SJSD discuss interviews, community videos for superintendent search
By Jazmine Knight
The St. Joseph School District moved forward with its superintendent search at a special board meeting Wednesday evening.
School board president LaTonya Williams says it’s almost like it’s Christmas. She is filled with joy to see so many people were interested in the position.
“As you’re looking to get people to apply, you’re almost at the mercy of the applicants,” Williams said. “But these applicants are amazing. I mean, educated, extremely educated, tons of experience … It just makes me even more excited.”
During the meeting, the board examined some demographics of the candidate pool.
The district received 25 applicants, 10 hailing from other states including Arizona, Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Texas, North Carolina and Nevada.
Of the 25 applicants, 16 were male and 8 were female with one choosing no response.
Eighteen of those applicants identified as white, four identified as African-American, one as Hispanic and one identified as two or more races.
Twenty-four out of 25 those applicants possess an EdD or PhD while five applicants possess 13 years or more of relevant experience (excludes experience as a principal).
The district also selected three questions that each candidate will answer in an introductory video. The goal is to engage the community in the district’s decision while allowing residents to voice their opinions on each candidate.
“I think it will provide lots of transparency for one, and then it will also let [the community] get a little bit of a feel about the applicants and the direction that we’re going,” she said.
Each video will range from a minute to two minutes long. Two to three candidates will be asked to share a brief introduction of themselves and their professional journey, why they are interested in the position and what they believe they can offer to the district.
After the special meeting, the board entered a closed session where they selected five to eight semi-finalists. From there, screening interviews will take place on Dec. 12.
