$4,500 goals workshop will help district find superintendent, says board

Terry Webster

Friday, Jan. 28, 2000 | 11:55 a.m.

Bogged down in its search for a school superintendent, the Clark County School Board is spending $4,500 on a one-day workshop on achieving goals.

A one-day workshop with a school board training consultant Thursday was approved by the School Board, as part of its preparations to resume its superintendent search.

Based on the Policy Governance model by John and Miriam Carver, the workshop will cover methods that allow boards to achieve their goals and conduct themselves with integrity, according to a description in the board's agenda.

Board President Mary Beth Scow said she contacted various organizations and is confident the $4,500 cost of the workshop will be paid by donations from outside sources.

"I believe the board is very focused and we as a board feel public education is critical," Scow said. "We're very supportive of the children in Clark County and the better we are at governance and the better we are at making policies, the better the education for our children will be."

Frequent School Board critic Louis Overstreet told the board its admission that it needs a workshop consultant is embarrassing.

According to the board's meeting schedule, the training workshop is set for Friday, Feb. 11 at 8 a.m. at the board room in the Greer Education Center, 2832 E. Flamingo Road.

Other board members also confirmed they are "focused" on finding a permanent leader for the district, the country's eighth largest.

The School Board and the Superintendent Selection Process Committee are preparing to interview two candidates in March. The School Board hopes to select a new superintendent by April 1, to replace Brian Cram, who retires in July.

"What I ask of the community, media and trustees is that we indeed gather every ounce of strength so we can allow the board to investigate these individuals and get a new superintendent," said Sheila Moulton, School Board clerk, who reiterated that the board is not considering an interim at this time.

Scow added that the Superintendent Selection Process Committee plans to remove an item on its Monday agenda that calls for developing a plan for hiring an interim.

"I do believe that maybe the board can look at other options if one of (the candidates) doesn't work out," Moulton said. "But I've been inundated with questions from community members about how strongly we have felt about that. I believe our votes were unanimous in continuing with (the search firm), our desire for two candidates and the time line that was developed. For that reason, I get great concern when the media and other individuals keep revisiting the interim. That's a possibility that's out there and it may come about. But what I want to talk about tonight is focus."

Also speaking during the meeting, Eleanor Chow urged the school board to consider an education professional if it does wind up going with an interim superintendent.

Additionally, Marzette Lewis, founder of Westside Action Alliance Korps-Uplifting People, asked the School Board to rescind its vote to re-name Madison Elementary School on J Street after State Assemblyman Wendell Williams.

"Rescind the vote or you are going to suffer the consequences," she said.

Williams said she wants the School Board to hold a community forum on the renaming of Madison, located on the city's west side.