The Portland Board of Public Education Public Schools this fall created a Superintendent Search Committee to find a new superintendent to lead Maine’s largest and most diverse school district by June 2023. The Search Committee, made up of Board members and community representatives from various stakeholder groups, is aided in the search process by the Alma Advisory Group, a professional search firm.

Alma Advisory Group recently conducted a wide-ranging community engagement process in late January and early February to ensure that the voices of all stakeholders – families, staff and community members – are included as part of the search process. Through three community gatherings, both in person and online, interviews and focus groups and a staff and community survey more than 1,700 participants provided key input. This feedback will be used to will help inform and strengthen the job profile and the competencies required of a new superintendent – information that will be utilized to recruit and screen candidates in the search process.

“This kind of participation is incredible,” said PPS Executive Director of Communications Grace Valenzuela, who spearheaded the community engagement effort. “We thank our families, staff and members of the public for taking the time to provide the crucial feedback we need to ensure we are able to select the next transformative superintendent of Portland Public Schools.”

On Feb. 7, Alma Advisory Group gave a workshop presentation to the Board about what was learned from the community engagement process. View the slide deck of their presentation HERE. The translatable version of the superintendent search timeline can also be viewed HERE.

Watch the Feb. 7 Board meeting workshop presentation: