Rutherford County School Board candidate challenges timeline to hire new School Superintendent
Frances Rosales, a candidate for Rutherford County School Board Zone 7, is concerned about the timeline for hiring a new School Superintendent. Rosales attended the April 4, 2022, special Board meeting where members discussed the plan and timeline with The Tennessee School Board Association. A final hiring date of May 28, 2022, was set and agreed upon by the current Rutherford County School Board and TSBA.
Rosales stated, “I am concerned about the hiring timeline due to a list of issues that have not been addressed. It is very important that we have a School Superintendent in place as soon as reasonably possible. Unfortunately, the past strategy for filling the Superintendent position has proven to create issues that should not have ever taken place.”
When asked about the issues, Rosales noted that this position is the equivalent of a corporate CEO position with a salary above $150,000. Typically, when a CEO candidate is going through the interview process, search committees and firms consider employment history and background checks to be non-negotiable. Unfortunately, the Board agreed to forgo these portions of a typical hiring process when they chose the current Superintendent. The next Superintendent must be fully vetted to prove that they have the leadership skills to handle the numerous needs of the students in our county.
Rosales suggests that in this current hiring round that the Board takes the time to allow for a thorough screening process in which candidates will prove their qualifications. Unlike the current search criteria which focuses on soft skills, it would be in the best interest of the school system to have a new hiring brochure that lists those qualifications along with budget management for growth, program development, staff structuring, and new policy implementation.
¨I certainly want to be a team member if elected to the School Board” said Rosales. ¨As a team member it will be very important for me to work well with the other members, but not to the detriment of the needs of our students. It is my hope that our School Board representatives will do everything in their power to find the very best Superintendent. If that means taking adequate time to find the most qualified candidate, then I implore the Board to do that and not rush the process in order to have it done quickly.¨
More information about Frances Rosales and the Rutherford County School Board election can be found on her website, www.vote4francesrosales.com. This site includes biographical information about Frances and a calendar of upcoming events, as well as her position on many of the important issues affecting Rutherford County.
