Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Letter to the editor:

A broad net to find a superintendent

Another view?

View more of the Las Vegas Sun's opinion section:

Editorials - the Sun's viewpoint.

Columnists - local and syndicated writers.

Letters to the editor - readers' views.

Have your own opinion? Write a letter to the editor.

One of the most important decisions a school board makes is the selection of superintendent. School trustees have an ethical and legal fiduciary responsibility to make decisions in the best interest of the organization and its mission. The requirements for the Clark County School District superintendent are significant, especially in view of current outcomes, such as:

• Current CCSD graduation rate is 61 percent versus over 75 percent nationally.

• Nevada is last in the country for ninth graders who will attend college after graduating.

• Only 32.2 percent of CCSD sophomores passed the math proficiency test on their first try, a decline of 20.2 percent from previous year.

These numbers demand comprehensive and decisive actions by the CCSD trustees, starting with conducting a national search process, including local candidates, to identify the very best person for the job.

A national search allows trustees — and all of us — to know the new superintendent is the best qualified person for the job.

Some are expressing hesitation about a national search, concerned about too much change or adjusting to someone new. Yet, reverting back to the status quo because it is comfortable will not help our kids succeed. Selecting a superintendent based on familiarity, rather than data and proven results, is shirking our responsibility to the future.

I strongly urge the CCSD trustees to fulfill their responsibility and conduct a comprehensive national search for superintendent and embrace effective change that meets the needs of our great community.

Join the Discussion:

Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.

Full comments policy