This week, McNamara Search is continuing the background and reference checks on the eight top candidates for superintendent of Fayette County Public Schools. The work includes education, credential and employment verification, credit reports, legal, driving and criminal records, and interviews of constituents in current and previous communities. The candidates are also taking several assessments to provide the school board with information about their behavior, aptitude and cultural competence.
Board members will then decide how many finalists to bring in for public interviews, which they hope to schedule starting the week of June 22. “We are very encouraged to see the high caliber of the individuals who are interested and remain confident that we will find the right leader to join our team,” Chairman John Price said in an email to staff and families.
The Superintendent Screening Committee had recommended seven potential candidates; the demographics of that group were 86 percent male and 14 percent female, 57 percent white and 43 percent African-American. The board chose to interview eight applicants via Skype, with a demographic make-up of 75 percent male and 25 percent female, 63 percent white and 38 percent African-American. “The quality of the candidates and their depth of experience are truly impressive,” board members said in a joint written statement.
In all, 57 individuals submitted applications. According to self-reported information, 74 percent were male, and 22 percent were female; 4 percent chose not to respond. The pool was 58 percent white, 33 percent African-American, and 2 percent Hispanic; 7 percent chose not to respond. Among the group, 47 percent reported having less than 15 years of experience in education and 53 percent having more than 15 years. Geographic diversity was also evident with 29 percent of applicants currently working in the South, 24 percent from the East Coast, 31 percent from the Midwest, and 13 percent from the West/Southwest; 4 percent did not disclose. About 15 percent had ties to Kentucky, while 82 percent did not; 4 percent did not disclose.
For questions or feedback on the superintendent search, please visit www.fcps.net/letstalk.