Pleasant Valley seeks community input in superintendent search

The Pleasant Valley School District released a community input survey last week. The survey is for residents of the district to provide information regarding what characteristics they would like to see in the next school superintendent, as well as what district residents view as top priorities, issues, and concerns. It is available through the district’s website at www.pvbears.org and can be completed until Jan. 16.

Acting Superintendent Charlene Brennan urged the community to complete the survey.

“The board is taking this process very seriously and wants to hear from as many people as are able to provide input,” she said. “The bard has even asked me to reach out to parents in the community who have children in charter schools and nonpublic schools.

“Therefore, I encourage everyone in Pleasant Valley … staff, taxpayers, students, parents, other community members … to provide their input. The selection of a superintendent of schools is so important, and the district has a board of directors that is committed to finding the very best leader for the district. It can only do that with broad input from its community.”

Brennan said the idea for the survey was hers and she provided the initial structure, but the board were directly involved with the final structure of the survey.

“It is quite detailed,” she said.

The survey has 12 questions that begin with providing information on the person completing the survey for demographic reasons. The following questions want to know what qualities are most important and then an array of questions seeking input about the school district. The survey also has some questions that allow residents to give more information by writing in their answers.

Residents who would like to complete the survey should also go to the website, then click on “Superintendent Search Community Survey” to complete the survey.

“The initial structure didn’t take long as it is based on existing research regarding the characteristics and qualities successful superintendents possess,” Brennan said. “Working with the board took another week or so.”

In an interview in early December, Donna Yozwiak, president of the Pleasant Valley School Board, stated her thoughts on qualities she thought would be beneficial in the next superintendent.

“As the Pleasant Valley School District begins its search for a new superintendent, nine important qualities come to my mind in determining the best choice for our district: educational leadership, teamwork, sensitivity, judgment, decisiveness, planning/organizational performance, resource management, oral/written communication, and community and board relations,” she said.

Brennan said the answers to the survey will go to the board to help them select the best candidate. She doesn’t know if they will release the results. As for her involvement as a potential candidate, Brennan said no.

“My role will be to facilitate the process in collaboration with the board,” she said. “My role is to get the initial posting out there, assist the board in gathering input, assist the board in creating their hiring profile, coordinate interviews and focus groups, keep to the timeline the board establishes, etc. The selection of the next superintendent is solely a responsibility of the board.”

Brennan said the toughest part of her job is trying to lead the board as they make these decisions as a group, and not to become involved in the actual decision-making process.

The most rewarding “is when at the end of the process I see excitement from the board and the new superintendent and the community to have a new leader on board and new fresh start in moving the district forward.”

The district has received some applications for the position, she said. Applications can be submitted by Jan. 14, and can be mailed or emailed to her. Detailed information about applying is available on the school’s website.