As part of the Gadsden Board of Education’s search for a new superintendent, the Alabama Association of School Boards is collecting ideas from area residents and school system employees about the skills and traits the school system’s next leader will need.
AASB launched an online survey Friday and, on Feb. 1 it will host a series of stakeholder meetings to gather input.
“The goal of the survey and the meetings is to give all parents, local residents, community leaders, employees – everyone with an interest in the Gadsden City Schools – the opportunity to share their ideas about the skills and abilities the next superintendent will need in order to lead GCS to the next level,” Dr. Linda Ingram, one of two leaders of the search process for AASB, said.
Responses to the survey will be anonymous. Participants in the survey and meetings will be asked the same basic questions:
• How important is it that the next superintendent have experience in specific areas, including successfully managing a system of similar or larger size, maintaining and increasing achievement, leading in a diverse environment, effectively managing employees and their performance and ensuring student discipline?
• Should the new leader have prior experience as a superintendent, school or system administrator and/or classroom teacher?
• What are the most significant challenges or issues facing GCS now?
Data gathered through the survey and meetings will be anonymous. But a detailed report on the
results will be presented to the school board in a public session tentatively set for Feb. 6.
The survey is open through Feb. 2 and can be taken at www.surveymonkey.com/r/GadsdenSearch.
The engagement meetings will be throughout the day on Feb. 1 at the Gadsden City Schools’ Central Office:
10:45 – 11:45 a.m. for parents/guardians and the community
11 a.m. – noon for school system and school administrators
2:30 – 3:30 p.m. for public officials in Gadsden
4:15 – 5:15 p.m. for school system employees (non-administrators) 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. for parents/guardians and the community
Board members will not attend the meetings, Ingram said.
“We find that when the board attends, people want to talk to them about specific issues rather than the search for the next leader. So we ask the board not to attend.”