UDSD Board selects Dr. Steven Yanni as next superintendent

The School District of Upper Dublin Board of Directors is pleased to announce that it has selected Dr. Steven M. Yanni to be its next superintendent of schools. The Board will vote to approve a contract with Yanni at its regularly scheduled school board meeting on Monday, May 14.

“The Board is extremely excited about Dr. Yanni joining the School District of Upper Dublin as its next Superintendent,” said School Board President Dr. Art Levinowitz. “I believe Dr. Yanni is a perfect match for our district.”

Dr. Steven Yanni is currently the superintendent of the New Hope-Solebury School District. He was appointed to the post in October 2015 and took office in December 2015. Previously he served the district as the assistant superintendent from 2013-2015. Prior to his work at New Hope-Solebury, Yanni served as the director of curriculum and as an elementary school principal for East Pennsboro School District. He has also served as an elementary and middle school teacher in Gaston County Schools in North Carolina and the Twin Valley School District in Berks County, PA.

“I am both honored and humbled to be selected as the finalist to be the next Superintendent of the School District of Upper Dublin,” said Yanni. “I look forward to working collaboratively with the school board, staff, students, parents and the community. As an educator, I am committed to providing all students with exceptional educational experiences in a safe and respectful environment, which will ensure they become productive members of an ever-changing global society.”

Yanni’s appointment will conclude a comprehensive four-month process that began in early February with the announcement of Superintendent Dr. Deborah Wheeler’s retirement on July 4, 2018.

The Board screened 40 applicants and invited 17 candidates for first-round screening interviews. At the conclusion of first-round interviews, eight candidates advanced to second-round interviews. Following second-round interviews, the Board selected two candidates to return for third round interviews. Yanni emerged as the finalist for the position of superintendent at that time.

In preparation for its rigorous candidate selection process, the Board gathered stakeholder input from a series of staff, parent and community focus groups held in March and April. In addition, an electronic survey was also developed to gather stakeholder input from those members of the school and the community who were unable to attend the focus groups.

According to Levinowitz, the top themes that emerged from the focus groups and the survey where that the new superintendent needed to possess the following qualities: communicates with all stakeholders; demonstrates the courage of convictions; is an experienced school leader/educator; models integrity, trust and respect; understands the needs of special populations; is able to unify staff, students, parents and community; builds morale and school pride; and demonstrates financial and fiduciary responsibility.

“I believe that over his 14 years in public education, from his early days as an elementary school teacher to his most recent experience as both an assistant superintendent and a superintendent, Dr. Yanni has clearly demonstrated all these traits,” said Levinowitz. “We look forward to introducing him to the community on Monday, May 14.

A summary of the focus group themes and the survey results will be posted on the district’s website in the near future, according to Levinowitz.

The Upper Dublin School Board contracted with the Chester County Intermediate Unit (CCIU) to assist in the search process.