When the Minneapolis Public Schools first set out to hire turnaround school principals, administrators followed their usual process--which focused largely on reputation and anecdotal support and considered mainly internal candidates. Yet success at the complicated task of turning around the fortunes of a failing school depends on exceptionally…

When a highly qualified candidate learns the search will be conducted confidentially, a positive response is almost certain, in the author's experience running superintendent searches since 1988. Just as likely, the prospective candidate responds negatively to being told the search process will not be confidential. Confidentiality is the item of…

The risks are high when it comes to hiring a new principal. A principal is accountable for the safety, well-being and achievement of all the children in a school, as well as for representing the school to the community. With increasing demands on building administrators, the hiring of principals certainly may be considered high stakes. For several…

While many school leaders are enticed by the benefits international teachers bring to their schools, some find the process of attracting and hiring educators from other countries to be daunting. Many of the challenges relate to visas. Procuring them can be costly and time-consuming. Additionally, the No Child Left Behind definition of a highly…

Serving as superintendent, going into his 24th year, the author has completed hundreds of applications and interviewed for nearly a hundred superintendencies. He has accepted seven superintendencies and, in more than 20 instances, have declined offers or withdrawn from consideration after being interviewed. This cumulative experience has produced…

Board of education members come and go, but the community remains. Wise candidates for a superintendent position, as well as the dedicated board members involved in fulfilling this important duty, understand this and therefore want the public to be part of the superintendent search process. As a search consultant to school boards for 20 years, the…

Schools in America, especially in communities far from urban centers, are working harder to find highly qualified and culturally proficient staff to prepare students successfully for an increasingly interconnected world. Apart from offering teachers more professional development and hiring educators with international travel experience, public…

When selecting diversity consultants, administrators should supervise hiring decisions, recognize that cheaper is not better, realize that good writers are not always good speakers, avoid interest-group advocates lacking political savvy, discourage consultants with destructive/disrespectful approaches, and accept partial responsibility for…

Should a superintendent become involved in the recruitment of new school board members? Because of the importance of who serves on the school board and their individual and collective motives, does the superintendent leave the recruitment and selection of new board members to chance or does he or she become involved in recruiting? This is a…

Superintendent describes the factors that define the fit between a candidate and a particular superintendency. Concludes that the most important factor is chemistry. Advises candidates to rely on intelligence, information, and instinct when deciding whether a new superintendency is a good fit. (PKP)

Offers superintendents advice on how to conduct themselves in job interviews with boards of education. Suggests that candidates clearly articulate to the board who they are and what they believe in educationally. (PKP)

The superintendent search consultant plays a major role in ensuring a close fit between leading candidates for a superintendency and the underlying views of governing board members on various matters, including religion and church/state issues. Search consultants try to keep school boards upfront about their desired values when seeking a new…

School attorney suggests strategies related to personnel selection and dismissal that superintendents can employ to reduce the risk of special-education litigation. (PKP)

Offers several recommendations to board of education on involving the incumbent superintendent in the search for a new superintendent. (PKP)

Describes positive and negative qualities in candidates that boards of education identified when searching for a new superintendent. Based on Illinois study of 180 superintendent vacancies during recent 3-year period. (PKP)