Mississippi School Board Association Superintendent Search Consultant Dr. Tommye C. Henderson spoke with members of the Carroll County School Board during a special-called meeting at 5 p.m. at Vaiden Town Hall.
Henderson explained to the process of an abbreviated superintendent search. She began with explaining who was qualified for the Superintendent search.
“A lot of our school districts don’t understand the changes in the new law,” Henderson said referring to the law in 2016 that established that all superintendents would be appointed not elected. She explained that in order to qualify for the appointed Superintendent’s position, candidates must hold a valid Mississippi administrator’s license and must have been a superintendent in the last five years.
“We’ve had someone apply for a position that was a superintendent more than 11 years ago,” Henderson said. “So, that person didn’t qualify for the position.”
Henderson said a person could have been an assistant superintendent in the last five years and still qualify for the position.
However, the job of superintendent is not specific by letter grade.
“A superintendent from an F school could apply for the job, and he or she is still eligible,” Henderson said. “That would be up to the board.”
“The problem is a lot of small school districts don’t have an assistant superintendent,” Henderson said. She said there was discussion as to if someone with a director’s title, for example, director of Federal Programs could also apply for a job.
Henderson said legislators went back and amended the law allowing for directors to apply for the position of superintendent.
“They had to have been a director for six years and must have reported directly to the superintendent. And, it has to say in their contract that they’re a director of something. Some districts give their administration a contract that just says ‘Administration,’ but it has to be specific, and it has to have the title on there,” Henderson said.
She also said that a director must include an organizational chart in with their paperwork to see how the hierarchy at their previous job is set up and to see exactly who they report to.
Henderson said a principal of an A or B school can also apply, however, they must only be from an A or B school, and they would have had to maintain their A or B, but consecutively. “They could’ve had an A superintendent’s position, candidates must hold a valid Mississippi administrator’s license and must have been a superintendent in the last five years.
“We’ve had someone apply for a position that was a superintendent more than 11 years ago,” Henderson said. “So, that person didn’t qualify for the position.”
Henderson said a person could have been an assistant superintendent in the last five years and still qualify for the position.
However, the job of superintendent is not specific by letter grade.
“A superintendent from an F school could apply for the job, and he or she is still eligible,” Henderson said. “That would be up to the board.”
“The problem is a lot of small school districts don’t have an assistant superintendent,” Henderson said. She said there was discussion as to if someone with a director’s title, for example, director of Federal Programs could also apply for a job.
Henderson said legislators went back and amended the law allowing for directors to apply for the position of superintendent.
“They had to have been a director for six years and must have reported directly to the superintendent. And, it has to say in their contract that they’re a director of something. Some districts give their administration a contract that just says ‘Administration,’ but it has to be specific, and it has to have the title on there,” Henderson said.
She also said that a director must include an organizational chart in with their paperwork to see how the hierarchy at their previous job is set up and to see exactly who they report to.
Henderson said a principal of an A or B school can also apply, however, they must only be from an A or B school, and they would have had to maintain their A or B, but consecutively. “They could’ve had an A one year, a B the next, and moved to another school and had a B there, and it moved to an A. It doesn’t have to be consecutively, but they must maintain it.”
She said a principal who has also move a school up in the accountability ratings could apply. “If the school has went from a D to the C and has maintained the C for three years, then they can apply also.”
Henderson said the law was also amended to allow a non-professional to apply for the job. “Someone who has never been in education must have a Master’s degree, been in the position of leadership for six and must present their contracts in order to prove it.
“We also ask for a job description of their job and of every job that they’ve held,” Henderson said. She said they did so that someone who’s been over a company, military, a college professor can all apply for the job.
She said anyone from out-of-state could also apply, but the accountability system had to match the one in Mississippi and they have to know something about Mississippi.
Henderson said they also do background checks. “I think some of our out-of-state applicants think that we don’t have computers in Mississippi,” which was met with a lot of ‘ohhs.’
She said if the board chooses the wrong person, who does not meet the qualifications, as superintendent, every person on the board could be individually liable. Henderson said a great deal goes into a superintendent search.
Henderson said if MSBA chooses people the Carroll County School Board is not happy with, then they’ll start all over again.
Washington-Bell asked if the abbreviated search included stakeholders. Henderson said no.
“We do have a search where we hold meetings with the students, teachers, parents, and community members but that’s not a part of the abbreviated search, no.”
After discussions, the board voted 3-2 for the Mississippi School Board Association to open the superintendent search beginning April 10 through May 22 and will include a one-page vacancy announcement to be placed in the local newspaper with Board members DeLoach, Wiltshire and William Downs voting for the measure and Board members Washington-Bell and John Phillips voting against it.
