Visibility, character and good people skills are a few of the qualities some Aiken County residents would like in a new school superintendent.
During an informal meeting at Aiken High on Thursday night, the eight community members who attended shared their opinions about what they would like to see in a superintendent.
Bill Gallman, a former deputy superintendent with the Aiken County Public School District with 40 years of experience in education, said that, when considering candidates, the Superintendent Search Committee and the School Board should look at their histories deeply to determine how they got along with both peers and subordinates.
"Were they appreciated and well liked?" he asked. "If not, that's a red flag."
Teresa Spann, a teacher at North Aiken Elementary, said the new superintendent should have ties to and knowledge of Aiken County. "We need someone who knows something about us," she said.
School Board member Tad Barber asked the group whether the new superintendent should possess specific skills in finance, management and leadership, for example, or surround himself or herself with the best people who have those skills.
"The superintendent needs to focus on education," Spann said. "I'm tired of South Carolina being at the bottom. We need to grow minds to be productive citizens."
The group agreed that the new superintendent should have some knowledge and skills in all areas but should focus on curriculum and education.
The group also said the new superintendent should be:
- personable
- male to provide a good role model, especially for children from homes headed by single mothers
- not close to retirement to provide stability
- concerned about what students are learning and that they will be able to use what they've learned in the real world
- open to change to allow the school system to grow
- clear minded on hiring new teachers to allow students to complete with others anywhere
In addition to Barber, School Board member Richard Hazen; School Board Chairman Rosemary English; and Joy Shealy, the District's middle school academic officer, helped facilitate the meeting. Abby Grant, chairman of the Superintendent Search Committee, also attended.
The Superintendent Search Committee will use the public input to narrow the 17 candidates for the position to no fewer than five and no more than 10. The committee will present their list in alphabetical order, not ranked according to their preferences, to the School Board by June 15.
The Board will use the information from the public, too, as they choose the top three or more finalists. The finalists will be invited to attend a reception, tentatively scheduled for June 26, to meet county residents.
The Board is expected to interview candidates June 27 and announce the new superintendent June 30. District Superintendent Dr. Beth Everitt will retire at the end of July.
Input meetings were scheduled for each of the District's five areas and also were held Thursday at Midland Valley High, Ridge Spring-Monetta High and Jackson Middle School.
Public input meetings also are planned for 7 p.m. Monday at the North Augusta High gymnasium and the Wagener-Salley High auditorium.
An Aiken native, Larry Wood is a general assignment reporter. He started at the Aiken Standard in September 2014.