October 30, 2009

NEWS FROM THE MAYOR

Dear Friends,

The selection of the next leader of the Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) is one of the most important decisions that will be made in this community in the near future. This issue continues to be of particular concern to the MPS Innovation and Improvement Advisory Council and a focus of discussion in our recent meetings. We are faced with an historic opportunity to bring a world-class leader to our City who can achieve the dramatic reforms necessary to help our students realize their full potential. We need to ensure a thorough search is conducted factoring in all qualified candidates.

Among the criteria that I submitted to the Board in the July 16 letter as essential for the next Superintendent were that he or she have experience managing large, complex and diverse entities; the proven ability to identify talented individuals, empower them and hold them accountable; and the ability and willingness to be pro-active and innovative.

Many large urban districts have actively sought out candidates specifically for their management experience, often from non-traditional career paths, in recognition that running organizations with billion dollar budgets requires skills that great educators may not need or possess. Non-traditional candidates should be actively sought and included among the final candidates. The community deserves the opportunity to consider both traditional and non-traditional options as we move forward with this critical selection.

The council and I also value the need for strong education experience as part of the leadership team. The vacant Chief Academic Officer position provides an opportunity for the next superintendent, regardless of their background, to select an effective leader with strong educational credentials in that role.

In addition to expanding the pool of candidates to be considered, we need to allow the community the opportunity to weigh in on the recently proposed MPS governance legislation. The legislation redefines the superintendent’s role and will undoubtedly affect the pool of candidates we’re able to attract. It is essential we extend the current application deadline of November 19 to allow the community the opportunity to weigh in on the legislative proposal and ensure we are targeting both traditional and non-traditional candidates. We must approach this decision deliberately and as a community we must do everything possible to attract the world-class leader our children deserve.

Sincerely,

Mayor, City of Milwaukee

Visit my website at: http://www.city.milwaukee.gov/mayor