Superintendent search on

The Mat-Su school board appears to be poised to take the "interim" off Interim Superintendent Bob Doyle's title, but it's not clear yet if Doyle is interested in the job.

The assistant superintendent was named interim superintendent in July when Patricia Chesbro stepped down. During a regular meeting last week, the majority of the school board members indicated they were pleased with Doyle's efforts during the past months and were interested in offering him a superintendent contract.

"I don't want to go to the Lower 48 and get a wannabe or a has-been," board president Dan Contini said. "I think we have a lot of talent right here."

Others seemed to agree.

"Mr. Doyle came in with an agenda, one I agree with very much," board member Larry DeVilbiss said after suggesting the board suspend its search for a superintendent and instead offer the position to Doyle.

Member Linda Menard said keeping Doyle at the helm for at least a year would allow for some consistency in the district, and member Rob Wells said he is fully prepared to offer Doyle a contract through 2004, maybe even longer. But Wells did say this is just the beginning of the discussion.

"We probably should talk about this in executive session … we need to discuss contract issues and determine if the interim superintendent is even interested," Wells said.

When pressed, Doyle told those at the meeting that he wanted to wait until the board meets for a retreat on Oct. 19.

"Before I make a commitment, I want to know what your goals are," Doyle told the board. He said at the retreat the members, including any who are newly elected, will be able to set their priorities and determine how they will hold the superintendent accountable to those goals.

After the meeting, Doyle told the Frontiersman he feels this is important regardless of who the next superintendent is. When asked if he is interested in the job at this point, Doyle said, "I think it's a little premature for that."

In light of Doyle's response, the board decided to postpone its discussion until Nov. 6, the first regular meeting following the retreat.

If Doyle then says he is interested, the school board can offer him a contract without conducting a separate search, according to Human Resources Director Paula Harrison. While she said this has never been done before in this district, it is legal.

Some in the community have questioned whether Doyle has the qualifications to be a superintendent. According to Harrison, Doyle has worked for the district for 23 years including more than a decade as assistant superintendent, is a certified teacher with some classroom experience and has his master's degree in school administration.

Doyle does not, however, hold a Type B certificate, previously a requirement for Alaska superintendents. Doyle falls short of the three years of classroom experience required to achieve the certificate.

Harrison said the law was recently changed, however, so that a superintendent does not have to have this certificate as long as someone within the administration who is in charge of curriculum does.

In the case of Mat-Su, this person would be Assistant Superintendent George Troxel, who has a Type B certificate with endorsements as both a principal and superintendent, Harrison said.

If Doyle does not sign on as superintendent, the board members have several

options. They can recruit from within the district or state or expand their search nationwide. Harrison has also suggested they could hire a consultant to handle the recruiting.

"That comes with a $30,000 or $40,000 expense, but it has a lot of advantages," Harrison told the Frontiersman. The district's human resources department, which would handle the bulk of the work of a superintendent search, must also continue to manage the district's 2,200 employees, including substitutes. A consultant, however, is focused solely on finding candidates.

With or without a consultant, a superintendent search generally takes about nine months to complete, Harrison said.