Two Fresno city councilmembers are calling on the Fresno Unified School District to widen its search for a new superintendent.
Longtime schools chief Bob Nelson will step down this summer. FUSD has decided to limit its search for a replacement to internal candidates.
Fresno City Councilmembers Mike Karbassi and Garry Bredefeld said at a news conference Tuesday that the district should be recruiting statewide.
“There very well may be somebody who, at the local level, can meet the responsibilities that are necessary to get the job done. But we’re not going to know that unless you open up the search, have a national search or a statewide search and they compete. Competition is good. We believe in competition,” said Bredefeld (GV Wire).
“But when you have a rigged game, which is what I think is going to happen, then you do them a disservice when they’re selected and they haven’t competed, and you do the kids and the parents a disservice.”
Council members have no authority over FUSD decisions. And so far, Karbassi and Bredefeld’s suggestions have failed to move the school board to expand its search.