Interim Chief Urges City To Put Aside Differences

Perry drew criticism after her arrest in 2004 on a charge of driving while intoxicated, fueling some calls in School Board races two years later to get rid of her. But the superintendent also had many supporters, who credited her with increasing student achievement. She was praised at the recent dedication of T.C. Williams High School's new campus.

Alexandria's schools share many of the problems other urban school systems face: achievement gaps among minority students, budget constraints and less involvement from parents with lower incomes, educators say.

"It's a microcosm of the American public school system, with all the problems represented there," said Daniel A. Domenech, a former Fairfax County superintendent.

Finding a superintendent these days isn't easy, despite the hefty salary the position commands, experts say. For the Alexandria job, the board is advertising an annual salary of about $230,000 and a "comprehensive and competitive" benefits package.

"The superintendency has lost a lot of its luster," said Jay P. Goldman, editor of the school administrator association's magazine. "There was a time, not that long ago, when the pinnacle of one's career would be to rise to superintendent. That day is gone."

Goldman said many educators now view the top job in a school district as "an impossible, can't-win position. They're often brought in as the knight in shining armor. Expectations are unreal. Communities expect overnight success and every ill solved in a year or two."

About 80 superintendent positions are open nationwide, he said.

Houston said educators believe that the pressure-cooker job has become more stressful under the federal No Child Left Behind law, which requires schools to meet annual achievement benchmarks or risk sanctions. Many administrators complain that the system is unfair to schools with large minority populations.

Having Symons take the helm for a few months was a "good, stabilizing decision," Goldman said.

"He can serve as a nice buffer between the difficult dealings of the past and the high expectations that will face the new, super-shiny knight in armor," he said.