Community gets its say in District 13 superintendent search

About a dozen community residents gathered in the James A. Dever School auditorium on Monday night to talk about District 13’s search for a new superintendent. The residents met with Dr. Charles Fowler, president of School Leadership, LLC, the firm conducting the search.

The current superintendent, Dr. Elizabeth Lison, is retiring at the end of the school year after eight years in Valley Stream.

Fowler discussed the superintendent search process, and explained why a search firm like his is brought in by a district. “The reality is,” he said, “there aren’t a lot of people who are interested in the position of superintendent.”

The average school leader does not become a superintendent for the first time until they are 54, he said. And the average tenure for a superintendent in Nassau County is 5 1/2 years. Fowler said his firm seeks out qualified candidates to meet with the district’s Board of Education. It also does the initial screening to ensure that candidates meet the qualifications of the what board and community members are looking for in their next school leader.

Monday night’s meeting was part of the process, so Fowler could hear just what the community wants and bring those suggestions back to the board. During the hour-long discussion, residents said they wanted a leader who will understand the financial issues that will challenge the district, and someone who will be sensitive to the fact that homeowners pay 90 percent of District 13’s taxes.

And because District 13 only goes up to the sixth grade, community members said they want someone who understands how to prepare students for success at the secondary level.

Being able to understand the political process and work well with elected officials was another important aspect the new superintendent should possess, as is a collaborative leadership style to include parents and community members in the decision-making process.

Experience with special education, someone who will establish an effective anti-bullying program and skills with union negotiations were other suggestions.

Residents expressed their overall satisfaction with the district, saying that parents are very involved in the schools, budgets regularly pass and the teachers are very committed. There was praise for District 13’s music, ESL and full-day kindergarten programs and the amount of technology available in the schools. Community members also said that Lison is very visible in the schools and at district events, and said they want the next superintendent to be the same way.

Fowler said he thinks that the District 13 superintendent job will be an attractive one for prospective candidates, especially those who wants to be a hands-on leader. The small size of the district lends itself to a leader who wants to be very involved in teaching and learning issues.

Marie Natoli, whose children attended the district and now has grandchildren in the schools, attended the forum with her husband, Dominick. She said the two are very involved in the community and want what’s best for the schools.

Natoli said she learned a lot about the search process on Monday night, as well as the concerns of other community residents. “There are many important things,” she said, “and I think we hit on most of them.”

There were no Board of Education members present at the forum. Board President Frank Chiachiere said he wanted members of the public to be able to speak freely about the superintendent search without the pressure of board members being in the room.

Chiachiere said the search firm will also meet with teachers and staff. “Anybody that draws a paycheck from the district is going to get an opportunity to spend 45 minutes with them,” he said.

Later this month, the board will adopt a list of qualities it wants the new superintendent to possess, which will guide School Leadership in its search for candidates. After interviews and a site visit for the finalist, the plan is to appoint a new superintendent at the April board meeting, with the new person starting on July 1.

Like Fowler, Chiachiere said he is confident that the district will have a strong pool of candidates. “I expect to have a lot of people apply for this job,” he said. “It’s a great job. It’s just a nice place to work.”