The West Memphis School District has embarked on a search for a new superintendent, following the passing of Dr. Terrence A. Brown in May. According to Action News 5, Dr. Kimberly Wolfe, president of the West Memphis Board of Education, explained that the successful candidate needs to be well-versed in the community's culture and values, as well as being a leader capable of improving academic achievement and supporting the district’s five-year strategy.
The search, set to conclude with the posting of the position on Survey Monkey for three weeks, is a bit unorthodox as it steers clear of the more common practice of utilizing a national search firm for such high-stakes educational roles. Dr. Wolfe told Action News 5, "They've done the research. They understand our people. They understand the culture. They understand what's important." Performance in areas such as career and technical education, and the facilitation of seamless post-secondary transitions are among the highlighted priorities for the incoming superintendent.
As detailed in a news release covered by Local Memphis, Dr. Brown had served the West Memphis School District for less than one year before his untimely death. His previous roles included deputy superintendent for the Forrest City School District and several administrative positions in Memphis.
The West Memphis Board of Education is intent on finding a "dynamic and experienced leader to build on the district’s successes while leveraging strategic and collaborative processes," Dr. Wolfe said, as stated by Local Memphis.
