Jim Huge & Associates

2779 Shadow Dancer Trail

Reno, NV 89511
jimhuge@att.net

MEMORANDUM
TO:

Board of Education
Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools

FROM:

Jim Huge

DATE:

April 13, 2016

SUBJECT:

Director of Schools Search Process

As we move toward identifying candidates to invite in for interview, Id like to update the Board on the
search, and seek your feedback on a few items.
PROCESS & TIMELINE
Our recruiting efforts continue to prove successful with a number of highly positive reactions from what
in our estimation are strong candidates. We remain confident in our ability to bring the Board
approximately six high-caliber candidates, whom we will present at a May 3rd Board meeting. We will
provide dossiers of recommended candidates, including their responses to a candidate questionnaire
(see attached), which asks them to describe specific aspects of their experiences and student
achievement accomplishments.
Upon approval by the Board, invited candidates will interview with the Board in Nashville on May 5,
2016. We will then work together to determine which candidates demonstrate the greatest potential for
success, and who most closely match the approved profile. Those candidates will be invited back the
following week to interview further with the Board and the community at-large. These second round
interviews will be quite robust. Each candidate will be on the ground for two full days of activities. This
will include a lengthy round 2 interview with the Board. As part of the Board interview, finalists will be
asked to make a 30-minute presentation to the Board outlining their priorities should they be selected
and measurable outcomes you could expect during the first year of their tenure (see attached). In
addition to the Board presentation and interview, a meet and greet for civic/community leaders will be
held as well as a community forum.
In addition, a host of other activities will be organized, including a visit to an area school, a meeting with
students, a meeting with the Mayor, etc. At the conclusion of the interviews, we expect that the Board
will move quickly to offer and negotiate a contract with the successful candidate. As you will see in the
attached timeline, this puts the Board on target to hire a new superintendent by the middle of May in
hopes of having them here by July 1.
Attached you will find three documents in total:
a)
Proposed schedule
b)
First round candidate questionnaire (responses will be included in the dossiers)

c)

Second round candidate presentation overview (candidates invited back for second round
interviews would be asked to make a formal presentation to kick-off the Boards interview)

As you review these, if you have questions or anything gives you pause or you feel should be added or
modified, please let me know at your earliest convenience but not later than Saturday, April 16 as we will
be finalizing things and beginning to share some pieces with potential candidates.
CANDIDATE Q&A
We are working on a suggested set of core questions each candidate will be asked by Board members.
While I strongly encourage Boards to be rigorous in their questioning of candidates, I also want to make
sure that you get to the end with the ability to make apples-to-apples comparisons and judgments. As
such, I would like for us to agree to a set of core questions you will commit to ask all candidates. Then,
we will provide a compilation of additional potential questions should time allow. To get the ball rolling
on this, I would appreciate it if you would each share with me your top three questions you would like to
see asked. If you could kindly provide this to Shannon and myself no later than Monday, April 18. This
will help me formalize a suggested interview guide. We will share the interview guide and a suggested
evaluation rubric with the Board ahead of the May 3 meeting.
BOARD PROTOCOLS
Last but not least, Id like for us to agree to a set of Board Protocols to guide our efforts in this final
phase. I have had the opportunity to work with 50+ Boards over nearly 35 years of conducting searches.
I have seen interview processes go well and others where the outcome was less positive. I offer these
suggestions in hopes of insuring you have the most effective interview and hiring process possible.
When evaluating candidates, look at the total package: demonstrated successes, experience,
skills and personality. Please do not use one factor as an eliminator, but rather if you have a
concern, ask the candidate about it.
While we are obviously thoroughly checking references as part of our due diligence, I urge you
to review information about the candidates and where appropriate, to check other potential
references as you see fit. If you find anything that concerns you, please ask me about it and I will
follow up and bring my findings back to you.
To ensure fairness, and prevent any misperceptions, I strongly advise that Board members have
no direct contact with candidates or prospective candidates outside the formal interview process
until after the selection process is concluded. This is critically important both to protect the
integrity of the public process but also to avoid any appearance of influence.
This goes without saying but under no circumstances formally or informally should any
candidate be asked to make explicit personnel or political commitments of any kind. A hiring
decision must be made on skill and vision, not on political maneuvering or confidential
commitments.
This is usually the most interesting and enjoyable time in the search process your opportunity
to get to know each candidate, learn from them, and showcase your community and district.
As you know, while we are looking at them, each candidate is looking at Metro Nashville to see
if it is a fit for their skills. One area each candidate will consider is Board conduct especially the
ability to engage in civil discourse at Board meetings as well as individually in all interactions
with each other and in public statements. I know you are each particularly cognizant of this but I
cannot underscore enough that this continue.

I hope this is helpful. At Dr. Gentrys request, I have adjusted my travel schedule to be here next week
for the April 19th School Board meeting. At that time, I am happy to discuss this proposed Board
Protocols and any questions you may have about the timeline or proposed process.
Thanks to each of you for your time, active interest and participation in this search process. I am
confident it will lead to the selection of a great new leader as Director of Schools, one, who with your
help and support, will make a significant difference in the lives of 86,000 Metro Nashville students.