From now until the last day of March, potential interview questions for superintendent candidates can be sent directly to the Memphis-Shelby County School (MSCS) board.
MSCS is now asking for people submit questions to mscssuperseach.com for the final interviews leading to filling the position. MSCS doesn't guarantee that every question will be submitted, but states that they will at least look at the questions and use them for guidance.
The final interviews will also be open to the public and MSCS is asking the public to attend them, whether in person or virtually.
They also encourage emailing board members with feedback and impressions of the final candidates. Twenty-four people have applied for the position, and MSCS has interviewed 12 of those people so far.
MSCS' timeline for picking the new superintendent is as follows:
- April 21: first finalist interview session (community-wide), student-centered session (Student Congress only)
- April 22: second finalist interview session (community-wide)
- End of April/Early May: Superintendent is selected
During these interview sessions, MSCS states that the board will interview each candidate for 45 minutes to an hour for each meeting. They say to "come prepared to spend that full time with them." Three candidates would constitute a three-hour meeting.
Each day is said to have different categories of questions. The sessions will be held at the Shelby County Board of Education meetings at 160 S. Hollywood Street.
Some of the potential question topics are as follows:
- Urgency
- Purchasing power
- Innovation & operational efficiency
- Political & Community relations
- Business collaboration & engagement
- Transparency, metrics & accountability
- Challenges facing students today
- Vision for the district and its place within the city
- Role of the district and how its current iteration is
- How they view leadership, what that looks like, and their role as a leader
- Parent engagement