Page 2 - Florida Sentinel 9-20-19

Feature
Do You Want To Have Input In The Search For The Next School Superintendent?
BY KENYA WOODARD Sentinel Feature Writer
If all goes as planned, Hillsborough County Public Schools’ new superintendent could be named shortly after the New Year.
At a community forum Tuesday at Jefferson High School, Ray Ryan, of search firm, Ray & Associates, dis- cussed the timeline to hire the replacement for outgoing su- perintendent, Jeff Eakins.
Eakins, who has been an educator and administrator for 33 years, announced ear- lier this summer that he will retire from the position in June 2020. After his an- nouncement, School Board members hired the firm to as- sist in its search.
Ryan said his firm – which specializes in executive leadership placement – is en- suring that it captures a di-
SUPT. JEFF EAKINS ...is retiring in June 2020
verse pool of candidates by advertising the job to profes- sional associations as well as minority groups such as the National Alliance of Black School Educators.
Hillsborough County has the eighth-largest school dis- trict in the country with more than 200,000 students, so it’s anticipated that there will be
plenty of candidates applying for the job.
However, the selection process will be rigorous, with only about 5 or 6 candidates going before the Board for in- terviews, Ryan said.
“Whoever comes in has had to have sat in that big chair and made big decision,” he said. “I don’t want to just put a warm body in there. It’s not going to work.”
The forums are one of two ways the Board is seeking the community’s input.
A survey on the dis- trict’s website asks par- ticipants to mark the qualities and characteris- tics they deem most im- portant in a new superintendent. It is live until Sept. 22.
At the Jefferson forum, one of four held this week at high schools throughout the county, Ryan encouraged at- tendees to share their input. A commitment to traditional public schools, attention to teacher recruitment and re- tention, and a strong relation- ship with staff were among the qualities named.
Additionally, while the next superintendent should focus on academics, they also should be business-minded, said retired educator, Bill Person.
Ryan said the results of the survey and input from the community forums will be given to the Board at its Oct. 2 meeting.
The deadline to apply for the position is Dec. 11.
About the community survey Want to add your voice to
the search for a new su- perintendent? Fill out the community survey at https://www.hillsborough- schools.org/superinten- dentsearch. The survey is available in six lan- guages, including Haitian Creole and Spanish.
Mother Of Beaten 12-Year-Old
Demands Change
The mother of a 12-year- old who was brutally beaten by an older student last week demands change. She ap- peared before the Polk County School Board earlier this week.
An older student attacked the child in the locker room at Blake Academy. As the attack took place, other students stood around and video taped it. In the video, the 12-year- old never fights back.
Ms. Lauren Spring- field stated to members of the school board, “You can say a lot of different things. But until we see the actual ac- tion, until we see people step- ping up to make the policy changes, to really address the actual issues, I don't see much change.”
She also called for ac- countability by adults, stating that while the attack was going on, the teacher heard the commotion, but failed to investigate. “I think that that is a paramount part of your job. If you are not protecting
LAUREN SPRINGFIELD Mother of beaten child
our students, then that is not the job for you."
The attacker was sus- pended for 10 days and was charged with battery.
Ms. Jacqueline Byrd,
Polk County Superintendent of Schools, apologized and said they will strive to insure this doesn’t happen again. The investigation is continu- ing.
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