Secrecy surrounding Howard Co. Superintendent Search

[Board of Education member] Dyer said that he was uncomfortable with the secrecy surrounding the search.
"I felt like I was covered with slime participating in the last part," said Dyer, who told Patch that in recent weeks school board members interviewed superintendent candidates across county lines, where they were instructed not to wear name tags.
“We spent time in no-tell motels and things like that interviewing these candidates," said Dyer...

 ...Transparency has been a hot-button issue in Elkridge—a community with which the school board has refused to share information about school sites—and with the board as a whole.Dyer has filed suit over what he alleges are the board's violations of open meeting laws, and last month, the board attempted to exclude a member from participating in a meeting over the phone.
As far as transparency in the superintendent search, there was more public participation in the past, according to school board candidate Mary Jo Neil, who has served on the PTA for Maryland, Howard County and West Friendship Elementary School.
“Several years ago...we did actually have a little different process,” said Neil, referencing the 2000 search that resulted in the appointment of superintendent John O'Rourke. "We did have some more time to vet the candidate. I wish we had that opportunity this time."

PATCH:   School Board Hopefuls Question Superintendent Search