A Superintendent Shortage Is Shaking Up America’s Schools
One of the most misunderstood—and important—jobs in our country is in need of qualified candidates.
Earlier this week, Baltimore City Public Schools made headlines when CEO Andres Alonso tearfully announced his retirement at the end of the school year.
Alonso’s tenure at the troubled school district is touted as a true success story within national education reform movement circles.
Since his appointment to the post in 2007, Alonso has implemented a series of massive reforms. He eliminated about a third of the staff at the district’s central office in an attempt to streamline operations, negotiated a $1 billion campaign for a complete overhaul of school facilities, shut down failing schools, and struck a landmark deal with the teachers’ union that tied salaries and promotions to student performance. Over the six years, test scores improved, enrollment increased, and graduation rates reached all-time highs.
Now, the Baltimore City School Board is tasked with finding a replacement. They’ve launched a national search and promise to fill the vacancy by the start of the 2014-15 academic year.
But it’s one thing to fill the position, and another to find a leader who can