Bridgeport’s Board of Education Interim Superintendent Selection Committee met Monday evening to discuss possible candidates for the position of interim superintendent.

Current superintendent Paul Vallas is due to leave the district sometime in mid-February, which gives the board about a month and half to find a temporary replacement.

Four names are already on the table: Assistant Superintendent Sandra Kase, retired Hamden Superintendent Frances Rabinowitz, Chief Academic Officer Ann Marshall and Bassick High School Principal Wayne Alexander.

Kase and Rabinowitz, however, were the only two candidates to express an interest in the temporary position.

While no concrete decisions were made at Monday’s meeting, the board agreed on a list of qualifications the new interim superintendent must meet.

Not only does the new interim superintendent have to possess a Connecticut certification, but they also must have superintendent experience in an urban district and must have noted budgeting and union negotiation skills.

In addition, the new interim superintendent may not apply for the permanent position.

This parameter was met with some resistance. Board members Jacqueline Kelleher and Howard Gardner agreed that it was an unnecessary restraint, until it was explained the interim superintendent would be involved in the process of picking a permanent replacement.

It was also decided that all materials for possible candidates must be submitted to the board by January 10th. All candidates will then be interviewed by the board.

While a final decision on a temporary replacement is expected by mid-January, the long process to find a permanent superintendent has not begun.

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