To Disclose or Not to Disclose...

There is beginning to be concern in the education community about a new bill proposed by Senator Kevin Eltife (R-Tyler) regarding the procedure in which Superintendents are hired. Currently, Texas law prevents school districts from disclosing applicants who are applying for vacant Superintendent positions until School Boards have chosen the "finalists" for the position. Since current law does not define what a "finalist" is, districts generally name only one "lone finalist" and wait the required a 21-day waiting period for public scrutiny of the lone finalist before he/she officially hiring the lone finalist.

Senate Bill 503, proposed by Sen. Eltife, would require districts to disclose the names of any person who is formally interviewed by a school board. Eltife believes the public has a right to know who is applying for such important positions in school districts. However, both superintendent and school boards argue that by disclosing the name of any person who is interviewed it will severely limit the number of people who might apply for a job. The fear is that the number of applicants will drop if the applicants think their current employer will be unhappy if they are looking for a new job.

I am an advocate of open government, and I do not have the concerns felt by many of my peers. I do not think that decisions should be made behind closed doors, especially when it comes to public entities like school districts, so I think it is a good thing to know who is applying for jobs. Other states have more open processes, and there is little or no evidence that the number and quality of applicants is somehow diminished by having a more open process.

I also believe that a person should have a strong enough relationship with a boss/employer to be able to speak openly about the possibility of changing jobs. If you find a person who is able to have the type of relationship with an employer that allows for tough conversations, such as the possibility of leaving, then I think that person will be more qualified than a person who does things behind the boss' back. The type of person who is able to have open, honest discussions, even if they are not always easy, is the type of leader one wants for a school and in life in general.