Update on Superintendent Search for Northport-East Northport Schools

Submitted by Northport-East Northport Public Schools

The consultant team is deep into its work to recruit a pool of candidates to succeed Dr. Marylou McDermott as Superintendent of Schools on July 1, 2015. Over the past several weeks, team members have held one-on-one and group discussions with numerous individuals who have been encouraged to share their thoughts about the next chapter of leadership for the district.

“What the team is striving for is the kind of broad-based input from the district’s stakeholders to use as a guiding force for the recruitment process,” said Mr. Peter Scordo, who is working with Dr. James Ruck, Dr. Ellen Best-Laimit and Mr. Joe Dragone as pro bono consultants to the district. “That means we are talking with teachers, non-instructional staff, union members, administrators, and parents to define a commonality of thought on the capacities of the next Northport-East Northport UFSD leader.”

A community survey that focuses on the qualities sought by residents in the next superintendent of schools is being drafted and will be posted to the district’s website by November 13. This survey is open to all community members, and will be available for completion until November 26. “We hope to get several hundred responses to the survey, which will contain both multiple choice and open-ended responses,” said Dr. Best Laimit. “It’s a great opportunity for community members to share their thoughts.”

On the recruitment side, the consultants have placed advertisements in the NY Times and various education media, along with electronically distributing a recruitment brochure to hundreds of administrators throughout New York State. “We are not merely waiting for professionals to pick up the newspaper or visit a website, though these are certainly vehicles we are using,” said Mr Dragone. Added Mr. Ruck: “We feel our job is to present the district to the many active professionals working in the region so they can initially understand what the Board seeks, and further use the community input we are currently receiving to apply to our screening process.”

A community forum to discuss the survey results is anticipated for December 3rd. Confirmation of this meeting will take place later this month.