Despite staunch opposition, the Liberty Elementary School District’s governing board voted to consider businesspeople for the vacant superintendent role Monday.

In previous meetings, consulting firms hired by the district informed staff there could be a shortage of qualified candidates to fill a superintendent position and they should consider the private sector. 

Teachers and district principals took exception to this assertion and used the public speaking time to voice their concern for the search, insisting the candidate should have teaching and education experience.  

“I feel like if the superintendent should have teaching experience because this allows a superintendent to understand the heart of the work we do,” said Amanda Loveless, a Liberty Elementary School District teacher. “They have literally walked in our shoes. They understand the needs of a new teacher, what they need to do in all aspects of their job, and ensure they have a systematic opportunity to grow into a master teacher.”

Dave Bogart, principal of Westar Elementary School, told the board the previous superintendent raised the bar, and it would behoove the board to seek another superintendent with educational experience.

”You know the interesting thing about school board meetings, as I've been coming to the school board meetings in this district for 30 years, I probably attended more school board meetings than all five of you combined,” he said. “Look for someone who has done the work that we've done. Comparing public schools to the private sector, I did the private sector 30 years ago. And there's no comparison to what we do, not even close.”

Three out of five board members wanted to keep their options open to private candidates who could make an impact.

“Just because you run a school or were a teacher doesn't necessarily mean you were a good teacher,” said Kris Kenyon, board member. “I like having both options on the table. I don't want to eliminate one or the other.”

Board member Mike Todd drew comparisons to colleges and what they do that are effective.

“Arizona State University … the leader of that group does not have a teaching certificate (he) doesn't have anything like that,” he said. “He's taught some classes, but he doesn't have that. But he has the acumen to work with the community to work with the right people downstream to make sure that he's got the deans of each college that are proper and overseeing that. He's also unable to be an expert in everything ASU teaches.”

Board member Paul Bixler drew applause for her stance, claiming business people are incapable of leadership in schools.

“I very much disagree with what was just said,” she said. “Organizations are not people schools are people, and you got to work with him like that. I remember … our former governor making some kind of weird statement [that if] you could run a McDonald's and be a principal of the school. No, you can't!”

Bixler filed a motion to strike business experience from the qualification readout, but the motion failed.