South Glens Falls Central School District

• Self-Directed – The Board of Education is responsible for all aspects of planning, coordinating and executing the superintendent search. This can be a cost-saving but time-consuming process, and is typically utilized by boards that already have multiple internal, qualified candidates in mind.

• Search Firm – Search firms are professional recruiters who have extensive experience conducting leadership search processes for school districts and universities. They provide full-service searches and recruitment. There are costs for these services, and the firm may not be as familiar with the local region and district-specific needs.

• District Superintendent/Search Consultant – District Superintendent of Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex  BOCES as a consultant for individual school districts. 

The District will be proceeding with a District Superintendent Search. WSWHE BOCES District Superintendent of Schools, Turina M. Parker Ed.D., will oversee the search.

The two most common types of superintendent searches are:

Open Search – During an open search, candidate names are disclosed to the public at some point during the search. Typically, this occurs when the Board has selected finalists. In this circumstance, resume evaluations and initial candidate evaluations are done by the Board. Once the Board has determined the final candidates, the finalists’ names are released to the public and stakeholders are given an opportunity to engage the finalists and provide their feedback. An open search may provide a greater sense of transparency for the school community, yet it may limit the number of candidates who apply or participate in the search due to the lack of confidentiality.

Confidential Search – During a confidential search, all candidate names remain confidential for the entire process, until a Board appointment. Confidential searches are typically used in an effort to attract experienced administrators who maintain positive collaborative relationships with their communities and Boards of Education. The nature of a confidential search allows candidates to participate in the process while mitigating the risk to their current circumstance, a consideration that inhibits some leaders from applying for other positions through open search processes. Currently, the superintendent search process in New York state is competitive. A confidential search may place a district in the position to attract a larger pool of highly qualified, experienced applicants, though this is not guaranteed.

The Board of Education has carefully considered both options and has decided to conduct a Confidential Search.

At the beginning of a superintendent search, the Board considers elements of the search, including search type (open or confidential), search scope (statewide or national), marketing (digital, print, media, etc.), salary range, interview and meeting dates, and a search timeline.

The Board participates in the process: drafting a guiding statement for the search, considering input from all stakeholders, selecting candidates, participating in candidate interviews, negotiating a contract and appointing the new superintendent of schools.

A superintendent search requires a nine to 12-month commitment from the district’s Board of education. This includes approximately eight meetings, usually three or more hours each, often on consecutive days and consecutive weeks. Board confidentiality throughout the process is key to ensuring the integrity of the search and preventing candidates from removing themselves from consideration due to a breach of confidentiality.

The final decision of selecting and appointing a new superintendent of schools rests solely with the Board of Education. While community and stakeholder input are valued and relied upon throughout the search process, the Board of Education, consisting of members elected by their community, ultimately holds the sole authority to appoint a superintendent of schools and enter into an employment contract with the successful candidate.

A typical search takes six to nine months, from when the district formally launches the search by sending out a brochure about the position to the appointment and announcement of a new Superintendent of Schools. This can vary depending on the number of applicants and any challenges the search encounters.

Gather feedback from stakeholders; analyze data to design the search; marketing and advertising for the position; review, screen, vet and background check candidates; conduct interviews, contract negotiations and appointment of the new superintendent of schools.

Some challenges the search may encounter can include a lack of viable candidates, candidates removing themselves from consideration and/or contract negotiations falling through. Any of these situations could cause the search to be unsuccessful.

If the Board of Education does not feel that they have a successful candidate, they can choose to terminate the search at any time and reopen it after a pause. 

The district can decide to hire an interim superintendent to assist the district with day-to-day operations during the search if necessary.