School Board Offers No Explanation for Search Delay
'Setback' in Hunt for New Superintendent Comes Despite Recent Selection of Three Finalists

By Theresa Vargas
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, April 3, 2008; B06

Almost a year after the Alexandria School Board voted to seek a new chief, and just when it appeared on the verge of finding one, the process slowed suddenly this week.

In one brief paragraph, the board said it extended its search for a superintendent, terminated its $20,000 contract with a national recruiting firm and continues to employ William Symons as interim superintendent. Symons will not seek the permanent position.

With that, the public learned late Tuesday that the search was far from done, raising more questions than answers for many.

William Campbell, a PTA president at Jefferson-Houston Elementary School, said he and other members of a superintendent search advisory committee were not told of the decision before the statement was released.

"I was hoping the search committee and the school board were a little bit better aligned, so that if nothing else, there would be some communication that this was about to be released," he said.

As of yesterday, he said, the board had provided no explanation for the decision, which came just weeks after board members visited the school systems of three finalists from New Jersey, Florida and southern Virginia.

"It's clearly a setback because everyone would certainly have preferred to have a candidate selected and on board before the end of the school year," Campbell said. "Folks are going to also wonder now, fairly or not, whether we're going to end up settling for the best-now-available."

Calls to several school board members were not returned yesterday. Schools spokeswoman Amy Carlini said that no further statement or information would be released.

The board hired the executive search firm Ray and Associates of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, at the beginning of the year to help find a replacement for Rebecca L. Perry, who ended her turbulent tenure in January. The board made two payments to the firm, each for $6,667.

Ray and Associates did not return calls for comment yesterday. Officials with the firm have said they were "very pleased with the quality of the pool" of candidates for superintendent.

Paul D. Houston, an Alexandria resident and executive director of the American Association of School Administrators in Arlington, said superintendent searches used to take three to four months about a decade ago. Such searches now average 10 months.

The delay in Alexandria, he said, could hinder the search.

"When you have an abortive situation like this, it raises flags," Houston said. "And you already have flags in Alexandria given the past situation there."

Perry, who was criticized after her arrest in 2004 on a charge of driving while intoxicated, left abruptly after the board voted to release her from her contract five months early. The board has advertised an annual salary of about $230,000 for the position, along with a comprehensive and competitive benefits package.

Alexandria has 17 public schools and about 10,600 students.

The finalists for the job were public school administrators Scott Kizner of Martinsville, Va., Eric Williams of Naples, Fla., and Michael Glascoe of Paterson, N.J.

Arthur Schmalz, a parent who served on the search advisory committee, said it would be hard to second-guess the board's decision without knowing more information.

"My hope is that they find someone who the board collectively and unanimously feels is right for the position and who truly is right for the position and can move the school system forward," he said. "And I hope they find that in short order."