School board expected to make superintendent choice

The Cape Girardeau School Board's search for a new superintendent has played out like a game of "Guess Who?"

Four months ago, board members named off certain characteristics they were looking for and, with the help of the Missouri School Boards' Association, have since eliminated those candidates who didn't fit the description.

Three are left standing -- Betty Chong, Rudy Duran and David Scala. The board has now interviewed each of them and may announce the winner as early as today.

In one of them, the board hopes to find the qualities they believe necessary to run the district: a leader to sustain and enhance the district's academic vision; a leader to motivate and direct staff; a leader who understands budget issues; a leader to improve student achievement; a leader with integrity, honesty and courage.

But the path to narrowing down the candidates to three finalists was a complex one.

"We can't randomly say, 'this is a good candidate, this is a bad candidate.' We have to know what the community wants," said Jan Watson, a representative of the Missouri School Boards' Association.

The Cape Girardeau School Board hired MSBA -- for between $12,000 and $15,000 -- to conduct the superintendent search.

To find out what the community wants in a superintendent, Watson said, MSBA surveyed school employees, local business/community leaders and board members themselves, asking them to prioritize the characteristics of a good district leader.

MSBA developed a profile of the community based on that data, and distributed it in a brochure to potential applicants.

There were 15 original applicants, all of whom were interviewed via telephone by MSBA. A basic screening followed, through which MSBA grouped candidates into three categories: those who did not meet the qualifications required by the district; those who were close to meeting the qualification and those who met the qualifications.

Turned over to board

After that, all of the resumes' were turned over to the local board with a recommendation to interview those that fell into the qualified group but also the option to follow up on any candidate who had applied.

"We do not tell them not to interview someone," said Watson. "The board may know something about a candidate that we do not."

From there, board members narrowed the candidates to Chong, Duran and Scala; visiting the districts each currently works in and wrapping up interviews Wednesday night.

Chong is the only local candidate. She has been in the Cape Girardeau School District for 28 years, first as a teacher at Franklin Elementary, then a guidance counselor, psychological examiner, assistant director and director of special services.

In 2003, she was named assistant superintendent of elementary education and special services.

"I've served in a lot of positions with the district and feel I really have a broad background in school district functions," she said.

Duran is the other finalists from Missouri. He has been an educator for 24 years, beginning as a teacher, then assistant principal, then high school principal, then assistant professor at the University of Arkansas and finally superintendent in the Steelville School District in Crawford County.

Duran said that his experience in a variety of education positions is a plus and that collaboration is one of his strengths.

"Cape Girardeau is a great little community. There are always issues, but I'm pretty good at working through issues," he said.

Scala is currently an assistant superintendent who also oversees human resources at the Sioux Falls School District in Sioux Falls, S.D.

He is originally from Iowa, but has two degrees from Truman State University in Kirksville, Mo.

His career in education began as a middle school science teacher in his hometown of Albia, Iowa, and he has been a superintendent for 22 years.

"I want to get back into the superintendency," said Scala. "You can have a direct impact as an administrator."

cclark@semissourian

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