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Search consultants present leadership profile to guide South Pasadena Unified superintendent hiring
Summary
A search consultant presented a leadership profile drawn from nearly 600 community responses to guide the South Pasadena Unified School District board’s superintendent search; board members signaled general agreement and invited final edits before the profile is posted online.
The South Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education reviewed a draft leadership profile for the district’s superintendent search at its March 11 regular meeting, after a consultant summarized input gathered from hundreds of stakeholders.
The profile, presented by Dr. Steven Keller, reflects findings from 494 completed online surveys and 97 participants in focus groups, interviews and forums. Keller told the board the document highlights community priorities such as trust, strong instructional leadership, student wellness and visible community presence.
Keller said trust was the most consistent request from participants: "When we ask the community, what is the most important trait in this leader you want, the qualities in this individual, trust comes up. . . . You want somebody we can absolutely trust." He also said respondents emphasized an ‘‘exceptional communicator’’ who is ‘‘approachable’’ and ‘‘inclusive.’’
Board members who spoke during the discussion said the profile aligned with their prior discussions about district priorities and would help guide candidate recruitment and screening. One board member described the draft as reflecting the district’s values and called it reassuring that community input matched the board’s expectations.
Keller described the search timeline: the application deadline is March 24; the board will receive the applicant list in closed session on April 8; interviews are scheduled for April 27–28; and the goal is to bring a final candidate to the board on May 13. Keller said the leadership-profile document will be posted on the district website in draft form and invited board feedback on any needed edits before it goes live.
Board members thanked community participants and the consultants for the outreach and asked staff to forward any sensitive, confidential information collected during interviews to district administrators for appropriate handling.
The board did not take formal action on the document; the presenters characterized the item as a draft to be refined and posted for applicants and community members.
