Letter to the Editor

New superintendent for corporation

Sunday, March 13, 2011

To the Editor:

The Clay Community Schools Corporation is looking for a new superintendent to lead it into its future.

This process has been commented upon several times through this paper and was addressed by a stakeholder in the last school board meeting.

There are at least two points of view, looking within the corporation for the best that we have and looking beyond the corporation.

This is an important decision that has far-reaching effects and should be made with the greatest objectivity from the largest pool possible.

The school board decided to have Dr. Boyd of ISU and his team do some of the preliminary research into the background of the candidates.

This is a reasonable approach that should yield a shortened list of qualified candidates for consideration.

It will be when the short list of candidates is presented that the tough decision will have to be made by members of the board.

Please excuse the inference, but it may come down to a choice between "the devil you know or the devil you don't."

Whomever is chosen is going to do things during their tenure that people like and dislike, it is the nature of any job where you must get things accomplished. The important consideration is that everything they do is for the greatest benefit to the corporation, the students and the community while determining how to accomplish that with the least amount of harm.

We must face the fact that one cannot make a cake without breaking a couple of eggs. However, you can break a lot of eggs and not make a cake if you do not have your priorities right or are not careful, considerate and knowledgeable.

I'll be praying for everyone involved.

Leo L. Southworth,

Brazil