Insider versus Outsider for Superintendant?

As the hunt begins for a new superintendent for Norwalk schools I see a trend appearing in recent letters to the Editor in The Hour. A debate is brewing whether the next superintendent should be an insider or an outsider. If the letters are representative of public sentiment, hiring someone already familiar with Norwalk schools seems preferable to some people.

The Insider vs Outsider debate was explored in an interesting article published by the journal of the American Association of School Administrators. Veteran Washington Post education writer Jay Mathews, reports that many school boards are looking for a miracle workerwhen they hire a chief administrator:

There is no question that superintendents’ jobs are more stressful than they have ever been. School boards also are under increasing pressure to find someone who will make sure the district schools look good under new statewide accountability plans that rely heavily on standardized testing. That means, the experts say, that every board is looking for a miracle worker. That is an impossible job description, of course, but it is often easier for a board to convince themselves that such great talent might be found in a stranger than an assistant superintendent whom they already know well.

Mathews says however, there is a renewed interest in insiders.

But veterans of superintendent searches say there is something in the dynamics of the new emphasis on student test scores that may be pushing the external vs. internal debate in new directions. Several superintendents and headhunters say they think there is a renewed interest in insiders for no other reason than that such a high percentage of outsiders fail to measure up to the high expectations of their first days on the job. School boards find themselves feeling like lonely, jaded singles who have had too many failed romances. Old, familiar faces at their district headquarters, assistant superintendents they have known for years, begin to look more attractive.

The Mathews article also says that the outside candidate has fresher ideas and tends to be more of a risk taker. He quotes one administrator saying that peers who prefer to stay where they are have an an attude "If this doesn’t work out, they’ll give me my old job back.”

As a parent I want the BOE to clearly state what their long term goals are for Norwalk schools and the criteria they will use to select the individual who will implement their policies. It's important that this process be transperent and that the BOE communicates with Norwalkers.