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Redwood City board narrows superintendent search timetable, aims for broad community input
Summary
Consultants from Leadership Associates outlined a superintendent recruitment plan on Oct. 8, asking the board to designate a liaison, agree to stakeholder groups and a survey window the week of Oct. 20, and preliminarily set candidate review and interview dates in November and December.
President Wells opened the Oct. 8 meeting of the Redwood City School Board by reporting that the board had "received some information and no action was taken" in closed session and then turned to the district's planned search for a new superintendent.
Consultants from Leadership Associates told trustees they will reach out to a wide set of stakeholder groups — principals, certificated and classified staff, directors and coordinators, labor partners, site councils, PTAs/PTOs, DELAC/ELAC, student voice groups and local partners — and recommended a mix of Zoom and in-person meetings to maximize participation. "We're delighted to be back with you and really welcome the opportunity to be working with you on this very, very important task, selecting your next superintendent," one consultant said.
Why it matters: The board agreed the search must surface both the district's strengths and community priorities so candidates can be evaluated for fit. Trustees emphasized bilingual and bicultural competence, demonstrated improvement in literacy and math for multilingual learners, fiscal stability during enrollment decline, and strong community engagement as priorities that will shape the position description and candidate screening.
Consultants recommended publishing an announcement (EdCount) and opening the online application process in mid-October, with an application deadline currently set for Nov. 7. They proposed a closed-session candidate review meeting on Nov. 21 for trustees to identify finalists, and an all-day interview session on Dec. 13. The consultants said the board typically interviews about five candidates but can adjust that number.
On outreach and languages, the consultants said Spanish-language stakeholder sessions will be provided for specific parent groups and that English and Spanish translations cover the district's main needs; trustees asked leaders to monitor whether Mandarin or other translations should be added. The consultants also offered a QR code for use at school and community events and asked the district communications team to publicize the survey link on social media.
Public comment highlighted representation and fiscal concerns. Laura Ramirez (via an interpreter) urged trustees to "consider that the district has a large community that is Latino, and the next superintendent should represent our diversity," and a resident commenter raised concerns about bond oversight representation and fiscal stewardship.
Next steps: The board designated President Wells as the liaison for logistical decisions, agreed to run stakeholder input primarily the week of Oct. 20 (with a two-week survey window and a mid-course check-in), and asked consultants to return with a position description and a salary-range recommendation to post with the vacancy. Consultants said they will provide recruitment materials, translated blurbs, and a report synthesizing survey and stakeholder input at the candidate review stage.
Board members said they intend to balance the desire for robust community input with a realistic timeline to attract strong candidates; trustees and consultants agreed to revisit survey timelines if response rates suggest an extension is needed.
