ACCOMACK COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLSLEADERSHIP PROFILE REPORT

April 1, 2014

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Survey Participants

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Consistently Reported Themes• Strengths

 • Community is supportive and values education• Dedicated and hardworking staff; teachers, professionals and administrators• Engaged School Board, does not micromanage• Facilities• Geographic location is desirable, outstanding outdoor recreational

opportunities• Great teachers and administrators• Small and isolated both a strength and concern, but it gives a sense of

community and caring to the students and the schools• Spaceport is an excellent resource• STEM, NASA and Fish And Wildlife initiatives are growing, appreciated and

need to continue• Test scores are improving• Very good students

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Consistently Reported Themes

• Challenges/Concerns/Issues

 • Accomack may not be able to attract and retain a high quality

superintendent• Accomack is one County made up of very unique communities: Tangier,

Chincoteague and the many towns and areas of the mainland• Competition between schools and perceptions of the quality of schools

which vary from community to community• Alternative Education programs needs to expand services of services

for all secondary children; high school completion rates need to continue to improve

• Attract, develop and retain excellent staff; pay scales are not competitive with surrounding jurisdictions; better recruitment and retention strategies are needed

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Consistently Reported Themes• Challenges/Concerns/Issues

 • Capacity issues at north Accomack elementary schools may require

redistricting or some other CIP strategy• Central Office Staff needs clearly defined roles, and to be held

accountable to those roles to improve communication and services to school-based staff

• Continue to implement Dr. Benson’s many initiatives• Ell student population is growing; high rates of student poverty;

additional services, program and staff are needed to address needs• Geographic spread can hinder unity of the division• Rural environment may not be attractive to younger employees

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Consistently Reported Themes• Desired Characteristics

• Ability to build trust and strong relationships with all constituencies, especially the School Board and BOS

• Builds strong relationship with businesses and community• Experienced and knowledgeable of educational issues in Virginia and nationally• Creative and innovative problem solver• Curious intellect, ability to question and analyze• Engaged• Excellent communication and collaboration skills• High integrity, honesty and ethics• Instructional leader• Organizational and management, especially finance, skills• Strong and firm—with a backbone • Transparent • Willing to become long-term resident of Accomack

 

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On-Line Survey Participants

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Accomack County Public Schools

Superintendent Desired Characteristics

After seeking input from its Board members, parents, staff, students, and community via focus groups, interviews, and an online survey, the School Board of the Accomack County Public Schools (ACPS) seeks a strong educational leader who possesses the following characteristics:

 • Is willing to make a long-term commitment to ACPS and live full-time in Accomack County• Possesses financial experience and savvy and the ability to stretch resources with limited funding• Possesses the ability to work collaboratively and build relationships and trust with all constituencies in

Accomack; community, schools, central office, Board of Education and Board of Supervisors• Is a strong communicator who can tell the “ACPS” story to many different audiences• Possesses a strong vision for education and provide the leadership, courage and management to achieve

that vision• Recruits, develops, evaluates and retains outstanding staff members at all levels• Demonstrates fairness, ethics and honesty• Is both collaborative and decisive, demonstrating inquisitiveness, research, creativity and risk-taking skills• Fosters trust and transparency• Is process oriented and can define and implement the roles and responsibilities needed for operations,

governance and outreach in a diverse and large geographic division

 

With regard to leadership experiences and accomplishments, the successful candidate will:

 • Be or able to be certified as a Virginia superintendent• Have experience that includes teaching and being a school-based principal• Possess a doctorate (preferred)