District invites input on a chief

The Pulaski County Special School District is asking the public to participate in online surveys to rate the district’s services and help identify desirable characteristics in a superintendent.

The district’s School Board is in the early stages of seeking a superintendent for the 12,000-student system to replace Jerry Guess, who was fired last July in a disagreement with the board over the district’s legal representation. Janice Warren is the district’s interim superintendent.

The surveys, posted on Monday to the district website, pcssd.org, are in both English and Spanish. Both will remain open until Feb. 1.

In the “Community District Review” survey, district stakeholders have the ability to rate the school district on how well the district is addressing the achievement gap, the social and emotional needs of students and the preparation of students for college or career.

The “Qualities desired in the new superintendent” survey enables stakeholders to specify what traits they would most like to see in the new, permanent superintendent.

The surveys, together, take less than five minutes to complete and will help to form the questions used in stakeholder focus groups and during superintendent candidate interviews. More information is available by calling (501) 234-2038 or emailing Deborah Roush, executive director of communications, at droush@pcssd.org.