New St. Charles school board tasked with finding new superintendent
With St. Charles Unit District Superintendent Don Schlomann retiring in two years, the three school board members elected April 7 will be part of the group that hires Schlomann's replacement.
The nine candidates for the three seats have opposing views on the relationship between Schlomann and the board, and the qualities his successor must possess. Candidates provided input on the selection process during an interview and forum last week.
Incumbent Kathy Hewell and former school board member Lori Linkimer both had hands in selecting Schlomann to lead the district about eight years ago. They agreed the new superintendent should have many of Schlomann's qualities and a similar relationship with the school board.
“Dr. Schlomann is a very strong leader,” Hewell said.
She said Schlomann's financial knowledge, his ability to advocate for the district with state officials and his track record of keeping technology up to date in the district all are skills his successor should have. Hewell said the next superintendent will also, ideally, have had experience as a school principal, which would indicate an understanding of how to work with parents, teachers and administrators.
Well-rounded skills are important because a school board that micromanages the superintendent can create a toxic atmosphere, she said.
“I am not an educator,” Hewell said. “I rely on the expertise that (the superintendent) has. When a board starts micromanaging, the board loses that superintendent, and they will not get the superintendent they want in the future.”
Linkimer said the next superintendent must be a “visionary” who can see obstacles coming before they arrive. She will seek a “natural born leader” with honesty and integrity. Linkimer agrees with Hewell that there should not be an adversarial relationship between the board and superintendent.
“We certainly don't want a board who is a rubber stamp,” Linkimer said. “No good superintendent wants that. But we should be seeking answers rather than demanding them. You want a transparent board, but you don't want a board that is nitpicking the superintendent's every decision.”
But Rick Leidig said there are decisions Schlomann was involved in that are worthy of major criticism. That includes the transformation of Davis and Richmond elementary schools into grade-level centers when the district faced serious No Child Left Behind consequences.
Leidig said the superintendent is the “mayor of the school district.” He wants a successor who either has or has had kids in the district's schools.
“If you bring someone in from within our community, it adds a level of social accountability,” Leidig said.
He also promised to push for a lower salary and elimination of side benefits that have become somewhat common for suburban school superintendents.
Incumbent Judith McConnell said Schlomann, the current school board and the teachers union have too many connections for her liking. Her campaign literature advertises her as proudly not endorsed by the union.
“I would like to see a superintendent who keeps his distance from the union,” McConnell said. “The union should be represented. That's a very reasonable thing. But this community is being run by the union. Not good. This school board does not direct Dr. Schlomann, and that bothers me.”
Challenger Jennifer Reeder said the next superintendent must be willing to stand up to state education officials and provide some follow-through on the board's existing resolution decrying federal Common Core rules and the implementation of the related PARCC testing.
Bucking those mandates will require much dialogue between the superintendent and community, she said. She favors expanding opportunities to get input from the community, including allowing residents to Skype or call in to board meetings.
“We need to know what the community wants,” Reeder said. “Parents are upset about the decisions that this school board is making. They're not listening. We need leadership, follow through, communication and transparency from our superintendent.”
Challenger Lowell Yarusso agreed the next superintendent will be expected to stand up against local unions and politicians if the new school board sets directions and goals that include such stances. Yarusso said the district does a poor job now of setting a high performance standard with measurable goals.
“What doesn't work is to say we'd like to get better, and we'd like our taxes to not increase too much, and we'd like everyone to be happy,” Yarusso said. “We say we didn't spend too much more than the average of the state, and we got a little bit better test scores than the state. So you're mediocre and average, and you're touting that?”
Yarusso wants a superintendent with a track record of competence in the education field and a history of success in performing tasks similar to what a school superintendent must do. He views the superintendent as a CEO and the school board as the board of directors for the district.
That said, Yarusso doesn't want a superintendent is who is just looking to make a big splash and jump to a larger school district.
Incumbent Nick Manheim agreed that he's not interested in hiring someone seeking to catalyze a career.
“We need someone who is invested in our community,” Manheim said. “We need someone who is proactive instead of reactive. There are a lot of issues that are going to occur in our district in the next five to 10 years. We want someone who is ready to lead.”
There are nine candidates running for three seats on the school board. Former school board member Mike Vyzral and challenger Stephen Bruesewitz are also on the ballot. Vyzral could not be reached for comment. He did not attend the forum or endorsement interview. Bruesewitz is not actively campaigning.
Search: Nine candidates running for three seats