FARMINGTON – Proven effectiveness, leadership skills and dedication to the school curriculum and budget are some of the qualities RSU 9 residents want to see in a new superintendent.

Veteran Superintendent Mike Cormier will retire at the end of the school year, after two decades of service to the district.

Deadline for candidates to submit applications is Dec. 3. The position is being advertised in the Portland Press Herald, Bangor Daily News and three online sites, Education Week, ServingSchools.com and SchoolSpring.com, RSU 9 board Chairman Mark Prentiss of Industry said.

Directors have been going around the district, seeking input on what qualities people would like to see in a new superintendent. They held a meeting Thursday to get the public’s input. A couple of community members attended to share the superintendent qualities they believe are most important for the district.

There is a link to the survey on the district’s website, www.mtbluersd.org or directly at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/9ZSODYH. The latter address is case sensitive.

The survey is due back by Nov. 30.

Director Claire Andrews, member of the search committee, said 133 surveys had been submitted online as of Nov. 9. It was unknown how many hard copies of the surveys were submitted so far. They are available at each school and central office.

“I was really impressed with the comments,” Andrews said about the surveys she has read so far.

Maine School Management Association has been hired to help directors with the search, and all applications will go to that organization. They will screen the applications to make sure each candidate has submitted all the necessary information, Prentiss said.

There will be three groups that will interview possibly eight to 10 candidates. Each group will interview all candidates selected, Andrews said.

Interviews are expected to be conducted in the second and third week of January, board Vice Chairwoman Monique Claverie of Farmington said.

The search committee will make a recommendation to the full board, Andrews said.

“I am pleased you are casting a wide net,” Ruth Haszko, a Farmington resident, said. “I feel we have a good school district and want to keep it that way.”

For Haszko, important qualities in a superintendent are a strong knowledge of the curriculum and teachers, leadership and proven effectiveness. She added that she would also like to see someone committed to the district.

Doug Hodum of Farmington, who said he is a taxpayer and a teacher at Mt. Blue High School in Farmington, said that he would like to see someone who is proactive and not reactive.

“I want someone who is going out there and sell the budget and not apologize for it,” he said. He wants the new superintendent to tell people that these are things kids need, Hodum said.

The trend now for most superintendents is to stay three to five years, Prentiss said.

“We want to find a good match for the district,” Andrews said.

The question that most people are asking is, “Why do you want to come to the district?” Director Helen Wilkey of Vienna said.

RSU 9 member towns are Chesterville, Farmington, Industry, New Sharon, New Vineyard, Starks, Temple, Vienna, Weld and Wilton.

dperry@sunjournal.com

NOTE: The story has been modified since it was first published to include Starks as a member town of RSU 9. It was incorrectly reported by the Sun Journal.

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