How do I go about writing a letter to the superintendent about a problem that exists in personnel?

I understand how you feel, and I am grateful for the opportunity to guide you from the point of view of the person who does the hiring. First, let's be fair to you. You were apparently wronged, you feel angry and disappointed, and you certainly should feel that way. If you are at all serious about getting a full time job in this district, you need to do a couple of things. First, you need to get over the idea of writing letters to anyone. Hard though it will be, smile, carry on, and let it go. Here's why: The last thing any principal or superintendent wants is a complainer. You would be "second guessing" the persons who decided on the hiring, and they may have had all kinds of reasons about which you know nothing and about which you can never know. From your point of view, you were better qualified than the guy who got the job, but that is not necessarily true from the point of view of others. Don't get a reputation as someone who is always complaining and arguing. No principal or superintendent wants that. I understand fully that you see this group of first graders as a train wreck waiting to happen, and you would like to step in and do something, but the fact is that the wreck is inevitable, and your actions will only cast you in the role of a malcontent. Second, if you want a job in education, get used to nonsense and stupidity, because there will be plenty of both (along with some other things you can guess). There's lots to enjoy, to be sure, but one quality which teachers of long standing develop is a "thick skin." I'm about to retire out of education, have spent my entire career there, and have stories to tell which would curl your teeth. You really must "roll with the punch" or you will forever be getting yourself knocked out. It is the nature of the beast that some administrators are short-sighted and lazy, some of your faculty colleagues will be poorly prepared and disinterested, and the entire structure of the enterprise will challenge your grip on sanity every day. If you are truly dedicated to the students' welfare, then the system needs you and many more like you. But you are doing yourself no favor if you choose to work in a field which demands a constant flexibility and tranquility which you cannot manage. Don't write any letters, certainly stop complaining about the situation (because your colleagues will tell others who will make mental note) and take the long view. Despite your disappointment over not being chosen, your time will come if you are seen as an et and not a liability.