Superintendent Search: Focus Groups to Meet All Day Wednesday

What characteristics and background does Monroe want in it's next superintendent of schools? Factor in such traits as a candidate's leadership style, experience and knowledge of curriculum and fiscal operations and a profile comes into sharper focus.

The New England School Development Council will meet with focus groups to gather this information throughout the day Wednesday, culminating with a session before the public in the Masuk High School media center from 6 to 7:30 p.m. to learn what skills educators, administrators, Board of Education members, PTA members and Monroe residents at large want their next schools chief to have.

James A. Connelly of the New England School Development Council (NESDEC), the lead consultant for the superintendent search, said NESDEC representatives will sit down with administrators at 10 a.m. at Jockey Hollow Middle School, before obtaining input from the Parents Council at 11:30 a.m.

Then NESDEC will go to Masuk High School, where it will meet with school staff at  2:15 and 4:30 p.m. Parents and the community will get their chance to weigh in on the search process at the Masuk media center from 6 to 7:30.

Supt. of Schools Dr. Colleen Palmer is leaving to take the top job in Weston Public Schools and Assistant Supt. Richard Canfield accepted the superintendent position in Sandwich, Mass.

One thing Connelly said NESDEC wants is for the district to identify the immediate tasks and challenges it wants its new superintendent to address.

Connelly said, "After we complete meetings with focus groups, we'll come up with a candidate profile of what to look for when we review applications to see if there are fits and skills Monroe thinks is important for a good superintendent."

Also on Wednesday night, NESDEC will meet with the Superintendent Search Committee. The search committee consists of all nine Board of Education members and representatives from the Monroe Education Association (which is the teachers' union), administrators and the Parents Council.

Town officials also plan to meet with NESDEC at Monroe Town Hall on Thursday.

John Goetz, a retired superintendent, who had filled in when Supt. of Schools Alan Beitmann left Monroe a few years ago, has been hired as interim superintendent of schools and Masuk Principal John Battista will serve as interim assistant superintendent until more permanent replacements are found.

The New England School Development Council is a not-for-profit organization serving school districts throughout the six New England states.