Houston's secret search

This from the Houston Chronicle:

If you want to run our public-school system,

you need to say so. Publicly

The Houston Independent School District’s board said a few months ago that it would conduct its search for a new superintendent out in the open, with finalists’ names made public. A great idea, that. We wish they’d stuck with it.

But no. Last week, after search firm Heidrick & Struggles whined that its job would be easier if conducted in secret, board members openly abandoned openness. Some candidates demand secrecy, they explained. Too much sunshine will dry up the talent pool.

Wow. We stand in awe of you secrecy-loving candidates: HISD’s board hasn’t even short-listed you yet, and already you’ve sold them a load of hooey....

So man up, candidates: So what if everyone back home knows you’ve been asked to interview here? Respond with this tried-and-true line: “I’m flattered that Houston asked me to interview, and I look forward to exchanging ideas with some of the most innovative educators in the country. But I love my current job.” Your bosses, hoping to keep you, may offer a raise....

You’ll have to face various interest groups sooner or later — and if you wait till you’re the only candidate, some of those factions will almost certainly feel cut out, even before you’ve said hello.

If you’re the right candidate, rough-and-tumble doesn’t scare you. You’re a political animal. You know how to build coalitions, to win friends and influence people...

The public deserves to know who might be running our public schools.

Commish Candidates Trimmed to a Dozen

This from H-L:

Education commissioner candidate

interviews begin Sunday

The list of applicants for Kentucky education commissioner has been narrowed to about a dozen names, and the state board of education will start interviewing the candidates this weekend...

Greenwood/Asher & Associates, a Florida-based search firm hired by the board, accumulated an initial list of about 300 applicants for the job, then winnowed that to about 100.

That list has been trimmed to about a dozen, after the search firm conferred with state board members during their regular meeting in Frankfort, which wrapped up Thursday, Kentucky Education Department spokeswoman Lisa Gross said...

At least one Kentuckian has applied — Daviess County Superintendent Tom Shelton. It is not known whether Shelton is still in the running.

Unlike the ill-fated 2007 search that produced Barbara Erwin - who quit the job before starting it, citing media pressure over her numerous resume errors - board members acknowledge they are mindful of the proper role of the search firm and indicate the new (and more expensive) search firm is meeting the board's needs.

The best news could be number and quality of candidates. Board member Dorie Combs told KSN&C that she is "very pleased with the quality of the candidates."

Stop Me if You've Heard This One Before

Kentucky Board of Education Sets Interviews

This from the Herald-Leader:

The state has sent out requests for proposals from national search firms, and a number have responded.

Here we go again.

Kentucky Department of Education spokeswoman Lisa Gross said the state education board plans to interview up to four of those firms at the March 5 meeting.

A couple of meetings ago, in one of several unguarded moments, Doug Hubbard alluded to a certain company that would not get his vote. Since Hubbard failed to mention any names, we are left to guess who he meant.

If things go well, the board probably will name one of the companies later that day to lead the search, she said.

And if things don't go well, the board will rehire Ray & Associates who will advise the board to keep the public uninformed while they sift through potential commissioner candidates from Kentucky and across the country, all the while assuring the board that a paired down list of finalists were fully vetted and the board should feel free to believe anything they have to say. Then, the board will congratulate itself.

But I'm confident that won't happen this time around.

The bigger question is - Who's interested? The biggest question is - Who's interested that can move Kentucky forward?

The board will be operating as a committee of the whole. That's going to slow the process down somewhat - but that's OK if the public is kept informed and the process results in the selection of a high quality candidate.

Just like making changes to the CATS assessment: Take you time. Get it right. Then, try not to change again for a long while.

UW-Parkside asked for Felner Resignation

UW System reviews UW-Parkside Chancellor search

In the wake of the Felner investigation the folks at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside are rethinking their search processes. Instead of making excuses they wasted little time identifying changes needed in the next search.

This from a UW-Parkside press release:

University of Wisconsin System President Kevin P. Reilly today announced that a detailed review of procedures used to recruit and screen candidates for the UW-Parkside Chancellor post is under way. Findings from that review will be used to improve future searches, including those at UW-Green Bay and UW-River Falls.

