The permanent superintendent class

Today's Washington Post has an article by Sewell Chan, "Four Finalists Chosen For D.C. Schools Chief." Two of the four were candidates for Milwaukee superintendent seven years ago.

A permanent rotating superintendent class seems to have developed. They serve a few years in a district and then move on to another district, often as they are eased out from the first district. The same names keep reappearing in searches. It seems to reassure school boards if their new superintendent is already a superintendent. It does not seem to matter much whether the person was successful.

There are several disadvantages with this approach. The new person comes in without a deep understanding of the district, of what has already been tried in the district, or of the strengths and weaknesses of the people. As new superintendents attempt to make their mark, initiatives come and go before any has a chance to make a lasting impression.

While certainly no guarantee of success, I prefer the route Milwaukee chose the last two times: choosing an internal candidate. Often the most cogent critiques of what a district is doing wrong are in the district. And this person is much more likely to understand the people.

Update: John Merrow has an interesting article on the current Washington DC superintendent search and the tendancy to look at the same people over and over. His suggested solution is quite a bit more draconian: turn the district over to a bankruptcy firm, to cut and restructure.