Search for Superintendent Begins
Board to meet with search firm on Oct. 18 to discuss first phase.
The Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education will attend a workshop on Wednesday, Oct. 18, to discuss the first phase of the superintendent search. The workshop will be held from 2:30-4:30 p.m. in the John Milne Board Room at the APS administration building, 6400 Uptown Blvd. NE. The workshop will be followed by the board’s regularly scheduled meeting at 5 p.m.
Dr. Walter Cooper of McPherson & Jacobson, LLC Executive Recruitment & Development will conduct the workshop. APS recently contracted with the firm to conduct a national search for a new superintendent. Superintendent Scott Elder’s contract expires on June 30, 2024.
Members of the Board of Education’s executive committee were part of the team that reviewed proposals for a superintendent search and recruitment firm. Other evaluation committee members included APS Chief Financial Officer Rennette Apodaca, who represented the administration, and Heather Sneddon, a board audit committee member, who represented the community.
The evaluation committee reviewed six proposals, first as individuals and then as a group. The firms were:
- Alma
- Edgility
- Hazard, Young, Attea, Assoc. (HYA)
- Ideal Team Consulting
- JG Consulting and
- McPherson & Jacobson., LLC
The vendors were ranked, and the committee interviewed the top two firms, Alma and McPherson & Jacobson.
The committee recommended McPherson & Jacobson, one of the nation's leading national superintendent search firms, to help with the APS search. The administration recently signed a $52,000 contract with the firm.
McPherson & Jacobson has conducted national searches for governing boards since 1991, placing more than 1,000 superintendents and other officials. Some of its larger clients include Baltimore County Public Schools, Broward County Public Schools, and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.
During the workshop, Dr. Cooper will go over the first phase of the search process with board members. Discussion topics include:
- Reviewing the search process and expectations
- Establishing benchmark timeline
- Determining advertising venues
- Identifying stakeholder groups and discussing online survey design
- Reviewing compensation for posting
- Establishing desired characteristics and selection criterion
The board hopes to select a new superintendent by spring so the new district leader can hit the ground running on July 1.