The Madison School District is ramping up its search for a new superintendent, and this week will offer members of the public an opportunity to influence who gets the job, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.
Chicago-based consulting firm The Alma Advisory Group is assisting the district with its search and will hold public input sessions today through Wednesday. It is soliciting recommendations for the characteristics and priorities the school district should consider in hiring its new leader. The feedback will be incorporated into a leadership profile and job posting for the position.
In addition, the Alma Advisory Group will use results from a leadership survey and input from meetings with several community groups in Madison to shape the leadership profile. The group has already met with the Madison teachers union, YWCA, Destination Madison, and Madison Public Schools Foundation, among others.
The school board is set to hire a new superintendent by March. The new hire will replace Carlton Jenkins, who left in July after about three years in the district. Lisa Kvistad, longtime Madison School District educator and administrator, has served as interim superintendent since June.
The Madison School District is the second-largest in Wisconsin, with 25,000 students across 52 schools. The new superintendent will head a district facing multiple challenges, including declining enrollment, a teacher shortage, persistent racial achievement gaps, and a budget shortfall projected at more than $30 million going into the next fiscal year.
