1 Sep 2004
DALLAS—Dallas Independent School District Trustee Hollis Brashear on Wednesday announced that the district's nine trustees are forming a 29-member advisory committee to help establish criteria for the selection of the next general superintendent.
Brashear, who chairs the board's superintendent search committee, said that each trustee will appoint two community members to the advisory committee, while Dallas chambers of commerce, the Dallas Citizens Council, and the district's five employee associations each are being asked to appoint one representative.
"We have said throughout this process that we would be seeking community support and input in this important endeavor," Brashear said. "We are asking 29 Dallas citizens to put their heads together, to hear input during several community meetings, and then recommend a list of criteria they believe the next superintendent of Dallas ISD should meet. This is going to be a very inclusive process. We wouldn't have it any other way."
Trustees and the organizations are being asked to submit names for the advisory committee to the board's office by Friday, Sept. 10.
Brashear said three members of the advisory committee will be asked to serve as co-chairs.
The advisory committee, once named, will be asked to attend a series of community meetings held throughout the district in October to hear input from citizens who would like to make recommendations about the qualifications for DISD's next superintendent. Dates for the community meetings and their locations are still being planned.
After the community meetings have been held, the advisory committee will convene to formalize a list of recommendations to present to the trustees in early November.
Brashear also said that the district is in the process of developing a page on its Web site to receive recommendations about the new superintendent's qualifications.
In the meantime, the district is receiving proposals from vendors who would like to serve as consultants throughout the search process. The deadline for submission of Requests For Proposals is Sept. 23. Information about applying is included on the dallasisd.org Web site.
Brashear said he hopes to hold interviews with trustees and search vendor applicants as early as Sept. 27, and to possibly make a formal selection on Oct. 4.
"Things are beginning to fall into place and we have a tentative timeline to follow for this process," Brashear said. "Once we can get a search firm on board, hold our community meetings and receive community input, we will really be in a position to begin screening and reviewing applicants for the superintendent's job. If everything goes as planned, we will remain on track for being in a position to hire someone in January of 2005."
The organizations being asked to supply a member for the criteria advisory committee include:
• Greater Dallas Chamber
• Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce
• Greater Dallas Asian Chamber of Commerce
• Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
• DFW Native American Chamber of Commerce
• Alliance AFT
• National Education Association
• Dallas School Administrators Association
• Association of Texas Professional Educators
• Service Employee International Union Local 100
• Dallas Citizens Council