I just received an e-mail from my son's private high school, reminding me that they are in the process of searching for a new Head Master. At the same time, my daughters' public school system is also searching for a new leader -- the superintendent. Both school systems are looking for a replacement to take over for the 2008-09 school year. I thought it might be interesting to occasionally compare the processes and procedures and progress of the two searches.
I'm posting first an e-mail that I and several hundred other parents just received over the weekend, edited only to remove identifying information.
So far, I'm really liking the tone being set. There's some transparency, a sense that not only are they gathering input, but they are actually considering it as well.Dear Parent,
I would like to give you an update on our progress in the search for a new head of school.
By the end of June the Search Committee and our consultants (name deleted) completed an outreach program designed to contact our many constituencies to get their advice and input. That effort resulted in our having had personal contact with almost 300 individuals through one-on-one interviews and small group meetings with current trustees; key faculty and staff members; some student leaders; and selected former trustees, alumni and parents. It also included receptions for alumni and parents in six cities. In addition, we have been receiving useful input through the special "Head of School Search" section of the school website. We very much appreciate the thoughtful participation of so many individuals in this important process.
By the end of July we completed the job description which forms the foundation for our evaluation of candidates and which we have been using to market the position. [Consultant] has been leading our efforts to identify and develop a pool of candidates. Since early August the Search Committee and [consultant] have met formally three times to discuss the candidate pool and most recently to begin to make decisions about the specific individuals we plan to interview. We are pleased with the size, quality and diversity of the pool. The response to our search indicates that [the school] is held in high regard in the marketplace, and while there are a number of other boarding school searches in progress, we are satisfied that we will be able to engage the candidates we seek out.
We are on schedule to begin interviewing first-round candidates by the end of October and to meet our target of being able to select the new head of school early next year.
I recommend that you check the school website for timely updates on the process and the opportunity for you to provide input. But please do not hesitate to contact me directly at [e-mail deleted] if you have any questions or want to provide any constructive guidance.
As for the public school search, well, either they have taken no steps to begin the process, or they just aren't going to tell us about it. There's no indication on the website, the many communications home about everything else under the sun don't inform us of what is going on.
I'm not posting this to dump on the public schools, but I get frustrated by the lack of openness. The public district will be throwing money at the search and probably hiring a consultant (they hire consultants for everything, so this will be no exception). The public school arguably has an easier time of gathering input, as all the parents live here.
If there was one influence I could have at this point, it would be to get the schools far more transparent and more receptive to the opinions of the community.
I know what school it is. I almost went there when I was growing up. Very nice.
ReplyDeleteAt our public school, hiring a new superintendent is the job of the school committee. Outside of the required (terse) meeting notes, they never communicate with parents or anyone else. The meetings sometimes get written up in the local paper, but that is usually about what they've done, not what they are planning to do. Ho hum. That's the way things have always been done.
After having my son in a private school, I do notice a difference in parents. Most private school parents (beause they are paying directly out of their own pocket) are not shy about giving their advice. And private schools do try harder (but good intentions are no guarantee). Our head master went out of his way to get as many parents as possible into his office to talk about anything.
Steve, I agree. The private school is highly aware of who the consumer is. Yes, it is the student. But it is also the parent, and the alumni, who do not want to see the value of the name decline. Alumni are almost as vocal as parents. There is a tremendous amount of time and money invested into "reputation."
ReplyDeleteBut parents in expensive public schools are incredibly insensitive to price, I'm finding. As consumers, they don't shop the schools based on price -- just "quality" and that's pretty hard to define. There is virtually no price competition whatsoever between these schools, and that means, each are able to get pretty close to monopoly rents, from an economic perspective.
On the other hand, public schools are only subject to "regulatory" pressures, not competitive pressures to keep costs in line.
I'm still very much just clarifying some vague ideas here (and if I searched the economic literature, others have probably said it all before and better), but here's the two fatal flaws in public and private education.
Private has competitive pressures to improve quality and reputation, but no pressure to control cost.
Public has no competitive pressures, only regulatory pressure. Regulation is not all bad. It can be effective, but it's almost never superior to competition.
I do think competition would be good for both public and private.
I would love to see a mid-tier school emerge that can produce quality and reputation, but also has some price competition to keep costs under control. I'd predict you'd see explosive improvements in cost and quality between good public and good private that would benefit both sectors immediately.
As a parent and as a consumer, I'd prefer fewer bells and whistles (i.e., lower cost) but keep the quality up. It's possible, just not in the system we currently have.
I must put a plug in for my school when they conducted a search for a new superintendent last year. I thought they effectively reached out to the community trying to solicit input.
