EDITORIAL: State needs to get serious about superintendent search

There are few jobs in Nevada's education system as critical as the state superintendent of public instruction. The person who fills the job sets the tone for the state's public school system, and serves as a key advocate for Nevada's students.

So why is the state government going about filling the position as if they were looking for an entry-level clerk?

Claiming there's no money in the budget to advertise one of the most important jobs in state government, Nevada chose to advertise the job online — on the state's website and the classified section of Reno's Craigslist. (The Las Vegas Craigslist site apparently charges a fee, so officials didn't advertise at all in the state's most populous region.) As the Review-Journal's Neal Morton reported Jan. 22, that effort attracted just three candidates.

The situation would have to be upgraded to be considered a joke. And given that we're talking about the serious issue of preparing Nevada's children for the future, we don't have the time for jokes.

Gov. Brian Sandoval and the Nevada Legislature in 2015 made huge progress on a package of education reforms. The state now requires students to be able to read by the end of third grade, or be held back for remedial instruction. Zoom schools were expanded, and Victory schools created. Incentives to hire new teachers and to give them additional training were passed. And, of course, the state passed perhaps the most sweeping education choice bill in the country, the Education Savings Account program. Although that program has been temporarily halted by litigation, we expect it will ultimately go into effect.

All of these things require leadership. And all of these things are a Las Vegas-style neon billboard calling out for a leader who shares Gov. Sandoval's vision for the radical improvements necessary to bring Nevada's school performance up to where it should be.

So why are we advertising primarily on Reno's Craigslist?

We're not advocating that the state spend six figures on a headhunter. The fact is, that's not necessary. Nevada's story will speak for itself, provide it's told in the right places, by the right people.

Why, for example, couldn't nationwide education advocates be engaged to mention Nevada's job opening in their social networks? Surely the chairwoman of the state Board of Education — longtime advocate Elaine Wynn — knows a few people in the business who could get a buzz going. Why not try to earn some free media in places where would-be education leaders would learn about Nevada's top job opening? Has no one thought to use the simple tools of websites such as LinkedIn, or even Facebook?

Nevada's problem should be wading through the stacks of professional resumes to find the best candidate, not figuring out how to advertise the position as cheaply as possible. Our state's students need a leader who will act with urgency and purpose. That's probably not going to happen on Reno's Craigslist. The state Board of Education needs to start the process again, and do it right this time.