School Board members feeling rushed to name superintendent

Terry Webster

Monday, Dec. 6, 1999 | 11:37 a.m.

Was it too much, too soon?

An ambitious schedule for interviewing superintendent candidates has some Clark County School Board members wondering if maybe it was.

Despite the looming Dec. 16 deadline for naming a new district leader, board members Shirley Barber, Susan Brager and Lois Tarkanian have said they don't want to hurry their decision.

Board members also said the deadline does not leave them much time for traveling to the hometowns of the finalists, something they plan to do.

"I just don't understand what the rush is," Barber said. "This is such an important decision."

Superintendent Brian Cram, who retires in July 2000, has agreed to assist the new superintendent.

Brager said she also is concerned about trying to meet the Dec. 16 deadline and that it should be extended, if necessary.

Tarkanian agreed.

"I do feel rushed," she said. "I have to think and reflect a little bit."

Board member Mary Beth Scow presented a different view.

"I think we need to make a decision with all of this fresh in our minds," she said.

As the School Board met Saturday to review the process so far, board President Ruth Johnson suggested taking the rest of the process one day at a time.

"For the process as a whole, we gave so much attention to meeting the schedules they (the candidates) have," Johnson said.

The School Board was to meet today with district-hired consultant William Attea to discuss the method for selecting a new superintendent. On Saturday board members said they also will consider whether any of the three finalists should be eliminated.

The board may decide none of the three finalists should be hired. If that happens, the search process will be reopened.

Over the weekend the School Board completed final interviews of retired U.S. Air Force Lt. General Joseph Redden and James Fleming, superintendent of the Capistrano Unified School District in Southern California. The two also attended public receptions and tours of the Clark County School District.

Today and Tuesday, Henry Marockie, state superintendent of West Virginia schools, will complete his interviewing process. The three hopefuls already went through hourslong interviews with the School Board and the Superintendent Selection Process Committee, a School Board-appointed group of business and community leaders.

One of the main objections the board presented to Fleming during his final interview was a perception that he seems too bureaucratic. Fleming said he would address that by "humanizing" all of the so-called bureaucrats in the school district. This could be done by placing articles about school executives in school newsletters or magazines.

Bureaucrat is a term that is overused and means nothing, he added.

Fleming said he believes his Cabinet of school executives should debate issues, but they all should support a decision after it is made. Further, Fleming said once a decision is made, Cabinet members should not offer differing opinions on the issue to School Board members.

"It places a chill on the organization," he said.

An objection presented to Redden was his lack of experience in kindergarten through grade 12 education. Redden's educational background centers on serving as commander of the U.S. Air Force Air University at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama, which conducts all professional military and continuing education programs, and as commandant of the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Redden said he would locate the experts within the school district, then use their knowledge to help him make decisions.