‘Not so autocratic:’ What Shawnee Mission parents want in their next superintendent

The application process for the Shawnee Mission School District’s superintendent position may have just opened today, but parents, teachers, staff and school officials polled by a search firm already share the same top priority:

Finding a leader who will improve work culture for teachers and staff.

More than anything else outlined in an online survey taken by more than 1,800 people, participants asked for a superintendent that would build a “positive and professional” environment for district employees, as well as for the School Board.

The Shawnee Mission School Board met Monday to review the results of community forums and surveys conducted by Ray and Associates, an Iowa-based consulting firm hired to conduct a superintendent search in the wake of former superintendent Jim Hinson’s June retirement.

In another survey regarding district culture, most participants agreed Shawnee Mission Schools provides a safe, up-to-date and challenging environment for students and is making strides on goals such as closing achievement gaps and preparing students for college.

But reviews were mixed when it came to how well the district equips teachers to address the needs of special education and minority students.

And, as many parents have vocalized during the past school year, concerns about transparency regarding administrative decisions topped the list of issues for those who took the survey.

Hinson, a longtime superintendent in Independence, Mo who was hired in 2013, was credited at the time of his retirement with infusing innovation into the classroom, updating infrastructure and expanding the district’s early education program.

But his top-down leadership style had also begun to trouble employees, teachers told The Star. And his final year was characterized by controversial administrative decisions that many parents pushed back against at public meetings.

Brenda Dietrich, of Ray and Associates, told board members that many people she met with at community forums asked for a leader who could build trust, communicate openly and be a visible face in the community.

“Someone who is not so autocratic or top-down,” said Dietrich, when asked by a board member what constituents did not want to see in the district’s next leader.

According to a district time line, the superintendent application window begins today and ends on Dec. 15.

Soon after the new board is seated on Jan. 8, board members will review candidates.

Board members are expected to interview the top candidates on the week of Jan. 28. Finalists would be interviewed again the following week.

The new superintendent would then be determined in late February or March.

This story was originally published October 31, 2017 at 7:00 AM with the headline "‘Not so autocratic:’ What Shawnee Mission parents want in their next superintendent."