ReplyDeleteThere was some criticism because the candidates’ names were never disclosed. I know some schools will have an opportunity for parents to question final candidates as part of the process. However, it made sense to me that maintaining their privacy would open up the field to a wider group of top tier candidates. I wonder how your schools will handle this.
For other administrator posts, we've only been told who is the final pick. We never get any feedback on particular candidates prior to the final announcement. They'll probably follow that routine again.
ReplyDeleteNonetheless, they must ensure community participation and input. We are a small town up here in northern CT. We're still pretty rural. We have "community conversations." We still rule through the really old town meeting format. I just can't see how anyone in this town will accept a fait accompli.
If there was one influence I could have at this point, it would be to get the schools far more transparent and more receptive to the opinions of the community.
ReplyDeleteamen
btw, I want to start a "Legal" category and get as much "legal rights of parents" info posted as possible.
We can talk by email.
To start, we all need to know the uses and limits of FOIA...
t our public school, hiring a new superintendent is the job of the school committee. Outside of the required (terse) meeting notes, they never communicate with parents or anyone else.
ReplyDeleteMy understanding is that, by law, committee meetings are public.
You have a right to attend.
I'm going to attend the curriculum committee meetings this year.
Apparently at a board meeting a little while back one of the board members (I don't know who it was) said that they couldn't allow any parent to sit on district committees, because certain parents would make teachers afraid to speak.
I assume that board member was referring to me, and possibly to a couple of other VERY active parents.
Now one of those parents looked up the law and told the superintendent to check with her attorney.
She checked with two attorneys.
Both said the meetings are open.
Mathew says we also have a right to record board meetings; don't know if this right extends to committee meetings.
On the other hand, public schools are only subject to "regulatory" pressures, not competitive pressures to keep costs in line.
ReplyDeleteYes.
Eduwonk has a nice way of putting this, which I keep losing.
One of my jokes about Irvington is that we should change our motto to, "Irvington schools. In full compliance with state regulation."
Character education is a state requirement, AND WE'VE GOT IT ON OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
ReplyDeleteThe entire district is focused on character ed; the middle school principal's sole claim to fame was that he'd implemented character ed in his old school, in Albany.
The principal before he came along used to tell us all that he was "ahead of schedule" getting character education implemented.
This is a fricking state regulation.
WE ARE AHEAD OF SCHEDULE COMPLYING WITH STATE REGULATION.
If there was one influence I could have at this point, it would be to get the schools far more transparent and more receptive to the opinions of the community.
ReplyDeleteI don't know about the one thing I would choose if I had to choose one, but this would come close.
I remember reading, awhile back, a policy article on NCLB, the question being whether NCLB would work.
The authors were sympathetic to the legislation.
They predicted that, in its strong form, NCLB would not work -- the strong form being AYP & sanctions.
They also predicted that simply requiring schools to post data where everyone can see it would have an effect.
A couple of activist parents here have pushed through the question of district committee meetings, whether they have to open, etc.
It turns out that the meetings do need to be open.
Site committee meetings, in NY state, are mandated by law and must be open.
Today I went to my first site committee meeting.
I'm going to publicize committee meeting dates on the Forum. Only a handful of parents will attend, but that's fine.
The fact that parents can attend, and that all parents know they can attend, is going to have an effect.
I find it pretty incredible that in all these years no one at the school has ever thought to mention the fact that site committee meetings are open.
What I'm learning (I think) is that public schools are, by law, supposed to be far more transparent than they have been.
ReplyDeletee.g.....videotaping of School Board meetings.
ReplyDeleteOur board has rejected requests to videotape meetings for years.
Come to find out, they've been out of compliance with NY state law all that time.
Who knew?
Board meetings are now going to be taped, and I don't know whether this occurred because two new members joined the board, or because someone looked up the law. (I believe it was the former.)
But it is also the parent, and the alumni, who do not want to see the value of the name decline. Alumni are almost as vocal as parents.
ReplyDeleteThe situation at Dartmouth is a good example.
Dartmouth just packed the court & got away with it.
At our public school, hiring a new superintendent is the job of the school committee.
ReplyDeleteIt's possible that the school committee must be open to the public by law.
I haven't figured out this area yet; apparently school board committees must be open to the community by law.
In Los Angeles, very good Catholic schools may occupy this niche --- do you think?
ReplyDeleteIf so, they haven't benefited public schools (but of course we're talking about LA Unified, which is huge).
I would love to see a mid-tier school emerge that can produce quality and reputation, but also has some price competition to keep costs under control. I'd predict you'd see explosive improvements in cost and quality between good public and good private that would benefit both sectors immediately.
Right.
ReplyDeleteWe are told nothing about any searches, ever.
It's all personnel, and hence can't be commented on.
Apparently God made this rule.
For other administrator posts, we've only been told who is the final pick. We never get any feedback on particular candidates prior to the final announcement.