WJCC Board to Appoint New Superintendent Tuesday

By Amber Lester Kennedy Tuesday, December 21, 2010

The next superintendent of Williamsburg-James City County Schools will be appointed in a special meeting Tuesday night.

The WJCC School Board plans to appoint the new superintendent prior to its regular work session in a special meeting starting at 7 p.m. in building F at the county complex. The superintendent will replace Gary Mathews, who left the position in the spring to become the superintendent of Newton County, Ga. schools.

The board began looking for a new superintendent in May, when it had its first meeting with representatives from the Virginia School Board Association, which the board paid $10,000 plus fees for assistance in conducting a national search. The VSBA recommended the board not release the names of candidates because it could scare away some of the most qualified applicants who might not want their school divisions to know they’re looking for jobs. The board chose to follow that advice, and has released no information about their superintendent selection.

While the applicant’s names have not been released, at least one is known. Acting Superintendent Scott Burckbuchler said in September he would apply for the job. He previously worked as the division’s assistant superintendent of finance. While he has no classroom teaching experience, he has worked in school administration for more than 10 years. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in public affairs and administration from the University of Connecticut and an education specialist degree and doctorate of philosophy in education from Old Dominion University.

Beginning in September, the board solicited public opinion through surveys and a public forum. Local education advocacy group Citizens For Education also held a community conversation, inviting citizens to share their desired characteristics and qualifications for the next superintendent. Based on that input, the board drafted a job ad on Sept. 20, giving applicants until Oct. 15 to apply.

In its job ad, the board said the next superintendent should demonstrate an ability to improve student performance for all groups of students; create an atmosphere of trust and respect; be an articulate spokesperson and experienced in managing district resources. The board also wanted its candidates to have prior experience as superintendents and preferably possess doctoral degrees. The candidate chosen must also agree to reside in Williamsburg or James City County.

The board received 26 applications in response to its job ad. Of the 26 applicants, 21 were men, five were women, 21 were white and five were minorities. Fourteen of the applicants were current or former superintendents, five were assistant or deputy superintendents, five were central office administrators and two were principals or building-level administrators. Applications came from across the country, but 10 of the applicants are currently working in Virginia.

Since Oct. 21, the board has met to interview and discuss candidates. While the meetings were closed, the board was required to announce the time and date of meetings in advance, but failed to post notification of meetings held on Dec. 3 and 14. Board Chair James Nickols said all meetings were held following the guidance of the VSBA, and that failing to notify the public was an “unintentional omission.”