A public forum was held Jan. 31 to ask what qualities the community wants to see in a new superintendent for Alternative Organizational Structure 98. Steve Bailey, executive director for the Maine School Management Association (MSMA), led the forum and was brought into the search process by the AOS 98 School Board for his 45 years in education and experience dealing with the AOS structure as a superintendent.

“You’ve had Eileen (King) here in this district for 16 years,” said Bailey. “One of the longer reigning superintendencies in the state of Maine. That’s atypical. You were lucky, she was lucky, and the towns were lucky to have that kind of consistency and level of leadership for that length of time.”

He said the MSMA’s role is to help facilitate the school board’s search, not make any decisions on AOS 98’s behalf. The MSMA will assist with the application and the process, advertising and recruitment. Bailey said one of the biggest forms of support the MSMA will offer is making sure applications come in complete packets so all applicants presented to the search committee have all the criteria the board has requested.

Bailey said the MSMA will help set up interviews and reach out to applicants, but is not involved with screening the applicants.

He said the most important thing for the community and the schools to remember is that the search committee will make recommendations to the AOS 98 school board, but the school board will take final votes on the new superintendent.

“The search committee is very, very important, but it’s the AOS 98 board that has that particular authority.”

Bailey said the search process will consist of selecting a committee of AOS 98 board members and others as determined by the board, identical paper and online surveys, a search committee organizational meeting at 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 12 at Edgecomb Eddy School;  final preparations for the application advertisement; recruitment; screening, interviews, and then an official election by the AOS 98 board.

Bailey took wishes, suggestions and concerns from forum participants for the personal qualities and areas of expertise they wish to see in a new superintendent.

Southport Central School Principal Lisa Clarke said she would like to see someone with teaching experience.

CSD School Committee chair and AOS 98 board chair John Bertolet said he would like the person to have the willingness and skill set to battle shrinking enrollment.

Other areas of expertise people brought up included communication skills with community and businesses, experience with changing demographics, business management, a strong academic base, knowledge of education law, knowledge of technology, and strategic, big-picture and detail-oriented innovation.

Some of the personal qualities people said they were looking for were a strong work ethic, the ability to make difficult decisions and listen thoughtfully, and be fair, strong, compassionate, trustworthy and receptive with a great deal of humility and a good sense of humor.

In a continuing effort to identify the communities’ expectations of a new superintendent, the survey will be an ongoing process and will remain open until Thursday, March 1. It can be accessed at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/aos98survey