The Morgan Hill Unified School District Board of Trustees has
made the first
– and hopefully the last – mistake in a search for a new
superintendent of schools.
Desire for transparency is admirable, but poorly executed
The Morgan Hill Unified School District Board of Trustees has made the first – and hopefully the last – mistake in a search for a new superintendent of schools. Going against the recommendation of the search firm hired to help find the person who will replace outgoing Superintendent Dr. Alan Nishino, the school board will allow an advisory committee of union members to interview the final three candidates.
This will be the first of 36 searches done by The Cosca Group – which is being paid $23,000 – that will include an interview panel, representative Steve Goldstone said. The board’s desire for transparency is admirable, but it’s being poorly executed.
It’s wrong to allow union to interview final superintendent candidates
There are three reasons why this is a bad move. First, the board is ignoring the advice of the highly paid consultants they selected to guide them through this process. Second, it’s the same process used nearly five years ago that resulted in a superintendent the unions battled with throughout his tenure. Finally, in allowing the top three to five candidate’s names to be made public, the number of qualified candidates who apply is reduced, since sitting superintendents don’t want to ignite controversy with their current board by applying for a position unless the names are kept private.
“Very good candidates ask that question (of whether the search will be closed or open),” The Cosca Group representative Steve Goldstone told the board. Confidentiality is a primary concern of candidates, he said, adding, “There are no guarantees in life, but there’s a greater guarantee (of confidentiality) when just the board is involved.”
Board will be judged by who it hires to replace outgoing supe Alan Nishino
At least trustees Kathy Sullivan and Mike Hickey, who voted against the motion, see the big picture. This is the same process used last time, when the board selected Nishino instead of the candidate the committee recommended. What if that happens again? Will the unions go into the relationship with a chip on their collective shoulders, or will they give the new hire a chance to prove what he or she can do?
When the local newspaper, the bastion of openness and transparency, agrees that the public input of this process ends after the consultants met with more than 40 community groups, then rest assured, it’s not about transparency. It’s about finding the best candidate out there. Any significant goal has demands and sacrifices. The goal is to find the best candidate.
The sacrifices are that the final steps of the process need to remain private, and trust the board makes the right decision. They alone will be judged by this choice. They alone should make it. Before it’s too late, reverse last week’s decision.
