Fairfax County in Virginia is seeking advice from Montgomery County in Maryland, for its first new school superintendent in a decade, albeit the two counties often compete for new teachers. “We all care about our kids, whether they are in Virginia or Maryland,” said Fairfax County Board of Education President Jane Strauss on cooperating with Montgomery County. “They (Montgomery County) have just completed a search so it is very timely for us to pick up the phone and say, ‘Pat, could you come over and tell us how it went.’”
Patricia O’Neill, “Pat,” is a Montgomery County Board of Education member who chairs the board’s policy and strategic planning committees. During a two-hour meeting on Monday, O’Neill offered Strauss advice saying, “Confidentiality in recruiting the best superintendent candidate is absolutely essential.” Joshua Starr was hired in April 2011 as Montgomery County’s newest superintendent. Fairfax County has about a year to find a replacement superintendent, as Jack Dale prepares to step down when his contract expires in June 2013.
