Attea’s Search Firm Lends Advice to Job-Seeking Superintendents

By Lenay Dunn

“All boards want to hire superintendents that walk on water,” said Hank Bangser of Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates, during an AASA conference session Friday afternoon on job hunting in the superintendent ranks.

So how do boards find the best candidate and how do candidates find the right school district?

Search firms play an instrumental role in connecting candidates to districts. In fact, 60 to 70 percent of superintendents who get selected for a position are recruited rather than simply apply, the presenters explained during Friday’s program. Search firms, such as Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates, can help districts find candidates that meet their specific needs.

The first step in a superintendent search is for districts to create a list of desired qualities and criteria for assessing candidates. Depending on the goals and issues in a district, different qualifications and levels of experience may be necessary. Search firms can help districts effectively focus their searches and tap into a network of respected candidates.

William Attea, a veteran search consultant and co-founder of the firm, urged districts to hold a confidential search. The quality of the pool, he explained, is much higher when the search is confidential. An experienced, successful and sitting superintendent is more likely to apply when the search is confidential.

As a candidate, it is important to be upfront with school districts and search consultants throughout the process.

“Share the skeletons in your closet,” said Bangser, who returned last fall to a superintendency in California after a short stint handling executive-level researchers full-time.

If candidates do not share issues and the board finds out about these issues after the fact, it can be the basis for rejection. “We can get a board to overcome any weakness or error in the history of a superintendent … unless we don’t know about it,” said Attea, a former superintendent.

For example, there was a superintendent candidate who had a previous marriage. During the site visit with the district, the board found out the candidate had a child from his first marriage that he had not mentioned in previous conversations. The board wanted to dismiss the candidate from the search because of this. They felt the incident was an indication that the candidate was hiding more information. The search firm did not know about the child either, so it was harder for them to back the candidate up.

As a candidate, you have to be thoughtful in every step of your search, the panel advised. You cannot proofread your own material because you will miss something. Instead, find a trusted colleague or spouse and have them review it. This step is crucial. Some boards reject candidates based on a small typo because it indicates a lack of care.

Candidates and school districts alike must exercise care and restraint in the final steps of the superintendent search. Once the right candidate is identified, the district and the candidate should only make announcements after a signed contract is in place.

Attea and the other presenters shared stories of salary negotiations gone bad, or spouses who decide they do not want to make a move after a candidate initially accepted an offer. The school district or candidate then had to rescind the announcement, causing distress in the community.

Search firms can help candidates and school districts avoid mistakes and identify the right match to lead the district toward the achievement of mutual goals.