What should Camden’s next superintendent do? Residents want someone to manage crises and the budget.
A search firm is looking for a superintendent to replace Katrina McCombs, who is leaving Camden schools for a state role. A replacement is expected to begin in the fall.
A firm tasked with spearheading the search for a new Camden schools chief heard an earful Monday from the community on choosing a successor to outgoing Superintendent Katrina McCombs.
About 40 residents, educators, and students participated in a virtual community forum with Hazard Young Attea Associates, an executive search firm. The selection process is expected to take several months.
They were asked to weigh in on topics about the search to replace McCombs, who is leaving the district June 30 for a job with the state Department of Education.
Some residents believe an outsider, who can navigate Camden’s political climate, should be tapped. Others said an insider would be better suited for the role. McCombs spent her entire 30-year career in Camden.
State Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer will select the new superintendent with approval from the state Board of Education, because the district is state-run. The Camden school advisory board has no say.
The application deadline is Aug. 1, with interviews and a finalist expected to be selected by September. The new superintendent would tentatively start Nov. 1.
“We don’t control anything,” said Jose E. Delgado, a former longtime school board member prior to the state takeover in 2013.
During the 90-minute forum, attendees also tackled other issues that face the state-operated district, including a massive restructuring to close a $91 million budget gap for the upcoming school year.
» READ MORE: Camden schools are laying off 117 employees to close a budget deficit. Here are three of their stories.
Bill Adams, a former school superintendent and vice president with HYA leading the search, is also holding internal also asked the attendees to submit names of anyone they would like to recommend for consideration.
The state is covering the cost of the search firm. It has not released the amount. According to the job listing, the superintendent will be paid between $200,000 and $250,000 annually
A second in-person forum will be held June 16 at 5 p.m. at Dudley Family School.
Here are some of the questions posed during Monday’s forum and comments from attendees.
What’s the greatest strength of the district and what do you want to see maintained or expanded?
Resident Sheilah Greene said Camden’s youth are its best asset.
“They participate in everything that the school district has to deal with from Covid to right now,” she said. “They have been through my trials and tribulations than any of us have ever seen.”
Greene also cited the district’s family operation coordinators and security staff for “taking care of our children.”
She said the state funding for the district’s $472 million annual budget is also a strength, but should be better managed to avoid drastic cuts such as those recently imposed under McCombs.
Delgado disagreed, calling the district weak fiscally because half of the public school students in Camden are enrolled in charter or Renaissance schools.
What are the greatest challenges now, and in three years?
Theo Spencer, another former school board member, said the changing educational landscape in Camden has landed the district “in a death spiral.” Camden is the only public school system in New Jersey with three school types.
Greene said the biggest challenge may come from Trenton after a new governor is elected; Gov. Phil Murphy will leave office in January after serving two terms. The new schools chief must be willing to speak up, she said.
Parent and community activist Ronsha Dickerson said the district needs more Black and Latino male teachers, and administrators — not just disciplinarians.
What are some of the characteristics the next superintendent will need to succeed?
Attendees said the new superintendent must have the fortitude to manage a district where crises frequently occur. They also want someone who is trustworthy, a good listener, engages youth, and is able to make tough decisions.
Dickerson said the superintendent must take steps to get Camden on track to return to local control. The state took over running the district in 2013 as it faced failing test scores, high drop out rates, and fiscal mismanagement.