Schools

School District Seeks Community Input on Superintendent Search

A community forum will be held Tuesday evening at Malcolm X Elementary, and an online survey about the desired qualities for a new superintendent will be available until Friday.

With Superintendent Bill Huyett set to retire at the end of June, the Berkeley Unified School District is on the hunt for a replacement. 

The consulting firm Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates (HYA), selected by the school board in February (watch video of the Feb. 8 meeting here), is leading the search, and spending this week gathering community input before recruitment begins. 

The third and final community forum on the superintendent search will take place  to allow Berkeley residents, parents, students, administrators and staff to share their thoughts as to what kind of superintendent the school district needs. Spanish translation will be available during the meeting.

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An online survey, available until Friday in both English and Spanish, asks takers to rate the eight most important qualities for the new superintendent from a long list that includes being team-focused, understanding the importance of education technology and having a clear vision.

The single-question survey also includes a number of goals for the new superintendent, such as increasing academic performance, recruiting and maintaining effective teachers and staff, ensuring that schools are safe and clean, and aligning budgets and managing the long-term financial health of the district. 

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After this week, HYA will meet with small groups of stakeholders and conduct individual interviews with students, parents, teachers, staff and administrators, as well as elected officials, clergy and other community leaders. In April, the consulting company will develop and distributes a recruitment brochure, and begin actively advertising and recruiting for the position.

A timeline of the superintendent search is available on the district's website.

Interested in email updates on the superintendent search? Click "keep me posted" below.


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