Star-Exponent’s commentary short-sighted

Chuck Gyory
Published: November 14, 2008

I strongly disagree with the Star-Exponent’s editorial position expressed Nov. 10 (“Of search firms and screwdrivers”).

Our School Board is acutely aware of its funding challenges and would never choose the more expensive consultant without good reason.

The consulting firms that were under consideration were vetted by the board, and its decision should be supported; it has all of the facts. Spending an extra $10,000 or $15,000 to hire the very best consulting firm possible should be applauded since the new superintendent will be managing a $75 million budget.

Businesses the size of our school system frequently use consultants to fill key management positions, and the fees generally range from 25 to 33 percent of the person’s annual salary. When compared with the norm, the School Board is certainly not overspending.

Our school system is a large business with more than 1,000 employees. It needs to be led by a superintendent with outstanding leadership skills, senior-level business management experience, the proven ability to understand and interpret numeric data, and verifiable experience in financial analysis. A skilled superintendent will use the vast educational experience of staff and teachers to guide educational decisions.

Candidates should be considered even if they have little or no teaching experience.  This is an important point because the School Board needs to be as open-minded as possible in its consideration of candidates.  It can be argued that someone from outside any system is better able to ask more probing questions and not be averse to changing the status quo.

SOL scores make it abundantly clear that we need strong leadership from the top if Culpeper is to become a highly rated school division. Of the 132 school divisions in Virginia, Culpeper ranked 77th (42nd percentile) based on 2006-07 achievement results. This year, 2007-08, our ranking dropped to 106th (20th percentile).

Culpeper has bright, hard-working and dedicated teachers who have all of the skills and energy required to make an outstanding school division. We need a superintendent who has the leadership and managerial skills to make the most of this talent.

For the next few years, increased funding for all schools in Virginia will be modest due to economic conditions. In times like these, the very best leader with the right skill set is imperative. It is not the time to be overly frugal and possibly miss the opportunity to find that leader.

Chuck Gyory
Culpeper