Over the past four years, the UW System has hired nine new Chancellors, employing a transparent, inclusive process that begins with a local search and screen committee comprised of faculty, staff, students and community members. The institutional committee recommends a slate of finalists, each of whom visits the campus and meets with various stakeholder groups. Based on information gathered through campus visits, interviews, public comments, professional references, and background checks, the UW System president and a select committee of Regents recommend a preferred candidate. Finally, the new Chancellor is appointed by the full Board of Regents.

UW System’s search method is an exceptionally open one, compared to most public- and private-sector organizations, including other institutions of higher education in the United States. It has resulted in the appointments of successful Chancellors who have led their institutions to record enrollment levels, higher national rankings,
successful fundraising campaigns, new research prominence, and other achievements. However, the failed search at UW-Parkside may provide insights about ways to improve future processes.

Following a competitive national search, Robert Felner was recommended as one of four finalists for the UW-Parkside post on April 30. His name, photo, biography and curriculum vitae were released and posted on a public Internet site. Members of the public were invited to hear his campus presentation and submit comments, as they were for three other finalists. Five weeks later, on June 5, the UW System Board of Regents approved Felner’s appointment. During this time, no information or public comments surfaced that warned of a current or pending investigation involving Felner.

On Sunday, June 22, Felner informed UW System leaders of an investigation at the University of Louisville that involved the College of Education and Human Development, where he served as Dean. On Monday, June 23, UW System officials learned that federal agents had visited UW-Parkside on Friday, June 20 to examine papers belonging to Felner. Within two days of the first notification, UW System requested and obtained Felner’s resignation in advance of his first day of employment in Wisconsin.

Upon learning of the Louisville investigation, the UW System immediately began reviewing available information about Felner during the UW-Parkside search.

Although none of the information pointed to any kind of improper activity, the UW System has identified a few areas where problems may have occurred. A review of these areas may help improve future searches:

• References – In the UW-Parkside search, much information obtained about Felner through professional references painted a very positive picture of his performance at both the University of Louisville and the University of Rhode Island. However, the number and type of references interviewed may have been insufficient, affecting the quality and breadth of information obtained. Information about a 2006 vote of no confidence by Louisville faculty was not shared with everyone involved in the Parkside hiring process.
• Roles and Relationships – Based on current information about the UW-Parkside search process, UW System will work to clarify roles, responsibilities, relationships and expectations for everyone involved in the search process. This will include clear guidelines and checklists for individuals, committee chairs, external search onsultants, UW System Administration staff and others. These written guidelines will provide clear procedures and mechanisms for gathering, verifying, analyzing and sharing all available information about candidates in a manner that ensures an unfettered, unbiased examination of each candidate’s strengths and weaknesses.
• Timelines – The timeline for the UW-Parkside search allowed roughly three months to recruit a pool of qualified candidates, evaluate applications, conduct preliminary interviews, check references, name finalists, schedule public presentations, interview finalists and appoint the new Chancellor. Compared to most Chancellor searches, this was a more compressed timeline – about two weeks shorter than the successful search for a new UW-Madison Chancellor. UW System officials will examine the impact of this shorter timeline on the search committee’s ability to fulfill its charge.

Reilly will ask a qualified independent consultant to explore these issues and related topics, with a goal of providing specific recommendations by mid-August. This will ensure that lessons learned can be incorporated into upcoming Chancellor searches at UW-Green Bay and UW-River Falls, as well as a new search at UW-Parkside.

Search committees have been appointed at UW-Green Bay and UW-River Falls, with the process of recruiting and screening candidates scheduled to begin in the Fall when students and faculty return to campus. This will allow sufficient time to complete the review of the search process and incorporate improvements into these institutional searches.

UW System will name an interim Chancellor for UW-Parkside before August 1, when Chancellor Jack Keating is scheduled to step down from his post after more than 10 years of service. Once that interim leadership is in place, and findings from this review committee are submitted, Reilly will work with campus leaders to identify a new campus search and screen committee to help lead a national search for a new Chancellor.

Here's a recap from Jennifer Oladipo in LEO. And more about the review of the search process in the Kenosha News and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Thanks to Jake at Page One.