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There’s less than a week to go until the community survey closes about what people would like to see in the next Albert Lea Area Schools superintendent, and if you haven’t already taken the time to fill it out, we encourage you to do so.

Selecting a superintendent is a major event for a district, and it’s important for everyone to weigh in. The information that comes back from the survey will be given to the school board for their consideration as they choose the candidate for the position.

The survey asks people to choose what the next superintendent’s top traits or skills should be, as well as expertise and experience. It also asks open-ended questions about good things happening in the district and anticipated challenges for the next five years, along with what things the new superintendent should know about the history of the district and the community to be successful.

We would like to see someone who has a strong financial background and who is a good leader and will be respected by his or her staff.

Some relationships in the district have been strained and need to be mended, and we need someone who can repair the damage. To this end, the next superintendent needs to be approachable.

Integrity should be at the forefront for this individual, whether it be in dealing with personnel or the public. We need someone who is transparent with the board, staff and the public — someone we can trust.

This person should value the input of the teachers and staff in the district and empower them to reach their potential as they seek to do the same for our students.

The students are at the forefront of everything that happens in the district, and it is important that they have the infrastructure and support they need to succeed.

If possible, we think it would be helpful to have someone in the position who has experience in the district — who knows our strengths and weaknesses and who already has a track record of excellence.

At the very least, however, we think it is important that the individual has experience either as a principal or a superintendent in a similar-sized district or in a similar part of the state. While every district is different, this could provide insight on the challenges we face as well as some of the values we have.

As the district moves ahead and begins to consider candidates, we’d love to hear what your top priorities are for the next superintendent.

Write us a letter to the editor to explain what’s important for you in this position. Letters can be emailed at letters@albertleatribune.com or dropped off at our office at 808 W. Front St.