Dist. 10 residents say what they want in new leader
If you're hoping to be the next leader of Itasca School District 10, you better be a great communicator, a school finance genius and a visible figure to the students.
At least those are the characteristics sought by the five district residents who attended Wednesday night's community forum hosted by BWP Associates, the Buffalo Grove search firm hired to find the district's next superintendent after Ken Cull retires July 1.
Former district board member Diann Dale, who no longer has children in the district, said she would like to see the district hire a leader who, along with the school board, would reach out more to the community and make it a priority to keep parents and Itasca citizens informed.
"I have children who are now out of the district and I can compare the information I receive now from the university to what I get from the district," Dale told the three BWP representatives hosting the forum. "If you don't have children in the system, you don't get to know diddley."
Mark Friedman, of BWP and a former District 10 principal, said a set of good communication skills was also a priority mentioned in earlier sessions with teachers, staff and administrators.
"Candidates will apply knowing what this district is all about because access to information is available," he said. "Maybe communication isn't as strong as you would like it to be but access is there. Anyone who is interested will know the story. It's not a hard culture to become a part of, but it's a difficult one to leave."
That culture, parents said, is influenced by a "fantastic staff," "well-maintained facilities" and the "high standards that staff demand of the students.
Friedman said community members shouldn't be discouraged by the meeting's turnout, noting that the earlier sessions with teachers and administrators were well-attended and focused on many of the same issues brought by the residents in attendance.
The associates will report their findings from Wednesday's sessions to district trustees on Nov. 14, just days before the application cut-off on Nov. 20.
After that, the group of three current and retired superintendents will narrow the field of candidates, many of whom they say have already begun applying, down to a small group of finalists for district trustees to interview and choose from.
"We feel that it's important for us to help your board in this process so they are taking what you have to say and using all of the information and asking the hard questions of the candidates," said BWP associate Margaret Longo. "You have a very intelligent board here and they're doing a great job with this process and letting us do our job."
None of the current board members or district administrators attended the evening session.
Friedman said he anticipates the district will be looking to make an announcement on its new hire soon after the first of the year, to help give that person some time to acclimate prior to taking over on July 1.
Cull cited professional differences with board President Nancy DiCiolla for his decision to retire after the current school year, two years short of the four-year contract he signed on Feb. 9, 2006. He reached the decision after months of discussion with his family members.
Cull joined the district on July 1, 2003 from Schaumburg Elementary District 54 where he served as associate superintendent of personnel. Last February, he and the district agreed on a four-year extension that was to have kept him in Itasca through 2010 at a base salary of $146,503.