More than 40 people have thrown their hats into the ring so far for the top job in Boston’s city schools, according to the Boston Globe.
Those interested in the superintendent’s job come from across the U.S.—including New Hampshire, Colorado, North Carolina, New Jersey, Florida, and Texas. One prospect hails from Ontario, Canada.
The group is overwhelmingly male—30 of the 41 candidates are men. Thirteen are white, nine are African-American, and three are Latino, according to a status update provided by the district’s superintendent search committee.
The candidates include 23 superintendents, three principals, three who work in central offices, and a brigade commander. Twenty-nine hold doctorate degrees;10 hold masters degrees.
According to the Oct. 1 memo, the 41 individuals had either completed or started an application process for the job.
The recruitment process is still continuing, and the committee is hoping to have a final slate of candidates for review in January, the committee said.
Earlier this year, Matthew H. Malone, the Massachusetts education secretary, had expressed interest in the job.
The Globe reports that while the names of the new crop of candidates were not revealed, it is assumed that Malone is still in the running since one candidate on the search committee’s list is from the state department of education.
The 57,000-student district has been run by interim superintendent John McDonough, who served as the district’s chief financial officer, ever since Superintendent Carol R. Johnson retired in the summer of 2013.
After last year’s election of Mayor Martin J. Walsh—following a campaign in which education played a major role—the district initially planned to hire a superintendent and have him/her in place for the start of the 2014-15 school year.
But in May, the search firm charged with helping to pick the new superintendent requested an extension. According to the school district, the decision was made based on community feedback on the “good work Interim Superintendent John McDonough is doing in the district and the desire to have him continue for another year to implement a number of ongoing initiatives.”
Candidates will be reviewed in January and a list of semi-finalists will be presented to the school committee by the end of January, the paper reported.