Haslett board reviews superintendent-search survey, finalizes selection criteria and interview schedule

Mark Palmer of MASB briefed the Haslett Board of Education on April 22 about the results of a superintendent-search survey and the draft selection criteria that the board will use to screen candidates.

Palmer told the board about roughly 256 survey responses from community members, staff and students and said the most frequently emphasized candidate qualities were strong public-relations and communication skills, experience with curriculum development and evaluation, and collaborative or situational leadership. "That's actually a really good number," Palmer said of the response total, noting the survey also captured long-time district residents and teachers who live in the district.

Board members debated whether some qualifications should be listed as "required" or "preferred". Several members urged keeping the posting broad enough to attract a diverse candidate pool while making clear the district seeks experience with school finance and labor matters, curriculum development, and the ability to support and improve student achievement. One board member asked that the job description explicitly reference long-range planning and experience with finances and infrastructure; others recommended highlighting collaborative leadership rather than only visionary leadership.

Palmer said the posting will be updated and released to candidates in the coming days and detailed the planned timeline: the selection-criteria packet will be made available to the board for confidential review around May 7, the first round of interviews will be held at a special board meeting on May 22, and final interviews are scheduled for May 28. He also said the first interview round will be 50 minutes with time for candidates’ questions at the end. "We can post these results on your web page," Palmer said when asked whether survey results could be shared publicly.

The board discussed specific wording changes (for example, replacing "raising student achievement" with "supporting and improving student achievement") and agreed to provide feedback to Palmer and staff so the job posting reflects the community and board priorities. The board did not take a formal vote on the posting during the April 22 meeting; the packet and posting were described as confidential until released to board members for the May schedule.

The board president closed the discussion by asking staff to post the selection criteria and the updated position posting when they are finalized and to prepare materials for the May interview sessions.