Teachers seek supportive superintendent during search

Teachers recently said they want a supportive relationship with district officials at Maricopa Unified.

The conversation was prompted during a public forum Wednesday night at the district administration building as parents and employees discussed the MUSD Governing Board’s search for a new district leader.

The forum was host to a variety of opinions from teachers who urged the board to choose a superintendent who would be inclusive to his or her staff, be transparent with the public and be a confident decision-maker.

“Ultimately, you are the superintendent. You are the person who makes that final decision and owns it,” said District Curriculum Director Wade Watson. “You may have to explain that decision, but you will stand by it.”

Other teachers said educators feel disconnected from the district office and would prefer the new superintendent repair or rebuild those relationships.

Teachers also said the new superintendent should focus on hiring highly qualified personnel, rather than just filling vacancies.

Results from a community-wide digital survey agree. 65 percent of participants chose recruitment and retainment of highly qualified staff as a desired accomplishment of the future superintendent.

Maricopa High School teacher Jennifer Miller has worked for the district for 15 years and has seen leaders come and go. She expressed frustration with apparent reshuffling of teaching positions within departments and treating those positions as “interchangeable.”

“Be aware that you’re dealing with human beings and value them as human beings” Miller said. “It’s about people, it’s about building relationships and it’s about compassion.”

Teachers also said they would like the new superintendent to trust in their teaching abilities and be communicative and visible on all school campuses.

Merry Grace, one of only a few parents who attended the meeting, said she hoped for more parent-involvement in the future.

The Arizona School Board Association is assisting MUSD in its superintendent search. ASBA representative Karen Gasket revealed the results of the survey after taking questions from the public Jan. 17.

The survey produced answers from 398 respondents, most of whom (68 percent) were district employees.

Although Gasket said she was hoping for a bigger response, she said the data was still “statistically significant.”

After recruitment, successful experience managing annual budgets was second on the list for respondents (64 percent); Inclusiveness with parents, staff, community members and students during the development of recommendations was third (61 percent); Transparency was fourth (55 percent); and efficiently managing a school district in the past rounded the top five priorities in all categories.

Respondents also composed their opinions in writing. To view the entire report click here.

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