Dear families, staff, students, friends and supporters of the Portland Public Schools,

We are excited to begin conversations with you about bringing in a new leader for the Portland Public Schools. As we have shared, the Portland Board of Public Education created a Superintendent Search Committee, made up of eight community members from a variety of stakeholder groups and four Board members, to spearhead the search for our new superintendent. 

Your voice is critically important to this search process. We have thoughtfully planned for a robust and transparent process inclusive of community and stakeholder input. Of particular interest is your perspective on the most important responsibilities of our next superintendent and the skills needed to be successful in the role. We have partnered with Alma Advisory Group, a professional search firm whose work aligns with the central equity goal of our district’s strategic plan, to assist us with a national search for the best candidates to fill this role.

Below are the activities we’ve planned to gather your insights and feedback, which will inform each step of the search process. You’ll also find information on how you can stay informed throughout the process.

• We are launching a brief survey accessible here in English, and also available in Arabic, French, Khmer, Portuguese, Somali, Spanish, and Vietnamese. You’ll have the opportunity to share what you love most about the Portland Public Schools, our top areas in need of improvement, the skills most important for the role, and what you consider to be the most important aspects of the superintendent’s job in order to successfully lead the district. The survey will be open for submissions until Friday, February 3, 2023.
• The Alma team will be visiting us the week of January 30th. We are planning a series of in-person meetings to gather input from principals, teachers, staff, community members, parents and students, which will take place during their visit.
• We are planning discussions with parents for the evening of Monday, January 30th, and Tuesday, January 31st, both from 6:30-8:30pm. Your participation is vital for gathering insights and feedback.  Please mark your calendar to attend a meeting. Childcare and interpretation services will be provided at each location:

      January 30 - East End Community School

      January 31 - Casco Bay High School

• Recognizing that not all of our community members can attend our in-person community meetings, we are providing a virtual Community Forum as well on February 2nd, 6:30-8:30 pm. This is the link to RSVP.

·       February 2 - Casco Bay High School

• We will be posting regular updates at the Portland Public Schools website here. Check the site to learn about the status of the search and opportunities to participate. 
• Our website will include a feedback form that will always be available for any questions or comments throughout the search process.

Thank you so much for your support and the part you will play in the important days ahead, as we launch our search for our next superintendent. We appreciate your partnership in finding the right superintendent to carry out our mission and successfully move our district forward!

All our best,

Sarah Lentz, Chair, Portland Board of Public Education