The Clover Park school board’s decision to withhold the names of its superintendent semifinalists is, admittedly, the traditional model for superintendent searches.
It might be time to rethink tradition.
School board directors have tended to assume that they have to keep a wrap on such decisions if they want to attract the best and the brightest.
But that was before Tacoma embarked on its latest search for a school district CEO and challenged the conventional wisdom of secrecy. Now Tacoma is looking a lot like the kid in the front row who embarrassed the rest of the class by getting the answer right.
Tacoma’s decision to release the names of its eight semifinalists proved no handicap to its pursuit of excellent candidates. Not one applicant dropped out of the running upon learning that he or she would be publicly vetted earlier than usual.
Tacoma’s approach was born of the disaster that was its last superintendent. After Charlie Milligan proved a bad fit for Tacoma, the school board knew it had little choice but to open up the selection process for his successor to more public scrutiny.
To date, that decision has served the district well. From the list of semifinalists came the four strong contenders who are meeting with community groups and the general public this week. At a Wednesday public forum, one of those finalists praised Tacoma for the transparency of its process.
In Tacoma’s case, the emphasis on openness originated with the school board, not its hired help. Given the choice, search consultants will always favor secrecy – as Clover Park’s does. Consultants want to make sure the hiring process goes well. From their point of view, additional public involvement complicates matters.
School board members have different priorities; their allegiance rightfully belongs to the community that elected them to serve the public interest. The Clover Park board says it’s not hiding names – it’s just being discreet. Discretion is not spreading hearsay about the candidates; refusing to divulge their names is hiding.
Naming semifinalists sends the clear message that openness takes precedence over candidates’ privacy concerns. It tells superintendent hopefuls that they should be serious enough about the job to be willing to put their names out there.
A community’s children deserve no less.
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