Prince George school board finalizes preferred profile for superintendent search after residents urge transparency

The Prince George County School Board on June 3 approved a draft profile and announcement for a superintendent search that lists an earned doctorate as preferred, requires experience as an associate or assistant superintendent, asks that candidates meet Virginia licensure requirements (or have time to obtain them), and notes residency in the division as preferred.

Board members said they would send the language to the Virginia School Boards Association for editing and publicity and asked staff to include division demographics and ‘‘points of pride’’ in the announcement. The packet contains suggested application-timeline language indicating the board will receive applications from June 3 through June 28; the board asked staff to verify the final dates and to circulate the edited announcement to members before submission.

The move followed a public-comment period in which residents urged greater transparency and ethical standards for the next superintendent. Jean Shanks, a resident who identified herself and provided an address, said the board has a duty of oversight under the Code of Virginia and asked for a superintendent who is transparent, ethical and willing to work with the entire board rather than ‘‘an inner circle.’’ "Our new superintendent shall not retaliate against staff or parents for disagreeing with them," Shanks said.

Another commenter, Richard Tedderton, said residents wanted clearer notice of agenda items and raised serious accusations about the previous administration, including an allegation that an employee had been under investigation by the Virginia State Police and concerns about nepotism and retaliation. "There was an alleged ... in that office. He was being investigated by the state police of Virginia," Tedderton said, and urged the board to hire "a superintendent free and clear of these things." The board did not respond to the allegations during the meeting; no formal investigation result was presented at the session.

During their discussion, board members agreed to prioritize building-level leadership experience (principalship) and experience at the associate/assistant-superintendent level. Members decided that an earned doctorate should be described as preferred rather than required, and that licensure requirements and any timelines for out-of-state candidates to obtain Virginia certification should be clarified in the announcement and with the Department of Education.

The board also detailed leadership and personal characteristics it will seek: decisive leadership, comfort with shared decision-making, vision and creativity, motivation, and personal traits such as being a good listener, accessible, accountable, confident and flexible. Staff-relations priorities will emphasize open channels of communication, an atmosphere of trust and a defined process for recruiting and selecting top-quality staff.

Members asked that the announcement reflect community-relations expectations — advocacy for school needs, effective communication with parents and stakeholders, responsiveness to individual concerns and visibility in schools — and to include expertise in curriculum and instruction, strategic planning, budget and finance, and support services (noting that support services should specifically include special education and gifted programs).

Before adjourning, the board directed staff to send the draft to the VSBA for wordsmithing and to return the edited document for a quick turnaround so it can be submitted in time for the planned application window. A motion to adjourn passed on a roll-call vote with all present voting yes.

What happens next: staff will circulate the edited announcement and the board will finalize any required licensure language and application deadlines prior to publication and the start of the application period.