Finding the Right Leader for Claremont's Schools
When the School Board started thinking about what kind of leader our district needs right now, one thing became clear: we need someone who can roll up their sleeves and focus on fixing our very real challenges — keeping our finances in order, strengthening day-to-day operations, and building a culture where everyone is held accountable.
That's why we're hiring an Executive Director rather than a traditional Superintendent.
What’s the difference? A Superintendent has to keep one eye on running the district and the other on instructional leadership and student success. By bringing in an Executive Director, we can have a leader fully dedicated to stabilizing operations and finances, all while a qualified and licensed educational administrator continues to focus on curriculum, teaching, and learning. Both jobs get the full attention they deserve.
How are we choosing this person?
We know we need to move quickly. This is the time of year when school districts across the region are looking for their next leaders. Every year, there are fewer and fewer good school leaders, let alone great ones. The hiring market for school districts is extremely competitive.
Hiring an Executive Director can be quicker and it also widens the pool of candidates as they don’t necessarily need a superintendent’s certification for the position (though the person we eventually select may have one). While the process to hire an Executive Director is different from hiring a Superintendent, we have still conducted a structured search that is thorough and transparent. The position was publicly posted, and all applications were reviewed by an ad hoc Executive Director Search Committee, which then conducted initial interviews and narrowed the field to two finalists.
Those finalists will be interviewed by the full School Board, along with a building-level principal. We believe it's important that a school leader has a voice before any final decision is made. Reference and background checks will be conducted, and the School Board will make the final hire by majority vote.
Is this a permanent change?
No. The Executive Director role is designed to be temporary — roughly one to two years. The goal is to get our district back on solid ground, working closely with the board, schools, business office, and the broader community.
This position is also "at will," meaning the board can make a change if the person isn't meeting expectations with no buyout or payout required. We learned from past experience, and we're building in accountability from the start.