The three finalists for Anne Arundel County Schools superintendent are being grilled this week by community leaders, School Board members, teachers and parents about their qualifications to lead the 74,000-student district.
But some parents said the packed schedule of events for the candidates made it all but impossible for concerned parents to participate.
Retired Illinois State Superintendent Robert Schiller was on the hot seat Tuesday. Dana Bedden, superintendent of the William Penn District in suburban Philadelphia, will be in the county today, and Kevin Maxwell, a community superintendent in Montgomery County, will interview on Thursday. Each candidate will have a 45-minute interview session with parents beginning at 5 p.m.
“It?s the age-old issue of never considering when these parents would be available,” said Sam Georgio, outgoing president of the countywide Citizen Advisory Committee, who said some parents were upset that the sessions weren?t scheduled for later in the evening.
School Board Vice President TriciaJohnson, who served as the board?s liaison for the superintendent search, could not be reached for comment. Anne Arundel County hired consultants from the Maryland Association of Boards of Education to conduct the superintendent search. Bea Gordon, a lead consultant from MABE, said the parent interviews were scheduled at 5 p.m. to allow each candidate the opportunity to eat dinner and meet with school board members. “We do understand that it?s a difficult thing to commit to, especially for three nights in a row,” Gordon said. “But in previous searches, there was no opportunity for input from anyone.”
MABE and the school board asked for recommendations from parents and students who would be willing to meet with each candidate during the in-person interviews. Georgio said those requests weren?t made until late March.
As a compromise, the school district has agreed to televise each 5 p.m. interview on the school?s cable channel 96 on Comcast and Millennium cable. The district must hire a new schools chief by July 1.
