New Search Firm Twice as Expensive ...as that Bad One

The Kentucky Board of Education spent $60,000 searching for Commissioners in 2007. Ray & Associates was hired for the ill-fated search that produced Barbara Erwin and the board conducted its own search before hiring Jon Draud.

Now the board will pay Greenwood/Asher & Associates Inc., a Florida-based consulting firm, $120,000 to guide a new search for another education commissioner, the third since Gene Wilhoit resigned in November 2006. Greenwood/Ashher is the same firm that placed President Lee Todd at UK in 2001, and President Jim Votruba at NKU in 1997. The CPE paid them $130,000 to help search for its new president, Robert King, who was hired in December.

Board of Education chair, Joe Brothers told C-J's Toni Konz he's not frustrated about having to pay more for a new search.

"No, it's not really a frustration," he said. "It's a disappointment in some ways … but that is par for the course."

Greenwood/Asher's President and CEO Jan Greenwood told C-J her firm will recruit potential candidates and place advertisements in statewide and national publications, perform background checks, interview references and help the board conduct interviews.

This is all well and good. But it is no substitute for the board doing some extra digging on their own when it reaches the finalist stage.

KSN&C has had a couple of off-the-record conversations that convince us that board members are plenty sensitive to the errors of the past and are dedicated to a better process this time around. But just in case, and assuming finalists will be named (as we hear they will be) KSN&C will be doing some of its own vetting as well.

This from the State Journal:

Kentucky Board of Education members plan to put an education commissioner in place by Aug. 1, Chairman Joe Brothers said after meeting with the group’s search firm Wednesday.

According to a tentative search schedule, the board could review potential candidates in early June, followed by two rounds of interviews on June 23 and 24, and July 8, 9 or 10....

After the meeting, Brothers told reporters the board doesn’t have a preference for an in-state or out-of-state candidate.

“There’s a preference to get the very best for Kentucky’s kids,” he said.

He said the recent passage of Senate Bill 1, which does away with the state’s Commonwealth Accountability Testing System, shows Kentucky is “stepping up” and could present a good opportunity for the right candidate.

Board members had suggestions Wednesday for what that candidate would look like. Several said they hope he or she has experience in the classroom, but members agreed that the next commissioner could come from outside the education field.

Board member Billy Harper, a western Kentucky businessman, said he hopes to hire an “innovator” like University of Kentucky President Lee Todd.

“He came - not out of the education world - having that dream for UK, willing to do what it takes to move the university forward,” he said. ...