THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, May 31, 1995 TAG: 9505310471
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SERIES: SUPERINTENDENT SHUFFLES
VIRGINIA BEACH: Board seeks a new leader
SOURCE: BY ELIZABETH THIEL, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 81 lines
VIRGINIA BEACH - A little more than a month before Superintendent Sidney L. Faucette is due to leave for another job, School Board members are turning their attention to the tough task of finding a new leader.
It's a duty that's among the most sacred for school boards because the superintendents they hire set the tone and educational direction for entire school districts.
A mistake, as the Beach School Board found out in 1990 when they hired and fired E. Carlton Bowyer in just over a year, leaves an impression that can last for years.
School Board Chairwoman June T. Kernutt said she would present the board with some options next week for how to proceed with a search.
The board must decide what kind of leader it wants, how to involve the community, whether to hire a consultant to generate a list of candidates and how far geographically to advertise the position.
Some board members have said they expect to search nationally for candidates who have a range of experience appropriate for a school system of Virginia Beach's size. As the second-largest school district in the state, with nearly 76,000 students, it could be difficult to find a superintendent in Virginia who has led a comparable district.
``There are all kinds of paths to take,'' said School Board Vice Chairman D. Linn Felt. ``Sure, I would like to go national, but I wouldn't exclude local. We probably need to get as many applicants as we can.''
Board members also will have to decide whether they want someone to fill Faucette's shoes temporarily while the search is on. Hiring a new superintendent can take months. A few names have been mentioned as possibilities in official circles, including Deputy Superintendent James L. Pughsley and K. Edwin Brown, assistant superintendent for instruction.
Meanwhile, officials and citizens alike are beginning to discuss the qualities they want in a new leader.
School Board members said they want someone who will continue some of the important programs that Faucette started, particularly shared decision-making, which allows parents and teachers to have more of a say in schools' decisions.
``Sid (Faucette) came in and got so many things going,'' Felt said. ``I support most of what he's done, and I would want someone to come in who supported it also, and could improve upon it.''
``Two things at the top of my list,'' Kernutt said, ``are that the superintendent be a visionary yet practical, and that he have very good people skills.''
Parents and students said they want someone who will listen to their concerns and make student learning a top priority.
Fran H. Jamison, 17, a senior at Cox High, said the new superintendent should be ``someone who's been in education; someone who's been in the Virginia Beach public school system; someone who knows the area; and someone who's ready to tackle the challenges that the School Board is dealing with at the time, and has some good ideas for how to do it. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
MOTOYA NAKAMURA/Staff file
School Board members say they want the new leader to continue some
of the programs that Sidney Faucette started.
Photos
D. LINN FELT, SCHOOL BOARD VICE CHAIRMAN
JUNE T. KERNUTT, SCHOOL BOARD CHAIRWOMAN
VICKIE J. HENDLEY, PRESIDENT OF THE VIRGINIA BEACH EDUCATION
ASSOCIATION
OGO N. JOHNSON, 30, TEACHER AT PLAZA MIDDLE SCHOOL
MIKE A COSTA, 16, SOPHOMORE AT KELLAM HIGH SCHOOL
DIANE E. PEPPER, 51, BEACH RESIDENT
by CNB