Marlin ISD begins search for new superintendent

During a specially called meeting on Jan. 8, 2020, the Marlin ISD Board of Managers went through a training session on The Process of Superintendent Search presented by the Region 12 Education Service Center.

They then heard presentations from three companies vying for chance to assist in searching for a new superintendent at their Jan. 22 meeting and ultimately chose to hire Education Solutions and Services as a consultant for the duration of the hiring process during another specially called meeting on Jan. 27.

Both Mike Smith, CEO of EDSAS, and Letha Hopkins, Associate, were present at the Jan. 22 meeting to make their case.

While both have extensive experience with school district management, Letha was noted as having served for eight years as the Marlin ISD Interim Superintendent. The longtime educator is optimistic that their search will yield results in line with what the community is looking for.

“It’s gonna take a special person to come in here, but they’re out there,” Hopkins said to board member Danny Vickers. “I’m just happy after having done it for so many years that there are still people out there that want to do this job.”

The consultants began their search with a target of a 90-120 day turn around, meaning they are hoping to have viable candidates in place in the near future.

They have begun hearing from the members of each school’s community – Marlin High School students and staff were heard from on Feb. 20, when consultants were available to speak with during the school day.

Later that day, they were on the Elementary School campus, giving parents and staff the opportunity to be heard from.

Both consultants were also present at the Marlin ISD PTO meeting held that evening to hear from parents.

This is just the first step Hopkins and Smith plan to take. Once candidates apply, a rated list will be presented to the board. The ratings will be based on a number of categories and qualifications, such as “related experience” or “community fit.”

The Board of Managers still hold all the power in choosing a new superintendent; Education Solutions and Services is there to guide them to making a decision in the best interest of the Marlin ISD Community.

EDSAS is not instituting a national search, but creating a candidate pool from the confines of Texas, as Texas’s educational standards are categorized differently than the rest of the United States. In past contracts, the candidate pools have been diverse, both in experience and depth.

Though the official decision of TEA commissioners concerning Marlin ISD’s future is not yet known, the Marlin ISD Board of Managers and Interim Superintendent Dr. Jean Bahney plan to continue to fight for the future of their community and trek on their search for adequate permanent leadership.