SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH NEARS
COMPLETION
S
ince December, the Fox
Chapel Area Board of School
Directors has been involved in
an intensive nationwide search
for the district’s next superintendent.
The Board hired the consulting firm
of McPherson & Jacobson LLC at
its meeting in January and hopes to
have a candidate to present to the
public in April. The members of
the Board search committee, Ron
Frank (committee chairperson), Vice
President Marybeth Dadd, and Adam
Goode, have been leading the process.
On February 6, two consultants from
McPherson & Jacobson conducted
multiple focus group meetings to
gather input from various stakeholders
throughout the district. These groups
included students, parents, community
Marjorie Wallace, Ed.D., from the superintendent search consulting firm of McPherson & Jacobson,
meets with members of the district’s administrative team on February 6 during a stakeholder
members, teachers, support staff, and
meeting.
administrators. Two meetings were held
for the general public to provide input.
Each group was asked to provide feedback on the following
of the remaining candidates will be given to the Board. From
statements/questions:
that smaller number of candidates, the Board will choose the
• Tell us the good things about the community of
few that will be interviewed. Initial interviews will be done
Fox Chapel.
at the end of March by small groups representing various
• Tell us the good things about Fox Chapel Area public
stakeholders in the district, and then the members of the
schools.
School Board in a separate interview. A group leader of each
• What are the hot topics the new superintendent should be
of the stakeholder groups will also meet with the Board to
aware of so he/she can get off to a great start?
share the groups’ impressions of each of the candidates. The
• What are the skills, characteristics, and traits you’re looking
candidates will also tour the district.
for in the next superintendent?
The Board anticipates naming a final candidate at its April 13
Additionally, an online survey was available to anyone who was
combined agenda study session and regular business meeting
not able to attend one of the focus group meetings.
to be held at 7 p.m. in the Fox Chapel Area High School
large group instruction room. It is anticipated that the new
Based on the input from the stakeholder meetings, the School
superintendent would start July 1, 2020.
Board has developed a series of questions to ask each of the
finalists.
School Board President Somer Obernauer Jr. says it’s been
inspiring to see the community come together throughout the
According to Mr. Frank, the Board has worked diligently to
process to select the district’s next leader.
gather feedback from a diverse group of stakeholders during
the search for the district’s next superintendent.
“It’s going to be important for the community to welcome
our new superintendent. I hope all residents will embrace
“We hope that by giving a voice to representatives of various
the selection. We already have great things happening in our
groups within the district that we will be able to hire the best
schools, and this person will be using his or her expertise to
overall candidate to guide the district into the future,” he says.
take our district and our students to the next level.”
A total of 23 applicants for the position were received by
The executive summary from the stakeholder meetings
McPherson and Jacobson by the February 27 deadline.
and other information on the search are available under
Applicants are from Pennsylvania and beyond, and have been
the “Superintendent Search” tab on the district’s website at
vetted by McPherson & Jacobson, including a reference check.
www.fcasd.edu.
The number of candidates has been reduced, and the names
20
FOX CHAPEL AREA