Covington Independent Public Schools is looking for input from the community in its search for a new superintendent.
To accomplish this, the Board of Education is allowing people to share their thoughts using an online survey, public open houses later this month and focus groups that community members can participate in.
“We’re excited to officially kick off the public engagement phase of our superintendent search and hear directly from the people who know our schools best — our students, families, staff and community partners,” Board President Tom Haggard said in a press release. “This is a moment to dream big about what’s possible for Covington Independent Public Schools, and we want every voice to help shape the future of our district.”
The board agreed to contract with Chicago-based Alma Advisory Group in September to consult in its search efforts following an announcement in June that it would not be seeking to renew the contract of its current Superintendent, Alvin Garrison, who’s been working in the district for about 12 years. Alma will be managing the efforts to collect public feedback.
The public can get involved in three ways:
The first option is to fill out an online survey, which will be available until Nov. 3. You can complete the survey by clicking here. District residents, parents, staff, business owners, organizational leaders, other community stakeholders and even students are encouraged to fill out the survey.
The second is through community gatherings, where Alma Advisory Group will walk attendees through the search process and then host small-group discussions to get people’s input.
While registration is not required, the board encourages people to sign up online in advance for planning purposes, which you can do by clicking here. The community sessions will take place at the following locations and times:
- Monday, Oct. 27 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Latonia Elementary on Huntington Avenue
- Tuesday, Oct. 28 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at The Center for Great Neighborhoods & the Hellman Creative Center on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
Lastly, community members can participate in focus groups, invitations for which will be sent out in the future.
The board hopes to have the superintendent job posted by Thanksgiving, begin interviewing around the New Year and hopefully have the job filled by March.