Chandler school superintendent search to wrap soon

By Jason W. Brooks
Mail | X: @JasonWBrooks2

Chandler Unified now has a more definitive timeline with how and when it will finish the process of appointing its next superintendent.

John Bash is the lead associate with Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates. He and two other associates from HYA met with the CUSD Governing Board virtually during a Dec. 10 meeting.

Among other updates, Bash and his HYA associates ran through a calendar of meetings and other events associated with the end of the application process, along with screening, vetting, interviewing and the final hiring process.

The board seemed to be in agreement with the majority of the timeline HYA presented, requesting a few minor adjustments.
Wednesday, Jan. 29 is when HYA proposed the board vote, at a special morning meeting, on a contract for the new superintendent, with plenty happening before then.

Dr. Sylvia Ibarra, one of the associates, said as of Dec. 10, only six applicants had completed part of the online application process and six had completed all of it, adding that HYA expected that number to grow significantly, especially over the holiday break.

“As associates, we continue to reach out to prospective candidates and encourage them to apply for the position,” Ibarra said.

Ibarra said HYA has already begun screening, background checks and vetting candidates who’ve applied.

The application portal will close to applicants Friday, Jan. 2.

Next, vetting and screening continues, culminating in a Jan. 13 reduction to semifinalists and an online interview workshop with the CUSD board. Applicant information will be available online to board members Jan. 8.

“We need a little time for vetting and background checks, as some applicants do tend to apply right at the end of the time window,” Bash said.

A daylong set of closed sessions of about six semifinalists will then take place with the board Saturday, Jan. 24. Two hours are set aside at the end of that day for deliberations, after which the board will publicly announce the names of as many as three finalists.

Those finalists will then be present in Chandler on Wednesday, Jan. 28. That’s when a full day and evening of in-person candidate evaluation takes place, starting with a presentation of the district’s annual report, along with community forums and panels, a board interview, school tours and a cabinet — administrators — interview.

Bash said HYA recommends then waiting a day to make a decision.

The firm confirmed with district staff that there are no major CUSD board or other events set for Jan. 28 or 29, so a board executive session and meeting can be scheduled the morning of Thursday, Jan. 29 to determine which finalist to select and announce.

Bash said if the board has a strong consensus on a choice after the Jan. 28 activities and interviews, it’s possible the board could decide that evening, canceling the Jan. 29 executive session and meeting.

Bash clarified the difference between a panel and a forum is that a panel is typically a cross-section of panelists asking questions, while a forum is typically more of a “meet-and-greet” where all members of the community ask the questions.

Bash said it will take some creative planning for the entire board to see how the finalists engage and interact with students, without violating quorum regulations involving multiple board members being in the same place unannounced.

Bash emphasized the importance of confidentiality, saying some applicants are currently in positions. He said no district board members or staff should have direct contact with any applicant until the Jan. 24 semifinalist interviews.

Board member Kurt Rohrs asked Bash for assurance that both internal and external candidates will receive equal consideration. Bash replied that it’s the firm’s job to make the choice difficult for the board by bringing many highly qualified, capable candidates to the board for interviews.

“We have internal and external candidates,” Bash said. “For a large system like Chandler, we anticipated that.”

Jason W. Brooks can be reached at jbrooks@iniusa.org. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as those meet our  Civility Guidelines.

Jason W. Brooks
News Editor | Chandler Independent

Jason W. Brooks joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in July 2021 as an associate editor. After a year covering Buckeye, he has covered Chandler since the fall of 2022, in addition to assisting the Daily Independent throughout his time at INI.

Education: University of New Mexico, bachelor of arts in journalism and mass communication, print emphasis, English minor.

Random Fact: He and his siblings witnessed a Space Shuttle launch and landing in the same year in person, on opposite coasts.

Hobbies: Karaoke, bicycling and American Sign Language.

Community: He supports animal shelters.