David Thompson and Mike Moses of the firm said the timeline is still on track, and they have received 12-15 applications for the position. They also said while they have a strong field of candidates at present, more candidates are expected to apply closer to the deadline for submission Sept. 15.
What they’re saying
“This is obviously a ‘lighthouse’ district and is the third-largest district in the state of Texas, as well as a very high performing district academically ... and we believe it will attract significant positive interest for people who are looking for that professional challenge and opportunity,” Thompson said.
Both men expressed confidence that their recruitment strategy of advertising and outreach will result in the selection of candidates for the board when they announce the first round of interviews Sept. 20.
“I'll underscore that if you're going to [apply for the publicly posted position] ... you're not going to want to have any more exposure than is really necessary. So you're probably going to want to wait until the last two or three days to establish your candidacy. We've had discussions with some really good people—top school executives who probably will be involved—but they will not establish [themselves] as candidates [until] they are very close to the deadline,” Moses said.
Current situation
The remainder of the timeline of the search is as follows:
- September: community and staff input, candidate selection and presentation to the board
- September-November: application review, candidate interviews and selection of lone finalist
- January: new superintendent assumes the position
The board is offering several opportunities for community input, including focus groups that have begun meeting to share qualities they would prefer in the next superintendent.
The CFISD board work session Sept. 7 will include an update from the search firm and is open to the public to attend or watch online.
In addition, a districtwide survey will be emailed to residents Sept. 8. Updates on the search are also available on the district website.
