May 27, 2005
The Charlottesville School Advisory Commission met for the first time Friday to clarify their role in the search for the next superintendent.
The School Board Chair and Vice Chair met with the Advisory Commission to define the Commission's responsibilities and to discuss expectations. Both sides say they are pleased with the outcome.
"I thought the meeting went very well today," says Commission Vice Chair Eileen Akers. "We were very clear about what our expectations were, and it was just a very comfortable setting."
School Board Chair Dede Smith agrees. "I thought this was a great meeting. This is a wonderful group of citizens, and we're really looking forward to working with the commission."
The Commission, composed of former school board members, parents, educators, and former educators will provide the core component of public involvement in the superintendent interview process.
Additionally, their responsibilities will include reviewing and advising he school board on what search process they should use, as well as what qualities and qualifications they should look for in a candidate.
"We really want to do a thorough job," says Commission Chair Rauzelle Smith. "We want to get someone on board who will bring our community back together."
It has not yet been decided if the process will be open or closed, but Commission members say it's something they will be giving a lot of thought.
"The pros of having it be open is it does bring the community in the process at an earlier stage, but the problem with that is it exposes the candidates, and many of them prefer not to be exposed early in the process and often times you may lose a candidate for that very reason," says Smith.
Either way, they are looking to move the community forward, something they are all very proud to be a part of.
School Advisory Commission Processes Defined