School system close to choosing search firm

Written By: Robert Naddra
10/13/10
Categorized in: DeKalb News, Education

The search for a new DeKalb County Schools superintendent advanced last week as the school board narrowed the list of search firms to two.

The board will choose either Ray & Associates or the Georgia School Boards Association to help it select a replacement for former superintendent Crawford Lewis.

Ray & Associates, based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has done school executive searches since 1975, according to the agency’s Web site. The firm has been “extremely successful in recruiting women, minorities and non-traditional candidates for school districts,” according to the site. All of the firm’s consultants have at least 15 years experience in the school executive search field.

The Georgia School Boards Association has assisted in 16 superintendent searches in the state since May 2009, including the Fayette County and Newton County systems. The GSBA presently is assisting in two searches.

Board member H. Paul Womack said he expects the search to continue into 2011.

“There are some on the board who think we can find [a superintendent] in the next couple of months but I think it’s going to be a job for the new board,” Womack said.

Five of the nine school board seats will be contested in next month’s election.

Lewis was fired in April in the face of corruption charges involving the school system’s building and construction department. He was indicted on racketeering and bribery charges, among others.

Ramona Tyson has been serving as the school system’s interim superintendent since the dismissal of Lewis.

Comments (4)

Jonathan

Said this on 10/18/10 At 08:07 pm

In reply to #3

The school district's human resources department has its hand full making sure there are enough teachers to fill openings while managing everyday administrative tasks. And even if they were under-worked, personnel in a local school district aren't trained to conduct a nationwide search for a superintendent -- a task that is becoming more common as school districts realize there's a good chance the solution to their problems isn't likely to come from within their district. Because these firms -- and particularly Ray & Associates, which I'm familiar with -- don't just choose somebody and recommend them. They hold public forums where they bring in residents to talk about what sorts of qualities they want in a superintendent. They study the district's problems and what its needs will be in the future. They do things the district and the school board doesn't do on a regular basis and shouldn't be expected to know how to do. This is a task most districts go through every five to 10 years. Search firms do this every day. The wiser move is to hire an outside firm.

Latitude

Said this on 10/16/10 At 03:08 pm

How much are we paying the human resources department? Can't they recruit and screen? What is a nontraditional candidate? Then, let's go out and hire a sanitation worker - maybe he or she can clean up the trash.

whyisthat

Said this on 10/16/10 At 02:58 pm

Non-traditional candidates is exactly what we need, I think. Someone perhaps not from the education or government sector.

fleeced

Said this on 10/13/10 At 01:39 pm

"The firm has been “extremely successful in recruiting women, minorities and non-traditional candidates for school districts,”"

To hell with being PC - how about finding someone who can do the damn job!

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