It's been less than two weeks since Dr. Scottie Griffin's resignation, and school board members say they are looking to bring in her replacement sooner than later.
"We feel that we have not lost the opportunity and the window is still open to hire someone this year, and that's what we are hoping to do if we can get the process moving quickly enough," says School Board Chair Julie Gronlund.
The board is in the very beginning stages of the search process and must first decide on a professional firm to conduct their search for qualified applicants.
The process is expected to take at least a few months and will include community input on qualities they feel are needed in an effective leader.
"We need a strong leader, we need somebody who works collaboratively, who has a strong work ethic," says Gronlund. "We obviously need someone who is strong in curriculum and instruction and can address the achievement gap."
To insure that they end up with the right person for the job, school board members say they'll be taking a more engaged approach this time, as far as reviewing candidates' backgrounds, something they feel will be time consuming but necessary.
