Brewster Residents Take Part in Superintendent Search
Two consultants have wrapped up two days of meetings in the Brewster School District after seeking comments about the search for a new permanent superintendent of schools.
Officials from School Leadership LLC ended their two days in the district on Jan. 8 at the district’s administration building with a meeting with residents. School Leadership President Charles Fowler and Dr. Frank Chiachiere had met with parents, students, residents and staff in the district to obtain comments about how to begin the search for a new permanent superintendent of schools.
Dr. Timothy Conway is serving as interim superintendent of schools. Conway is replacing Dr. Jane Sandbank, who retired in December after serving as superintendent for about seven years.
Fowler told the roughly one dozen residents who attended the meeting that his company wanted to know what traits members of the district community wanted in a permanent superintendent and what issues that person should address in the next three to five years. Over the past two days he and Chiachiere have held a series of meetings in the district, Fowler said.
Resident Robert Cullen, who has two children in the district, said the district is paying Conway $26,000 for him to work for a degree that could qualify him to become the Brewster schools permanent superintendent. Cullen wanted to know if the payment was an indication that the board of education was considering hiring Conway as permanent superintendent and the district would not do a full search. Fowler told Cullen the school board was conducting a search and had not decided on whom to hire. If the board had decided to hire Conway as the permanent superintendent his company would not take part in the process, Fowler said. “This is an open search,” Chiachiere said.
Resident John Valentine said he wanted a permanent superintendent who had previously held the position. Valentine said he did not want the new superintendent to require “on the job training” in Brewster.
Another resident said she wanted the new permanent superintendent to be someone from outside the Brewster district so that person would have “fresh eyes” to lead the district.
Resident Susan Henderson, who has three children in the district, said she wanted the new permanent superintendent to restore programs that had been cut in the district over the past few years. There has been a “chipping away of programs for the students,” she said.
Henderson also said the permanent superintendent should be “very visible” at student events. There have been recent student functions with no district officials in attendance, she said.
Following the meeting, Chiachiere said he and Fowler would compile a report based on the comments they received over the previous two days and provide it to the board of education. He and Fowler are planning to eventually provide between six and eight potential candidates for the permanent superintendent post that the board of education could choose to interview, Chiachiere said.
The board of education is seeking to have a new permanent superintendent in place for the start of the 2014-15 school year on July 1.
