicking here - posted 10/28/06

Dr. Art Jones and Dr. Jesse Register from Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates (HYA) met with the Board of Education members from 5:30pm until 7:15pm this evening at the Farr Administration Building (aka, Central Office). The entire Board was present.

Dr. Jones will be serving as the liaison to the Board during the Superintendent Search.

Mrs. Donna Frazier will be serving as the liaison to HYA during the Superintendent Search.

November 29 and 30, 2006 - HYA will conduct a number of Focus Groups with the following proposed groups of stakeholders in Hoover City Schools:

The purpose of the Focus Groups is to provide HYA with a Leadership Profile---what Hoover City Schools needs in a Superintendent.

HYA will also spend approximately one hour with each Board member discussing the Leadership Profile.

The Community Forums, which will be facilitated by HYA, will be held at the following times:

November 29 - Hoover High School Theater - 7:00 p.m. - click here for directions - (Hoover High School is #1 on the map)

November 30 - Spain Park High School Theater - 7:00 p.m. - click here for directions

All stakeholders will be given an opportunity to submit a survey, created and distributed by HYA (also posted on the Hoover website), to provide input on the Leadership Profile.

December 14, 2006 - HYA will present the Leadership Profile created by stakeholders in Hoover City Schools to the Board of Education. This Profile will be posted on the Hoover Schools' website. During this time, HYA will also facilitate discussions with the Board regarding a Compensation Package for the Superintendent, but will not set that in stone until further along in the process.

Superintendent Position will be posted at that point. HYA mentioned they will post the position on their website, in the American Association of School Administrators publication, and in EdWeek. They will also actively recruit probable candidates based on the Profile developed by Hoover's stakeholders.

February 5, 2007 - A slate of five possible candidates will be given to the Board of Education. HYA will screen and interview all probable candidates before presenting any to the Board.

February 10 and 11, 2007 - The five candidates will be interviewed by the Board. HYA will facilitate discussion to narrow the field to two or three "semi-finalists".

February 12, 13, and 14, 2007 - The "semi-finalists" will be brought back for a more intense interview process, spending time with the Board officially and socially. Open Meetings laws will be followed whenever more than two Board members are present. The Board is discouraged from discussing the candidates with each other until HYA returns on the 15th to facilitate the discussion.

February 15, 2007 - HYA will facilitate discussions with the Board to aid them in their decision of whom to appoint as Superintendent.

March 5, 2007 - The Board will appoint the Superintendent effective July 1, 2007.

The Board of Education interviewed four Superintendent Search Firms on August 17 and 18. The Board listened to presentations by each of the firms and then asked questions such as

How long do the Superintendents you place stay where they are?
What happens if the Superintendent leaves after a year?
What kind of opportunity is there for community input?
How do you help this Board reach consensus on the right candidate?

The Board chose Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates at the September 11, 2006, Board Meeting. The company's home page can be accessed by clicking here.

In their interview, Mr. Attea stated that a webpage will be available for the Community to keep up with the Search process. A link will be available as soon as the page is created.

What Makes a Great Superintendent? Posted 10/24/06. From Greatschools.net. Gives a list of attributes of an effective Superintendent. Also addresses attributes of an ineffective Superintendent.