New members named to superintendent search committee

By Mike Jackson and Colleen McCain

July 11, 2000 Web posted at: 11:14 AM EDT (1514 GMT)

DALLAS, Texas (The Dallas Morning News) -- An architect, a former city manager, a longtime educator and a PTA leader will join Dallas school trustees in the process of selecting a new superintendent.

Trustee Ken Zornes, chairman of a committee that will help pick the successor to Bill Rojas, appointed four committee members from the community Monday.

They are: Pedro Aguirre, an architect and a member of the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport Board; Jan Hart Black, president of the Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce and city manger from 1989 to 1993; Sylvia A. Lopez, principal of Raul Quintanilla Senior Middle School; and William Robinson, president of the Dallas Council of PTAs.

They join Mr. Zornes and trustees Hollis Brashear and Kathleen Leos on the panel.

The seven-member committee may meet as early as next week to begin the work of replacing Dr. Rojas, who was fired last week. The committee is to evaluate candidates and make recommendations to the full board.

The committee isn't likely to set a strict schedule for completing its task, Mr. Zornes said.

"I've heard everything from 30 days to six months," he said. "But I want to be as efficient and expedient as we can.

"I know that there is a serious sense of urgency throughout the city. But there's an urgency to get the right person in this job. And I'm not going to let the urgency to get the right person be hampered by the urgency of a timeline."

Dr. Rojas was fired Wednesday after 11 months on the job. He had a tumultuous relationship with board members almost from the beginning. He clashed with Mr. Brashear and trustee Lois Parrott in October over hiring Edison Schools Inc., a private company, to run several schools.

There were other conflicts, too. Dr. Rojas accused board members of micromanaging district affairs. Trustees complained that he kept them in the dark about important issues, including his plans for the 2000-2001 budget.

Trustees also complained that Dr. Rojas spent too much time out of town, an issue that Ms. Lopez, the middle school principal, said she would keep in mind in looking for his replacement. Near the top of her list, she said, is finding a superintendent loyal to the district.

"We need someone who has an invested interest in the district," Ms. Lopez said. "It needs to be a person who's ready and willing to commit to Dallas."

The selection process will focus on a small group of candidates already known to the board, trustees have said. They have said they will consider non-educators as well as professionals in the field.

Candidates considered last year during the search that ultimately led to Dr. Rojas included Dallas County Judge Lee Jackson; retired Marine Brig. Gen. George Walls Jr., a college administrator in North Carolina; Carrol A. Thomas, school superintendent in Beaumont, Texas; and James A. Williams, former superintendent in Dayton, Ohio. Trustees also considered former Dallas schools chief financial officer Janice Davis.

"There is a short list, and it's not exclusive to two or three people," Ms. Leos said. "We'll discuss the status of a short list, plus input about anyone we may not be aware of."

Ms. Lopez praised the decision to include a mix of educators, trustees and community leaders on the selection committee. Last year's search for a superintendent was conducted entirely by the school board.

"I just feel that they're headed in the right direction when they're asking for input from others," Ms. Lopez said. "It's very important to have different perspectives and look at things from different angles."

Mr. Zornes said that was done deliberately.

"I'm really happy with the diversity of the group," he said. "I think it really represents the culture of the city. I think everybody should be well-represented."

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