The Skaneateles Board of Education approved a motion to hire a firm to conduct its search for a new superintendent at its Tuesday, Oct. 23, meeting.
The search will be conducted by the Warner Center for Professional Development and Education Reform, which is housed within the University of Rochester’s Warner School of Education. The lead consultant is Stephen J. Uebbing, a professor and a former superintendent of the Canandaigua City School District. He will work with Henry J. Peris, former superintendent of the Brighton Central School District.
The two main consultants have the combined experience of more than 80 years running successful school districts in Central New York.
“The process will start when we sign the contract, which is hopefully in the next 10 days. We would try to announce somebody in the spring to start July 1,” said BOE President Evan Dreyfuss. “This search team will work with the school board to set a profile of what we want out of a superintendent.”
Qualifications for the new superintendent will include excellent vision, excellent communication skills and a solid understanding of curriculum, he said.
The consultants also will work with the community and seek community input on the search process, Dreyfuss said.
“We’ll also set up a Website, probably on our own Website, an interactive area where students, teachers, community members can talk about what they’d like to see from a superintendent,” Dreyfuss. “We will go out and try to get 40 to 50 applications. And from that 40 to 50 the consultants will narrow it down to eight semifinalists.”
Dreyfus said the semifinalists will be narrowed down to two or four finalists.
“There will be sub-groups to interview them,” Dreyfus said. “The groups will be comprised of students, teachers, administrators and community members.”
Dreyfuss said the consultants have completed successful searches for a number of school districts, including Geneva, Sodus, Lyons, and North Rose Wolcott.
The Warner Center draws on the resources, knowledge, and connections of the entire University of Rochester community and the community at large, according to the website. “We will have the full resources of the U. of R. and Warner School of Education behind us,” Dreyfuss said.
Kris Russell is an Eagle Newspapers contributor. He can be reached through the editor at [email protected].
