GLASGOW — Glasgow Board of Education members set the selection criteria in the search for the district’s new superintendent during a special-called meeting Thursday night at the central office.

Board members, along with Phil Eason of Leadership Strategies Group, reviewed survey information collected from district employees and parents on the qualities and expectations they would like to see in the next superintendent.

Based on the analysis of the survey questions, the board narrowed a broad field of criteria on which to formulate interview questions down to 13. 

Eason had encouraged board members to narrow their focus to approximately 10 to 15 criteria.

“If you end up with 100 criteria, you don’t end up with any,” he said.

He explained as part of board policy it was their responsibility to develop the criteria and then instruct the screening committee, whose members will review candidate applications, on those same criteria.

“It’s important that you get the right fit,” Eason said. “It’s not who, but what we’re looking for (in a superintendent).”

Before the next board meeting on March 8, the members will develop the interview questions based on the criteria they have chosen. That process needs to remain confidential, according to Eason, to safeguard the integrity of the search.

In the survey results for the two groups, employees and parents, several common goals became apparent.

The three most important qualities the next superintendent should possess, according to district employees who answered the survey, are honesty/integrity, leadership/vision, and being personable. Parents said the most important qualities they were looking for are integrity, accessibility/approachability, and ethics and morals. The survey also cited decisiveness, flexibility and being knowledgeable as being qualities needed.

When asked what the top three expectations are that they have for a new superintendent, employees said vision for the district’s future, visibility and moving forward on a new high school and/or renovations were the most important. They also included putting students first, leadership and school management.

Parents expect the new superintendent to be visible in the school district and the community. They don’t want a district leader who will micromanage, however. Other parent expectations include building a new high school, having a superintendent who is ethical, honest, has integrity, lives in the community, puts students first and is fair.

Eason told board members the employees and parents had given them “nice direction” and they would be the best prepared having “more information than anyone else.”

Board member Elaine Richardson asked Eason if there was a good pool of candidates so far.

“We have a lot of interest, but it’s still early,” he said. “Some will wait until a few days before the deadline to apply, but we have a quality pool of candidates.”

Richardson also asked if all the classroom teachers had an opportunity to vote.

Eason told her they did. No classroom teachers are included in the screening committee. Both certified members, Mike Harris from Glasgow High School and Chad Muhlenkamp from Highland Elementary, are in administrative positions at the schools.

After the screening committee finishes reviewing applications, they will present three to five superintendent candidates to the board, Eason said.

Chairman Jerry Ream asked if the board would see all the applications. Eason told him that would only happen if none of the finalists meet the needs of the board following their interviews.

Member Chris Lawrence said he would like to see the screening committee lean more toward five finalists from which to choose.

“Based on the last time, it may be clear (who the finalists should be),” board member Amelia Kiser, who served as a parent member on the screening committee during the last superintendent search, said. “It really shook out that these were the ones. I’m all for not shutting out someone with potential, but it may be really clear.”

Eason agreed with Kiser telling board members the choices might become apparent to the screening committee and that the board should focus on the candidates the committee recommends to them.

“That’s not how we’ve done it in the past,” Ream said. “But I can live with that.”