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New superintendent chosen, identity to be announced, vote expected June 16 after union vetting

June 9, 2015
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Mark Chapman
Norwalk Board of Education Vice Chairman Artie Kassimis.
Norwalk Board of Education Vice Chairman Artie Kassimis.

NORWALK, Conn. – Norwalk Public Schools has made an offer to a superintendent candidate, according to Board of Education Vice Chairman Artie Kassimis, and the contract could be finalized as early as today or tomorrow (Wednesday, June 10).

The deal will still have to be voted on by the BoE, and that is planned for the Tuesday, June 16, meeting.

Kassimis said that, after the agreement is done but before it is voted on, “We have to notify the (Norwalk Federation of Teachers) president, according to the (NFT) contract.”

The identity of the selection will remain undisclosed until four days after the NFT is notified, he said.

Kassimis said the announcement had been planned for today (Tuesday, June 9), but has been set back a week

The issue of the four-day window came up in 2013 when the BoE was set to announce Manny Rivera as its choice to lead Norwalk schools. Mellion raised an objection, and BoE Chairman Mike Lyons said he was right.

“It was the settlement of a lawsuit back in 2008 that mandates that before we select a superintendent or make an offer to a superintendent we have to give the union four days advance notice,” Lyons told NoN at the time.

Mellion said the delay will allow the public time for the type of scrutiny that has been avoided by the board’s confidentiality agreement in the process.

“The purpose is so the NFT and the public of Norwalk can see for at least four days the actual complete contract and can then comment on the particulars if they so choose to do so ahead of time,” he said in an email.

The Board finalized the current superintendent search profile in early March and began advertising for candidates with the intent of bringing in the new person by July 1. That target date has not changed.

Interim Superintendent James Connelly has said he is willing to stay beyond the June 30 termination of his contract to help with the transition.

The search firm, PROACT, which brought Manny Rivera to Norwalk, was retained to again recruit candidates. The board started with 11, then winnowed the field to seven people who were interview via Skype. The final candidates had in-person interviews.

The entire process was done under the radar, away from the prying eyes of the taxpayers.

The search profile used by PROACT was similar to the one used two years ago, with a couple of important changes:

The profile specifies that the new superintendent must be willing to implement the strategic plan developed under Rivera and it announces that the board is looking for a superintendent who will stay here.

“The Board is looking for a courageous, strong implementer who is willing to establish roots in the community for a significant period of time, and who can move forward with reforms even in the face of resistance,” the profile states.

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Comments

11 responses to “New superintendent chosen, identity to be announced, vote expected June 16 after union vetting”

  1. Kevin Di Mauro

    I’m very glad to hear that Norwalk’s BOE is alive and well. Looking forward to hearing who the new superintendent will be. Also like the usage of “Skype” during the selection process. Probably saved a lot of time and money.

  2. Marie Avila

    Hmm, wonder how long before this one gets ticked off and leaves. I worked for the BOE for 10=1/2 years. During that time we had Dr. Herbert, then Dr. Corda. Corda left at the same time I retired, 6 years ago. Since then, there has been Dr. Marks, and Dr. Rivera – and how many interims? can’t keep track. And possibly I’m missing an “official” one. and the reasons for their leaving are always phrased a little vaguely.

  3. Bill

    Do we get to see a union’s bloated contract 4 days before it is signed?

    The amount of power over our tax dollars we give these unions is utterly ridiculous.

  4. Eric Parrish

    “The purpose is so the NFT and the public of Norwalk can see for at least four days the actual complete contract and can then comment on the particulars if they so choose to do so ahead of time,” …

    So when does the Public get to see who the choice is?

    The NFT gets 4 days but when is it made Public? at the vote scheduled for Tuesday?

    1. Mark Chapman

      @Eric

      The public will find out Tuesday night at the BoE meeting. The entire process is set up to exclude public vetting and input on the individual until the deal is done. And we will never know who the other contenders are. Speaking for myself (not for Nancy), I think the process is antithetical to open government. I understand the reason for keeping it secret, but disagree 100 percent. What may be the single most important hire in the city — certainly the most expensive — should not be done in a vacuum.

  5. LWitherspoon

    @Mark

    Westport’s search process features public meetings between the superintendent candidate and parents. The last two candidates publicly withdrew from consideration after meeting parents, for reasons that were not publicized.

    There are good arguments for doing it both ways. Introducing the public to multiple candidates seems highly unfair to the candidates, while creating a risk of the new superintendent never being fully accepted by the losing candidate’s partisans. Perhaps a solution to accomplish “vetting” would be to give the community a week of advance notice of one final candidate prior to signing a contract. Certainly the public should have the same opportunity that the NFT enjoys.

    1. Mark Chapman

      @LWitherspoon, Eric Parrish

      While I certainly agree there are arguments to be made on both sides, I will always come down on the side of transparency for the taxpayers. In Massachusetts, the law dictates that finalists be publicized. There’s something troubling about candidates not wanting their current employer to know they are shopping. What you could wind up with is the kind superintendent who would promise the moon, talk about his commitment to Norwalk and how this will be his last job, an be gone less than halfway through his contract. Oh, right.

      Manny Rivera told me in a phone interview on his way to Norwalk that he had thoroughly investigated what he was up against, and it was nothing he couldn’t handle. Turned out he was as honest with that statement as he was when he told Boston he would take its superintendent job, started actually doing prep work, then bailed when he got a chance to work for the governor of New York.

      I know. We elected people to represent us and make these decisions. But this isn’t like hiring a DPW director or a city clerk. The superintendent will chart the course for Norwalk’s children, be responsible for attracting outside dollars, and overhauling the administrative obstructionists, all while dealing with a board that, as you say, will not accept her or him because of their partisan leanings.

      That said, I truly hope this thing works out. Two years ago I wrote a lot about the process and it mean nothing. The secrets were kept, little things — some significant, some not, much of it rumor — dribbled out for weeks, poisoning the atmosphere. And when the Greatest Norwalk Superintendent Ever packed up and booked out of town, the BoE went there again — same search firm with dubious leaders, more money, same top-secret search.

      With any luck, this hire will turn out to be The Really Greatest Norwalk Superintendent Ever and my friend Mike Lyons, whom I greatly respect but with whom I disagree from time to time, can give me a big “I told you so!” My wrong would be really good for Norwalk.

  6. Eric Parrish

    Thank you for clarifying Mark.

    I agree that it should be transparent to the public but, I can also see how it could derail the selection process.

  7. MarjorieM

    Can’t expect buy-in from all constituents without some form of transparency, BEFORE it is a done deal. Otherwise, we are looking at a Mike Lyons choice. It becomes even worse if the vote isn’t unanimous for the BOE. Let the public get a vote on who is in charge of their children’s education. No need for dictating the choice!

  8. The Sad Truth

    I understand people’s wishes for transparency. In fact, I wish I knew something about the candidate. But the clamor for transparency begs the question: How has this worked for Norwalk so far?

    There are too many people who seem to forget that the members of the Norwalk BOE were elected to exercise their judgment and to make such hiring decisions. Whether we like certain BOE members or not, they were duly elected, and they have the authority and the duty to hire the superintendent. Nowhere is it written that the members of the BOE are supposed to poll the community before making decisions.

    To the members of the BOE: Please remember your due diligence and be sure that you have a reasonable understanding of the candidate’s background, as well as his/her management style, philosophy of community engagement, philosophy of education and ability to communicate with all parts of the school community. The voters are counting on you.

  9. MarjorieM

    The fact is this BOE promise transparency.

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