Search For Superintendent Seeks Community Involvement

They held a forum Monday for anyone interested in the district's superintendent search.

Dana Thompson, chairwoman of the school board, said few community members attended. "I was disappointed about such a low turnout at the meeting," she said.

Board member Delores Simpson said that she too was disappointed in the turnout but that it might not be a bad sign.

"Because the object of the superintendent forum was to involve our community in the decision-making, I admit that I was a little disappointed about such a low turnout," she said. "But I do believe that it just showed how much people believed in us and trusted us. They trusted us enough to rely on our own decisions without them."

The school board members and people who did attend the meeting voted to use a different approach to gauge opinion.

"We have agreed to send out written surveys to the residents and PTA members, which we have never done before," Thompson said. "So, I'm sure that we will get tremendous responses from this mechanism in place for the meeting."

The written survey can be found at http://www.orange.k12.nc.us.

Thompson said she is sure the survey will help gather insight from individuals. "The written survey seems to be a great way to get responses from people since they don't have to worry about stepping on other people's toes when they answer," she said.

Thompson said she expects specific responses from the written survey. "I think that we will get more responses from the parents with their children attending schools in Orange County," she said. "So I trust in them to answer the questions in the survey out of their built-up experiences."

Simpson said meeting with the PTA will allow board members to find out where the PTA stands. "We decided, on Monday night, to visit PTA meetings individually to find out how the PTA members expect the new superintendent to be and to see if we, the school board members, are on the same track with them," she said.

Anne D'Annunzio, coordinator of volunteers and public information for Orange County, said she that was not particularly happy that not many people went to the meeting but that she thought the meeting was productive.

"The school board members asked questions that were much less formal, and the participants were able to ask much more personal questions," she said. "I think the school board members found out that if they needed input from teachers and the community, they needed to go out to look for it.

"They seem to have realized that what they really needed to do was to talk to the parents who were concerned about the matter, whether it was about the new superintendent or not."

D'Annunzio said she expects some arguments in the decision-making process.

"I know there will be smart and knowledgeable people who believe that the superintendent should be from North Carolina and there will be other smart and knowledgeable people who don't think that where he, or of course she, comes from is that important," she said.

"But I do think that it is important to consider what is best for the community when we are making the decision."

She said she has worked with Randy Bridges, the former superintendent, and also the interim superintendent, Mike Williams. "After working with them, I do believe that the school board will find the right person to work for the community and have only the best interests for the students in Orange County."

D'Annunzio said her status as a parent also affects how she feels about the school board's decision.

"My confidence in the school board's ability to find the right superintendent is strong, even as a parent."

The City Editor can be reached at citydesk@unc.edu.