Council Rock Selects Finalist For Assistant Superintendent Position

Council Rock School District has selected its top candidate for assistant superintendent.

Superintendent Robert J. Fraser said Monday he will recommend the appointment of Susan Elliott as the district’s assistant superintendent for teaching and learning at a special meeting of the school board this Thursday, June 23.

If the board approves Elliott’s appointment, she will join the district on August 1.

Elliott was chosen after a nationwide search. Fifty-eight candidates applied for the position and five finalists were interviewed by a search committee.

“Dr. Elliott was a unanimous choice of the search committee and the board representatives because
she is both a very well qualified educator and a strong and articulate leader,” said Andrew Block,
president of the Council Rock School Board. “We’re extremely pleased to have found someone of her caliber.
And it’s a real plus that she worked previously with Dr. Fraser, so they will share a vision for
teaching and learning and a great working relationship.”

According to information provided from the district, Elliott has been language arts supervisor at the West Chester Area School District since 2010, where Fraser was previously assistant superintendent. In that role, she supervises 110 teachers in the district’s elementary and secondary schools.

"During her tenure as the language arts supervisor, the West Chester Area School District has excelled on state performance measures. West Chester students currently rank in the top 4 percent of districts across the state on the new language arts assessment. In 2014, West Chester ranked fifth in the state on the School Performance Profile with each of the 16 schools in the district scoring 90 or higher, one of only three districts in the state to achieve this level of success," the district said in an announcement of finalist status.

Fraser said the district is "extremely fortunate" to have found a candidate as highly-qualified as Elliott. “She has proven herself as a teacher and a high-achieving administrator with a true passion for all things teaching and learning.”

The assistant superintendent position will play a critical role in leading all facets of teaching and learning, according to Fraser.

“These areas represent our core mission,” Fraser said. “It’s rare that a district of our size would not have an assistant superintendent or its equivalent. This position will help set our children up for academic success in the future.”

While the assistant superintendent position is being reintroduced to CRSD for the first time since 2004, the administrative headcount will not increase. The district has eliminated the director of elementary education post and moved those responsibilities under the director of K-12 education, Fraser explained.

“I’m thrilled to be joining Council Rock because this is such an excellent district with so many high-performing teachers, administrators, and support staff,” Elliott said. “Also, Dr. Fraser is a strong leader with high expectations, so this is a big challenge, but one I welcome.”

About Susan Elliott (information provided by Council Rock School District):

A resident of Downingtown, Elliott earned her doctorate in reading, writing, and literacy from the University of Pennsylvania in 2010. She obtained a master’s of education in teaching curriculum from the Pennsylvania State University in 1997. She received a bachelor’s degree in elementary and early childhood education from Millersville University in 1991.

Starting in 1991, Elliott was a teacher and then reading specialist in Eastern Lancaster County School District’s New Holland Elementary School for 15 years. She served as the district’s Title I and reading coordinator from 2006 to 2010. She joined the West Chester district in 2010.

Elliott served as a key member in the development of the Pennsylvania Core Standards and currently serves as a lead member of the Pennsylvania System of School Assessments development and review team.