According to school officials, about 35 candidates have applied to become Laguna Beach Unified’s new superintendent, and the district will select the most suitable candidate before the end of May. In a series of public meetings, parents, teachers and other community members have indicated that experience matters to set the future course for the district.
“Voices of the community have been heard,” said scholarship coordinator Lynn Gregory.
A superintendent sets educational standards for the district, plans the budget, works with the staff and builds relationships with the community to provide a vision for the future of the district. A minimum of a master’s degree is required to be a superintendent.
Sherine Smith has been the superintendent for Laguna Beach Unified since 2010. She has facilitated the implementation of common core standards, overseen the one computer per one student policy and helped the district become one of the top statewide leaders in the use of technology in the classroom.
After maintaining a stable district with awarding winning schools, Smith has laid the groundwork for a easy transition for the new superintendent.
The board of education has hired Hazard Young Attea and Associates (HYA), a search firm, to find the strongest applicants to go through the interview process. Principal Chris Herzfeld says the new superintendent will start work July 1.
The firm has held many public forums in order to discover what the community, staff and students want in a new superintendent. The consensus is that Laguna wants an experienced individual who communicates an ambitious vision for the future and acknowledges that meeting the needs of every student should be the foundation of an educational institution.
Furthermore, the future superintendent needs to work closely with those who support the students’ day-to-day development.
“A superintendent needs to know what their staff needs,” said Smith.
HYA has begun narrowing the number of candidates down so that the interview process may begin.
For more on the timeline of the search for the new superintendent, please visit the district website. Brush and Palette will keep readers updated as the search continues for the new superintendent of LBUSD.