Good fit a must in school district search

THE search is well underway for a new superintendent of Oklahoma City Public Schools, with interviews conducted last week with finalists. The result must produce an end to the fits and starts of the past several years.

The school board is looking to replace Aurora Lora, who quit in late January after 17 months on the job. Lora had served as assistant superintendent for a time before getting hired. She had classroom and administrative experience in low-income, urban districts, and had great passion for the district and Oklahoma City, but frequently butted heads with the board over the direction of the district.

Patrons accused Lora of blindsiding them with a plan to close five low-enrollment schools to save money, and with another plan to close a school that faced severe staffing concerns. Board members provided little if any cover, and those plans were scuttled.

Lora was the 11th person since 2000 to serve as fulltime or interim superintendent. Six superintendents in that span have lasted less than two years — the longest-tenured was Karl Springer, who served five years before retiring in August 2013.

Springer was followed by an interim superintendent and two full-time superintendents, with Lora last in that line. The job today is held by acting Superintendent Rebecca Kaye, who was Lora’s chief of staff, and whose frustration with the board was evident at a recent meeting.

To deal with enrollment declines at some elementary schools, Kaye sought to cut teaching positions and combine grade levels to save money. Board members criticized the plan and Kaye threatened to quit. She noted that per board policy, staffing schools “is the purview of the superintendent” but instead the board micromanages.

“There is no pot of gold sitting somewhere that we can use,” Kaye said. “If you are not going to let us do our jobs, you are playing into the cycle that this district has been in since 1971.” That exchange was likely a point of discussion by those seeking the superintendent’s job.

The number of finalists hasn’t been disclosed. More interviews are planned this week. It’s uncertain when a choice will be made. Some board members have said they would like to see a decision in four to six weeks, although board member Mark Mann said he’s “more concerned with finding the right candidate than a timeline.” That’s a wise approach.

In an interview shortly after Lora’s departure, Springer suggested the board look for someone with years of experience, to better handle the challenges and rigors of the job. Springer also noted, “If the school board and the superintendent aren’t on the same sheet of music, you don’t have a chance.”

Unfortunately, we have seen that manifested recently. In their search for a new superintendent, board members need to show a willingness to support him or her and provide some latitude, understanding that they won't always agree on the best ways to improve the district. That is the ultimate goal, after all, but it won't happen unless the revolving door at the top stops spinning for a while.