AKRON, Ohio — Akron Public Schools has begun its search for its next superintendent.
The district announced on Monday that it is conducting a national search for "an experienced, energetic leader" to take over as superintendent following the resignation of Christine Fowler-Mack in February. Mary Outley has been serving as interim superintendent since Fowler-Mack's departure.
The deadline for all applications to be submitted is June 5. Here is the anticipated timeline laid out for the search by APS:
- May 3, 2023 - Application process opens
- May 1-20, 2023 - Community survey. The community will be asked to provide input on the role and ideal qualities of the next superintendent. This survey will provide critical information to the board, and participation is encouraged.
- May 16-17 - Focus groups. The district will hold focus groups with community stakeholders to discuss the position and the qualities sought from the community in its next superintendent.
- June 5, 2023 - Application deadline
- June 20-21, 2023 - First round of interviews
- June 29, 2023 - Second round of interviews and anticipated board decision
- August 1, 2023 - Preferred start date
Akron school leaders are also seeking to get community feedback as part of the search, with an online survey asking about the desired qualities for the district's next leader, plus what people feel prospective superintendent candidates should know about Akron Public Schools. The survey will be available until 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 20.
When Fowler-Mack resigned in February, Akron school leaders called it "a mutual decision."
“I think both parties had gotten to the point where we realized that it made sense for us to move in different directions, and we wanted to do so in a way that was productive and positive, and so it was a mutual decision," said Akron School Board President Dr. Derrick Hall to 3News' Isabel Lawrence.
Hall also said that the board will encourage Outley to apply for the role, citing her more than three decades of experience with the district as a teacher, principal, and administrator. She was a student of the district herself.
"She's really walked in the moccasins of a lot of people, so she knows what it's like to be there in the trenches, and she hasn't forgotten that," Dr. Hall added. "I think that's what makes her such a fantastic administrator, is the fact that she does have that wealth of experience."