Several communities are looking to fill superintendent vacancies at the same time.
Are you able to juggle marketing and public relations programs while keeping informed about any number of hot-button issues that can develop during a challenging economic environment??
Then this region may be  the first place to start looking for work. The Ardsley, Briarcliff Manor, Chappaqua, Hastings, Katonah-Lewsiboro, Nyack, Peekskill and Port Chester school districts are all looking for superintendents to lead their communities during the next few years.
Many of those districts are now in the process of gathering public input through surveys and community forums to find out the qualities they want from a superintendent. If they haven’t already started the process, they can be expected to begin shortly.
“There has been a lot of turnover in the past couple of years in terms of superintendents,” said Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES Superintendent Jim Langlois. “It’s a high pressure job and the number of candidates has dropped.”
More than 46 percent of all superintendents in the state are expected to retire by 2013, according to a study conducted last year by the New York State Council of School Administrators. Yet a study done a few years ago showed that fewer people were coming forward to apply for the positions.
According to that same report, new hires for the position are coming in at a higher age and are taking the position for shorter periods of time.
“You might have candidates from Connecticut, New York and New Jersey who are looking to move on to a larger school district,” Langlois said. “Districts are usually looking for someone who has experience and has been successful.”
Eileen Baecher, president of the Hastings school board, said she has noticed a decline in the number of candidates for superintendent during the past few years.
“It’s become a 24 hour a day, seven day a week responsibility and a lot of people aren’t willing to take it on,” Baecher said.
Locally, school districts have taken different approaches in their searches. Some school districts have decided to use private firms, such as Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates in Illinois or School Leadership, LLC in New York to help attract candidates.
Others have relied on the services provided by BOCES, many of which come at no extra cost, to assist with their searches; while some districts have used services from BOCES and outside firms to assist with their searches.
Baecher said her school district was still trying to determine which tool would be the most efficient and cost effective to use.
She said groups like the state Association of School Superintendents and the American Association of School Administrators, which post online job listings similar to the ones used by BOCES, will also be relied on.
“Two of the biggest things we’re looking for in a candidate is experience and financial skills,” Baecher said. “We also want someone who has the ability to effectively communicate and engage different groups of people.”
Michael Lagana, president of the Nyack school board, said his district chose to use Dr. Charles Fowler of School Leadership to assist with the superintendent search because of their experience and past success.
“We felt the most comfortable with Dr. Fowler and the resources he had,” Lagana said.
Michael Gordon, president of the Katonah-Lewisboro school board, doesn’t believe his district’s search will be affected by the number of vacancies that exist in neighboring districts.
“The Katonah-Lewisboro School District is a high-performing school district in a lovely part of the country that is fortunate to have highly motivated students, strong administrators focused on maintaining and developing our programming and infrastructure, wonderful teachers, and a supportive and involved community,” Gordon said. Â “I am confident we will attract candidates who are desirous of taking the reins and leading us to even greater achievements.”
Gordon said a Ph.D Â isn’t a prerequisite for his district.
“Most superintendents do have a Ph.D., and my guess is that the best candidates will have a Ph.D.,” Gordon said.
Lagana believes the financial situation in New Jersey may also help neighboring school districts attract candidates. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is proposing an education reform plan that would enact sweeping budget cuts to districts in the state.
“Our consultants are telling us that there are in significant changes that could take place in New Jersey with the state of their financial situation,” Lagana said. “That should help to create a greater pool of candidates.”
Langlois agreed that the situation in New Jersey could help. But he said that it was too early to tell if that is the case.
“There are a lot of factors to consider in the governor’s proposal and it’s not clear if it is going to happen,” Langlois said.
