To allow for a wide range of stakeholder input, transparency and objectivity in the hiring process for senior leadership positions, the Shaker Heights City School District will organize candidate interview panels that include representatives from across the Shaker community.
This new process provides a broad range of community input into the recommendation of candidates for the open positions of: Communications Director, Boulevard Principal, High School Assistant Principal, Chief of Staff, Pupil Services Director and Operations Director. The goal of the process is to recommend the most highly qualified candidate(s) to the Superintendent. Ultimately, it is up to the Superintendent to select a candidate for Board of Education approval.
All jobs are widely advertised via website postings on the Shaker Heights CSD webpage, Ohio Department of Education employment page, and job sites of several local universities. Positions are or will be advertised nationally on webpages such as Indeed.com and Education Week (topschooljobs.org).
Updated job descriptions and application forms are or will be posted on the Employment section of the Shaker website.
For each position, the Department of Human Resources will review application materials and recommend candidates to the first interview panel. Members of the second interview panel will be different from the first panel, but representing the same stakeholder groups. The presidents of the bargaining units will select their representatives. The PTO presidents will select their representatives. The Chief Administrative Officer of the City of Shaker Heights will select city representatives. The District will select other community members and District representatives.
Panel activities vary depending on the position and may include written exercises, mock scenarios, and informal and formal questioning. The Director of Human Resources coordinates the panels and ensures quality control but will not vote in the panel nominations. Should a panel member(s) encounter an emergency absence, the panel may proceed at the discretion of the Superintendent or designee.
A chart outlining the makeup of each panel may be downloaded below.