If ever there was a time for the Hamilton County Schools to think out of the box, it is now.
With the recent resignation of the superintendent, a scandal about a school trip rape still percolating, and the imperative to raise test scores and provide training for good jobs, the district should ponder carefully what kind of new leader it wants, whether the leadership team structure should be changed to be more effective, how the system needs to transform to better educate students, and how it can improve communications with parents and the public.
Although the Hamilton County Board of Education recently voted to give the post of acting superintendent to two assistant superintendents, the move is only a temporary measure. The board will discuss interim superintendent candidates at its April 14 meeting.
To give themselves the widest possible latitude in selecting an interim superintendent, school board members voted to make the only qualification for the job a bachelor’s degree. That’s especially good thinking, considering someone outside the world of education might be the perfect choice.
During the interim period, someone with business or military experience might be the exact person needed to identify weaknesses in district structure, to pinpoint waste and duplication, to bring in fresh ideas and innovative thinking, and to map out a road for change.