New Fairfield Superintendent Search Starts With Focus Groups, Survey

Press release from Cooperative Educational Services:

March 31, 2022

The New Fairfield Board of Education has begun the process of identifying a new Superintendent of Schools and has selected Cooperative Educational Services (CES) to conduct the search.

Board of Education Vice Chair Samantha Mannion is leading the Superintendent Search Committee, which includes all of the Board of Education members. The next superintendent is expected to be chosen in May following a series of interviews with candidates and begin work Aug. 15, 2022, replacing Superintendent Dr. Patricia Cosentino.

“The New Fairfield Board of Education is committed to excellence as we focus on the continuous improvement of our district. We are extremely proud of the two state of the art schools nearing completion which will have a positive and long lasting impact on our community," Board Chairman Dominic Cipollone said. "We are seeking a superintendent who shares our vision and is committed to meeting the needs of all learners. We expect our new superintendent to be a strong instructional leader who always puts children first.”

CES has already begun recruiting candidates and sharing the posting information. It has reached out to nearly 2,000 current superintendents (and those certified to serve as superintendents) in the Northeast and approximately 7,750 more district leaders and regional superintendent organizations across the country. The job opening is also promoted on a number of state and national education-related websites.

The CES team will hold virtual Focus Group meetings April 11 to collect feedback and identify desirable leadership characteristics in the next superintendent. A schedule for the focus groups is below and a link to the virtual sessions is at www.newfairfieldschools.org.

The focus groups will be virtual on April 11, with various groups from the community meeting. A Superintendent Search page on the district’s website, www.newfairfieldschools.org, has a Zoom link needed to join in the focus group meetings. The schedule is: Students (10 a.m.); high school and middle school teachers/staff (3 p.m.); Meeting House Hill School and Consolidated School teachers/staff (4 p.m.); school and district administrators (4:45 p.m.); town elected officials (5:30 p.m.); community members (6:15 p.m.); and parents (7 p.m.)

An online survey is open to New Fairfield residents and school district staff, accessible now through Sunday, April 10, 2022, at 11:55 p.m. Links to the survey, plus other updates throughout the search, will be found at www.newfairfieldschools.org.

CES is a Trumbull-based agency that provides support and services to school districts and communities in Fairfield County through its school and programs. Its Executive Searches division has helped districts, including New Fairfield, secure qualified candidates to fill superintendent, principal and other school administrative positions for districts and schools throughout Connecticut. Facilitating the search will be CES Search Consultants Dr. Charles Dumais (dumaisc@cestrumbull.org) and Mr. David Erwin (erwin@edadvance.org).

This press release was produced by Cooperative Educational Services. The views expressed here are the author's own.