The Gilbert Public Schools Governing Board — from left, Jesse Brainard, Shana Murray, Chad Thompson, Superintendent Shane McCord, Blake Robison and Jill Humpherys — will discuss at its next meeting Tuesday how to replace the reitring McCord.
Gilbert Public Schools is preparing to take its next step in the search for a new superintendent.
Governing board President Chad Thompson said the board will meet in executive session Tuesday to determine how to move forward as it seeks to replace Superintendent Shane McCord, who announced in May he would retire after this school year.
“We’ve briefly spoken on some very high-level parameters, but next Tuesday we’re going to get into the nitty-gritty with some folks from the district that are going to help us out,” Thompson said.
The plan includes issuing a request for proposals to engage a search firm that will assist in identifying candidates.
“We’re going to plan on putting out an RFP and hopefully get an idea of exactly what these search firms can offer and how we can best utilize them to find the right person,” Thompson said.
Thompson expressed the board’s intention to avoid the missteps seen in other districts.
“We’re hoping that these search firms and us can do a good enough job doing our due diligence that we can get right the first time and that’s what we’re shooting for,” he said.
In addition to the superintendent search, the board will be making a small procedural change. Members will rotate their seating arrangement on the dais every six months.
“There’s a few board members that feel very strongly that as we move around, we get to know the other board members more intimately and form a more cohesive unit,” Thompson said. “All of our board members and their input is equally important, and I want to make sure that everybody feels like they’re getting what they need so that they can do their best.”
We would like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments, pro or con, on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org. Tom Blodgett can be reached by email at tblodgett@iniusa.org or follow him @sp_blodgett on X.
Meet Tom Tom Blodgett joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2022, when the company acquired Community Impact Newspaper's Phoenix-area properties. Raised in Arizona, he has spent more than 35 years in journalism in the state.
Community: He has served as an instructional professional in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication since 2005, and is editorial adviser to The State Press, the university's independent student media outlet. He also is director of operations for an 18U girls fastpitch softball team from Gilbert.
Education: Arizona State University with a BS in Journalism.
Random Fact: He lived in Belgium during his freshman year of high school.
Hobbies: Tweeting enthusiastically about ASU softball (season-ticket holder) and grumpily about other local sports (pessimistic fan).
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