Superintendent candidates to take questions at session

By D.a. Wilkinson

The talks will show how candidates can interact with the public.

SALEM — Potential superintendents for the Salem schools will take questions from school workers and the public next week.

Each candidate will take questions for up to an hour.

Steve Bailey, president of the school board, said Tuesday the idea will help show, “how the candidates interact with the public.”

The candidates are:

UDr. Tim Mackley, a curriculum consultant for the Ohio Department of Education in Columbus.

UDamon Dohar, an assistant superintendent for Youngstown School District.

UThomas Bratten, a building principal at Canton South High School.

The new superintendent would replace interim Superintendent Louis Ramunno, who is not seeking the post.

The meeting will be at 6 p.m. Monday at the Kent State City Center Auditorium. Bailey said the talks will be in the form of a town-hall-type forum.

Dr. Mackley will be interviewed starting at 6 p.m., followed by Dohar at 7 and Bratten at 8. The questions and answers should be done by 9.

Each interview will be divided into two question-and-answer periods. The first half will be for questions from teachers, school administrators, students and noncertificated employees.

The remaining time will be open to the public. Bailey said people are encouraged to submit questions to the candidates.

The board had created a list of characteristics wanted in a new superintendent, Bailey said.

The questions, he said, “will show the stakeholders how [the candidates] perform in that position.”

Bailey said the question-and-answer sessions will help to show how the candidates can interact with the public school workers.

The search process began last December. The board reviewed more than 30 r sum s and interviewed 11 candidates.

The process is intended to conclude with the hiring of a new superintendent in July who would take over Aug. 1.

However, the forum may not end the search. Depending on the forum, the board may take a look at other candidates, if needed, Bailey said.

wilkinson@vindy.com