At the November 2018 meeting of the Board of Education, Elizabeth Baker, President of the Board of Education, provided an update on the Superintendent Search, including an overview of the Search Criteria which have been developed, with community input, in the following areas:
- Leadership
- Management/Operations
- Curriculum & Instruction
- Human Resources
- Community Engagement
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In August 2018, the SOMSD Board of Education launched the search for our District’s next Superintendent, and hired Dr. William Librera of West Hudson Associates as the Superintendent Search Consultant to assist in the search process.
The Board chose Dr. Librera based on his expertise as an educational leader, and his two decades of experience as a search consultant, both nationally and within the state of New Jersey. Dr. Librera is a former NJ Commissioner of Education and served as Principal of Columbia High School from 1980-1983, before serving as Superintendent of four different school districts, including Montclair.
Over the next several months, the Board plans to engage in the following search process to hire a Superintendent:
September-October 2018: Development of a Candidate Profile, utilizing inputs from community, parent, and staff. The Board plans to finalize the profile and search criteria by the end of October, and share with the community.
November 2018: Place Advertising for Superintendent position in key publications and outlets.
Winter 2018-2019: Candidate Screening and Interviews, including reviewing resumes, screening and narrowing candidate pool, and conducting interviews of candidates.
Spring 2019: Final Selection of a Superintendent, including reference checks, community engagement and final selection. The Board’s goal is to appoint a new superintendent in Spring 2019.
The Board invites stakeholders to share your input to help the Board define the ideal candidate profile. In order to hear from a wide range of community members, three methods of soliciting input are being utilized:
- An online survey that will remain open through October 11. You can access the survey online by clicking here or via the link on the flyer below.
- Open community meetings, facilitated by Dr. Librera. Please see the flyer below for details.
- Forums for District staff and Columbia High School students to provide input, facilitated by Dr. Librera.
Please consider providing your input, digitally and/or in person. The SOMSD Board of Education looks forward to engaging with the public as it fulfills its most important role – hiring the next Superintendent. The Board will continue to report on the search process as it proceeds.
