Over the past few weeks, the committee to select the next director has given several chances for members of the MLWGS community to share input in the search for a director.
On Wednesday, October 27, the committee held two separate meetings where people could ask questions and inform the committee as to what qualities they wanted in the next director. The committee first met with the faculty and staff of MLWGS in a closed meeting at 3:30 pm. Then at 5:00 pm, the committee met with the MLWGS community at large in an open forum held in the MLWGS auditorium.
Members of the Regional School Board and Superintendents Board were present to answer questions and address the concerns of the community. The members included: Mr. Ivan Mattox, Regional School Board Chairman from Goochland County, Ms. Dianne Pettitt, Regional School Board Vice-Chair from Chesterfield County, Dr. Janet Crawley of Charles City County, Mr. John Axselle, head of the selection committee from Hanover County, Dr. Stewart Roberson, Hanover County and Ms. Barbara Crawley of Charles City County.
Around two dozen parents, students and teachers attended the open forum, which lasted a half hour. Several booster clubs and other support systems had representatives at the meeting to voice the concerns of the group.
The meeting began with Mr. Axselle giving an overview of the Director search and introducing the panel. Mr. Axselle said that the board plans to release the announcement some time in November. He said that they will begin receiving applications in December and hope to begin interviewing in January so that the new Director will be able to start as scheduled on July 1.
The first speaker was Mr. Alan Sader, MLWGS parent and representative of the Visual Arts Booster Club.
“The arts are still alive at Maggie Walker, and we hope to see that continue,” said Mr. Sader.
Other sections of the arts were also represented, as the President of the Drama Boosters; Mr. Michael Sawchak was also one of the speakers.
Other groups that were represented at the meeting were the Board of the Governor’s School Foundation and the Friends of Virginia Governor’s Schools.
The representatives of both of these groups talked about the community image that the director must work with.
“I think that it is extremely important that we keep Maggie Walker in everybody’s minds,” said Ms. Sarah Hillgrove, Chairman of the Friends of Virginia Governor’s Schools. “We need a director who has experience in communication.”
One question that was brought up was how the responses from the forum and from the approximately 370 surveys the board received will be reflected into the process of selecting the new director.
“This stage of the process is so critical, because the questions [in the interviews] will be based on the input we receive,” said Mr. Axselle. “I envision it as being that the committee will get together, after reviewing the data, and we will decide on the questions.”
Mr. Axselle and Mr. Mattox said that the questions will be based off of the trends that the committee sees in the surveys as well as several other factors.
“Our responsibility too, is to all the children,” said Mr. Axselle. He said that the committee will have to make sure that all of the interests of the students are accounted for.
The committee members also said that some of the questions would be drawn from their experience.
“There are certain things that the director is going to have to be able to implement,” said Mr. Mattox.
The final speaker of the day, Mr. Timothy Reed, a parent from Chesterfield County, said that the new director needs to have “vision.”
“Whoever comes into this school does not have to see the school as it is today,” said Mr. Reed, “But how it will be ten or twenty years from now.”
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