Wanted: right fit for superintendent

By Emily Richmond

Thursday, April 15, 2010 | 2 a.m.

The want ad to replace Clark County Schools Superintendent Walt Rulffes could read: Leader needed for school system dealing with historic budget cuts, a track record of uneven student achievement and facing a contentious legislative session.

Some Southern Nevadans might expect a thin stack of resumes in response. But outside the local bubble there’s a different perspective:

The Clark County School District isn’t a disaster zone despite its shaky graduation and dropout rates (both of which are slowly improving). Rather, it’s a diamond in the rough ready for a top school administrator seeking a legacy-building experience.

“Clark County is in a good position to compete for top talent,” said Michael Casserly, executive director of the Council of the Great City Schools, a Washington group that lobbies on behalf of the nation’s largest urban districts. “It’s one of the largest in the country, it’s on the national radar screen for its programs, and it’s got a School Board with a good reputation.”

Timing also appears to favor the School District, as only Clark County and San Diego among the 63 council-member districts have superintendent openings. That’s an unusually small number, Casserly said, and will likely lead to top candidates fielding fewer offers.

Despite its Mediterranean climate, San Diego may not have the edge over Clark County in a big-city superintendent contest. San Diego has had four superintendents in as many years, while Clark County’s two most recent superintendents, Rulffes and Carlos Garcia, each served five.

Applicants often look for stability, and its high turnover doesn’t cast San Diego in a favorable light, Casserly said. “Candidates will always ask themselves, ‘Can I succeed here, and can I make a difference?’ When a district has stable leadership, the answer is typically ‘Yes,’ ” he said.

Without question, the job is challenging.

As the state’s largest public employer (more than 38,000 teachers, support employees and administrators) with an operating budget topping $2 billion, the district is big business. The superintendent is a spokesperson, negotiator and financial expert, not to mention educational innovator, lobbyist and mediator — contracts are currently open with employees, and a fight is looming over potential pay cuts, furloughs and layoffs.

The list of roles is as lengthy as the one outlining the district’s challenges — a large population of at-risk students, complex federal mandates for student achievement and a graduation rate of about 60 percent.

School Board Vice President Carolyn Edwards acknowledged she and her colleagues “will be asking for a lot ... We’re going to have to be very thoughtful, and very clear in our expectations.”

And the district might ask the next superintendent to do the job for less money. Edwards isn’t convinced the district needs to offer the next superintendent the $276,300 a year Rulffes was paid. She plans to recommend the district do a salary study.

The School Board voted last week to begin accepting bids from search firms. No dollar amount or time frame for the search has been decided.

Rulffes’ contract runs through August, but he is willing to stay on for a few more months, if needed, to ease the transition for his replacement.

Superintendent searches typically take about nine months and cost from $40,000 to $100,000, according to the Council of the Great City Schools.

School Board members have said they would prefer to have a new superintendent in place before the legislative session begins in February. The state is expected to face a budget shortfall approaching $3 billion entering the 2011 Legislature, and the quirks of Nevada’s education funding formula will likely be in the spotlight as lawmakers decide how to fix the deficit.

Given the rough early terrain Rulffes’ replacement will encounter, some have recommended bringing in an interim chief.

Jim Rogers, past chancellor of the Nevada System of Higher Education and owner of Sunbelt Communications, has offered to step in. It’s an offer he also made in 2000 when Brian Cram retired. He was politely turned down.

Rogers, who was recently tapped by Clark County to help turn around University Medical Center, said his track record as a businessman and chancellor would bring the district instant credibility with the public and the Legislature.

“People think I’m bright, some think I’m a little nutsy,” Rogers said. “But they don’t think I’m prejudiced in any way. I get a good grade for being fair.”

If the School Board is interested in his services, Rogers recommends he be appointed interim superintendent from Aug. 1 through the end of the 2011 legislative session, next May. “That way the School Board can do a thorough search, take its time and interview a lot of people. They don’t need to get stampeded into a decision.”

The School Board is expected to discuss appointing an interim superintendent at its April 22 meeting.

School Board members have made one thing clear as they look for Rulffes’ replacement — they will retain full control over the search.

The message stems from the School Board’s recent history.

The superintendent search launched in late 2005 was nearly derailed when a well-meaning coalition of local business leaders put its own horse in the race. The Council for a Better Nevada, which counted Rogers among its members, recruited New York City Public Schools educator Eric Nadelstern, best known as creator of the “autonomy zone.”

Nadelstern and Rulffes were the School Board’s final two candidates. When it appeared the board was divided on whom to select, Nadelstern withdrew from consideration.

Nadelstern said in an e-mail this week that “my work is to continue to serve as chief schools officer” in New York City “as we prove that large urban school systems can ensure the success of all our students ... I hope that our work will prove useful to whomever your school board selects to become superintendent. I am optimistic that Clark County will identify an outstanding new school leader.”

Despite the controversy surrounding the last superintendent search, the district’s process — which included a visit to Las Vegas and public interview broadcast on Vegas PBS — was praised by former finalists. None of those who spoke with the Sun, however, expressed interest in applying this time.

The public might not know the identities of the applicants until the search team gives its list of recommended finalists to the School Board. Until then, names are kept confidential — standard operating procedure in the delicate recruiting process for chief executives.

Peter Gorman, in his fourth year as superintendent of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School District in North Carolina, said he enjoyed meeting School Board members and working with the search consultants, describing the process as “extremely well-run.” Gorman said he is “very happy” in his current position.

Robert Collins, superintendent of the Grossmont Union High School District in La Mesa, Calif., called Clark County’s search “fair and professionally done.” He appreciated the public interview as an opportunity to share his views with the community.

Collins, who recently announced he was leaving his job in La Mesa for a position with a private company that develops educational assessments, was noncommittal when asked if he would apply to replace Rulffes.

“Anyone would have to give pause if somebody said, ‘Would you be interested in coming to Clark County?’ It’s an exciting school district with an exceptional set of educators,” Collins said.

Edward Lee Vargas, superintendent of the Kent School District in Washington state and a 2006 finalist for the Clark County post, said Kent is a good fit for him and he isn’t interested in the Clark County job.

“I wish them well,” Vargas said. “It’s a tremendous opportunity for someone to lead a great school district.”