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Shocked by School District choice

Posted on April 13, 2018 by Sonoma Valley Sun

Dear Sonoma School Board Members, Sonoma Valley Community and Concerned Parties:

I read an (Sonoma Index Tribune) article on April 2, 2018 headlined ‘Sonoma Teachers union express concern over Superintendent pick.’ To say I am shocked would be an understatement.

My initial response and comment to the article is presented here:

 Wow! SVUSD hired consultants to provide a search for an appropriate candidate and they find someone whom the school district would have to deal with grievance right from the get go. Those consultants did not do their job. How disappointing. Someone should look into the recruitment process which was performed. I had high hopes, even forwarded the article about the search to educators in my district who are wonderful, in hopes they’d share the opportunity with their network. She’s not hired on yet… There could be time…

I believe our community needs a fiscally responsible Superintendent who can work to solve the many obstacles the District has found itself in.  I do not believe a candidate who has to do any work on elevating or protecting their image or job status should have ever been considered.  I do not believe the consultants hired to provide the necessary recruitment to bring the school district a viable option was performed to industry standard. Recruitment for a position of this caliber should never have been taken so lightly.

As I mentioned in my initial comment above, it was the consultant’s intention to seek out, and present for hire, a candidate for Superintendent for the SVUSD to administrators in the district my son attends school, Truckee Tahoe School Unified District. We have a very strong school district. Our school district is located in an area much like Sonoma Valley with high tourism, second home ownership, migrant population, seasonal workers, full time residents struggling for professional job opportunities and a housing crisis, and maintains it’s small town quaintness. It is possible for SVUSD to succeed and make necessary changes to better their school district.

I consider myself a part of the Sonoma Valley community because my family remains, we utilize our family’s homes when we visit and pay taxes.

Please consider holding the consultants accountable. According to the November 20, 2017 article, the Request for Proposal would be sent out to six to seven search firms from which the top two or three would be selected for the board to then agree to hire for recruitment purposes.  It seems more effort has gone into selecting a consultant than the quality of the recruitment for which they were hired to perform.

Please research their recruitment methods, outreach, screening and vetting of candidates. Please make them present their efforts to acquire a viable candidate to the public and interested local groups. I believe you will find they did not meet the contract for which they were hired to perform.

Thank you for your consideration to further efforts to secure a viable Superintendent for Sonoma Valley Unified School District.

— Robin Short, Truckee, CA

 

 




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