scarsdale public schools superintendent search specifications development report november 4, 2013...

SCARSDALE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Superintendent SearchSpecifications Development Report

November 4, 2013

SCHOOL LEADERSHIP, LLC

Information Gathering. . .

Invitational MeetingsOpen MeetingsOnline Survey


MEETINGS/FOCUS GROUPS HELD


Open Community Meetings (51) Scarsdale Forum & Taxpayer Alert (4)

SHS Students (11) STA Executive Committee (16)

Open Meetings For Teachers (43) Coalition for Scarsdale Schools (6)

Principals/Assistant Principals (10) Teachers-In-Charge (4)

PT Council (22) Administrators (18)

High School PTA (6) Former Board of Ed Members (9)

PTA’s (29) STI Policy Board (3)

Community Groups (18) Secretaries (8)

Education Foundation Board (5) School Librarians (2)

Open Meeting For Non-Instructional Staff (4) 269 Total Attendees

742 Online Respondents


SCARSDALE PUBLIC SCHOOLSInput For The Search For A Superintendent of Schools

The Scarsdale Board of Education has engaged School Leadership, LLC to assist it as it undertakes a search for a new Superintendent of Schools. The Board feels it is important to obtain input from members of the Scarsdale community as to the qualities that it should seek in a new Superintendent. Your assistance by completing this brief online survey will be greatly appreciated. PLEASE COMPLETE THE SURVEY NO LATER THAN OCTOBER 7, 2013. Thank you.

Online Survey DemographySCHOOL LEADERSHIP, LLC

Online Survey: Top 5 Experience and Skill FactorsTo Be Sought In Candidates


Items Identified Multiple Times As Strengths of the Scarsdale School District and Community

• A community of high achievers• A beautiful community in which to live• An excellent national reputation as a school

district and as a community• An ideal place for a teacher to teach• Bright, motivated students• Close to NYC and all it has to offer


• Community is supportive of the school district

• District is viewed as a national leader• Good financial resources• Highly-qualified staff• Residents choose to move to Scarsdale

principally because of the schools• Teachers feel trusted and respected


• Very high expectations for the students• Tremendous opportunity for professional

growth of teachers• Because of natural attrition, there will be

multiple opportunities to select new leadership and instructional staff

Items Identified Multiple Times As Leadership Tasks Which Will Face the New Superintendent• Assisting the Board in explaining to the

community how children learn best and how funds support such learning approaches

• Better communication to assist people in understanding current education changes

• Better integration of and use of technology, including improving the web site

• Bring a focus to the economic realities with which all governments must deal

Items Identified Multiple Times As Leadership Tasks Which Will Face the New Superintendent

• Budgeting within the tax levy cap• Bringing together a demanding community

that recently defeated a budget proposal• Continuing the fight against the over-emphasis

on tests and test preparation• Develop creative ways to move under-

performing teachers out of the district• Ending the “auto pilot” status of the

elementary schools with respect to program improvement


• Enhancing communications with all stakeholders

• Ensuring the district does not lose any of its current, constructive momentum

• Giving serious study to the differences among the elementary schools--every student should have similar opportunities in the district

• Helping the district recover from and understand the recent budget defeat


• Helping the community at large see the success and value of the district’s programs

• Holding to what educators know is best and not caving in to what everyone else is doing because the State says so

• Implementing effectively tenure decisions and the collective bargaining process

• Increasing transparency in decision making throughout the district


• Leading a change in the business model of the district (how our work gets done)

• Meeting the strong demand for more transparency and collaboration

• Aligning programs and services across the five elementary schools

• Providing for genuine innovation at the elementary school level


• Not building the whole school system around the high school

• Re-evaluating the amount of autonomy provided principals in the district

• Removing the “bad wood” within the teaching staff and not simply falling back on “tenure” as an excuse

• Taking affirmative action when confronted with teachers who are not up to Scarsdale standards

• Ensuring common elementary school standards

Items Identified Multiple Times As Qualities, Skills and Experiences Which Should Be Sought In Candidates For the Superintendent Position• A good listener• A great and clear communicator• A great communicator, especially in writing• A person of high moral character• A visionary• Able to “navigate” within a demanding

community and bring people together• An unapologetic advocate for superior

education

Items Identified Multiple Times As Qualities, Skills and Experiences Which Should Be Sought In Candidates For the Superintendent Position

• Collaborative• Committed to academic excellence• Communicates effectively with staff as well

as the community• Courageous• Has demonstrated success in utilizing web

sites to communicate effectively with the public

• Is collaborative and truly listens to staff

Items Identified Multiple Times As Qualities, Skills and Experiences Which Should Be Sought In Candidates For the Superintendent Position

• Is not a top-down leader• Possesses a strong vision for public education• Well-grounded philosophically while also

being a good manager• Writes well

Suggested Summary of Major Characteristics To Be Sought In Candidates

• An experienced, collaborative leader in a high-performing district who will recognize and honor the district’s many successes while, simultaneously, striving for improvement in its already-superior program



• A courageous, innovative and visionary educator, preferably experienced as a superintendent, who understands the complex demands of globalization and is able to engage district stakeholders in thinking about and planning for the future



• An open, highly intelligent and transparent communicator who seeks to listen, build consensus, and provide focused leadership toward the achievement of district goals



• A skilled assessor of staff and programs who places the best interests of all students at the core of all decisions



• Savvy about school finances, a skilled budgeter, and creative in balancing program, operational and facility improvements with school tax constraints



• Approachable, accessible, honest, fair-minded and a person of unquestioned integrity


Recommended Paid Venues For Posting and Advertising The Vacancy. . .

• The New York Times national edition• Education Week (twice)• Web site of the American Association of School

Administrators• Web site of the NYS Council of School

Superintendents• Recruitment letter to 1,500 K-12 and university

educators nationally


scarsdale public schools superintendent search specifications development report november 4, 2013...

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