Looking for a leader: Public can weigh in on CCSD superintendent search

People are asked to fill it out by Sept. 3, and the district said the survey will be used to determine the desired characteristics for the next superintendent. Former Superintendent Jesus Jara resigned this year after nearly six years, and Brenda Larsen-Mitchell is currently serving as interim superintendent.

The survey begins by asking people for their opinions on CCSD. The first statement reads “Please rate the overall quality of education in CCSD,” with five options ranging from “unsatisfactory” to “excellent.”

It then lists several other statements, such as “the social and emotional needs of students are being addressed,” with five options ranging from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree.”

The next section provides people with a list of potential characteristics the next superintendent, such as “be visible throughout CCSD and actively engaged in community life.” People can choose four of the options for desired qualities.

It then provides a space to make additional comments, which the survey states will be transcribed verbatim and made public. It also has a box for a survey-taker to suggest the name of someone as a good candidate for the position.

The survey is anonymous, asking only identifying questions of a person’s role, such as student or district employee, and their ZIP code. It is conducted by the search firm Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates, according to a Wednesday press release from CCSD. The district has contracted the firm for the search.

CCSD’s goal is to select a new superintendent by Nov. 1, a decision that has faced some pushback because of the possibility that many CCSD board members are up for re-election could be replaced during the Nov. 5 general election.

In a July 25 meeting, trustees set a salary range of $350,000 to $400,000 for a new superintendent and approved $64,410 to pay for aspects of the search.

Contact Katie Futterman at kfutterman@reviewjournal.com.