By Blake Deshazo | The Selma Times-Journal

The search for a new superintendent for Selma City Schools continued Thursday night, as the board interviewed two more candidates for the job.

There was a small change to the lineup due to Jimmie Fryer withdrawing his name from the pool of candidates. Elliot Stewart, director of auxiliary services for Jasper City Schools, interviewed in Fryer’s place and was the second of five candidates to interview for the job.

The second interview on Thursday’s schedule was Keith Stewart, superintendent of Bullock County Schools.

Thursday night’s interviews were set up the same as Wednesdays with each board member allowed to ask a couple of questions to each candidate looking to be the next superintendent.

Each candidate was asked about improving academic achievement, assessing the school system, budgeting the school system and why the board should chosen them for the job, among other issues.

“My entire administrative career has been spent in small school districts like Selma, so I know how they operate,” Harris said. “I have experience, I have education, I have the passion and I know and understand children and the education process. I know how to bring people together — parents, students and the community at large.”

While Harris highlighted his familiarity with small school systems, Stewart made note of his experience as being a reason why he should be chosen as the next superintendent.

“When I look at experiences compared to the other candidates, and I’m sure they are all qualified for the position, but they can only tell you what they might do. I can tell you what I’ve done,” Stewart said. “I’ve been a superintendent for 11 years in a very challenging school district. I’ve experienced some of the same challenges that Selma has.”

School board member Udo Ufomadu asked both candidates what their biggest challenge would be in their first year as superintendent if they were hired and how they would address it.

For Harris, increasing student achievement would be the biggest task at hand if he were to take the reigns.

“We will pull our teachers together and look at what we have and how we can invest in our students and professional development to help our teachers do a much better job,” Harris said. “We need to make sure that we’re all in the loop when it comes to our challenges, and I think academics is that biggest challenge.”

Stewart, who is one of the longest sitting superintendents in the state of Alabama, said building trust from the community would be his biggest challenge if selected for the job.

“One of the biggest challenges will be getting the community to believe in its school system because like most public school systems, there seems to be an attack on public education,” Stewart said. “People know what to expect from me. They know that I will listen, that I have integrity and that I am a no nonsense guy.”

After addressing the board’s questions, each candidate gave their final statement on why they should be chosen.

Harris and Stewart both displayed readiness to tackle the issues the school system is facing head on.

The interviews will continue Friday night in the Selma High School Auditorium at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Avis Williams of Guilford County Schools and Angela Mangum of the Alabama Department of Education will be the final candidates interviewed.