UPDATE 8/19/18: The district released its timeline for the principal selection process, with the school board meeting where the determining vote takes place occurring on Oct. 22, 2018. Meetings to develop a principal profile will be on Sept. 5; a faculty meeting will be held at 5 p.m. and the community meeting will be at 7. The community meeting will allow students, parents and other community members to speak about what characteristics of a principal are important to them. This meeting day is the only set of meetings that will be held to develop a principal profile.

Although Associate Superintendent Craig Shapiro said that finding someone to replace Principal Brandi Hosack would not be possible, the district must now work to find her predecessor.

The process to find a replacement for Hosack began on May 2, when the Akins Campus Advisory Committee (CAC) met with Shapiro to discuss the process going forward. At the meeting, he explained the process involved in a principal search.

“Soon, (Superintendent Paul Cruz) will dictate to me what the end date will be; when he wants a permanent position to be voted on by the board,” Shapiro said. “We’ll work backwards from that date to make it happen.”

Before the end of the school year, Cruz will select an individual to serve as the interim principal while the selection process happens. A committee of faculty, students and parents will create a “principal profile,” or a list of qualities the Akins community believes the incoming principal should have in various different fields. To develop this profile, Shapiro will hold separate meetings with the CAC chairs, campus staff and parents and community members. At the community meeting, Shapiro will invite students to suggest characteristics.

“I really hope that the next principal is empathetic and understanding,” freshman Andrea Burguete said. “I also want them to be firm with the rules, but not too strict.”

As the profile is being created, the CAC will work with Shapiro to formulate a selection committee made up of the CAC co-chairs, who are one parent or community members and one teacher, and two additional teachers and two additional parents. This committee and Shapiro will participate in the first round of interviews for the selected candidates. Social Services Academy Coordinator Misty Lindsey said that she thinks it’s key for the next principal to understand the Akins community.

“(We need someone who) understands what kind of teachers we have and what kind of kids we have and carries on doing what’s best for kids at all times,” Lindsey said. “I think that we need someone who’s heart is Akins.”

Hosack said that it will be important for her predecessor to be grounded in relationships. She said that the next principal should build strong relationships with students and staff based in honesty.

“(They shouldn’t) pretend to be something that (they’re) not, because our kids are really good at seeing that,” Hosack said.

After the first round of interviews, three finalists are selected and then a second round of interviews will occur. These interviews will be conducted with Shapiro, Superintendent Paul Cruz, and Chief Officer for Teaching and Learning Edmund Oropez. After these interviews, Cruz will select a finalist, which will be presented to the school board for its approval.

“My role now is to honor (Hosack) by having a good process to find leaders with great skills to move the school forward,” Shapiro said