LHS principal should serve as assistant superintendent.
By: Lea Kahn
Lawrence High School Principal Donald Proffit is expected to be named interim assistant superintendent for curriculum by the Lawrence Township Board of Education when it meets Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in the LHS library.
Schools Superintendent Max Riley said he plans to recommend Mr. Proffit, 56, for the position while school district officials search for a permanent replacement for Bruce McGraw, who is retiring at the end of the month. Dr. McGraw held the second-highest post in the district for 25 years.
Mr. Proffit will begin working with Dr. McGraw immediately. It is not known how long he will serve in the interim capacity, Dr. Riley said, because it depends on the job market and how quickly a permanent replacement for Dr. McGraw may be found.
Last month, it was decided to reopen the search for an assistant superintendent for curriculum. While the two finalists for the job were "fine candidates," Dr. Riley said, neither Reginald Redding nor Cheryl Simone possessed the particular skills set that the district is seeking. The two candidates left their previous positions under less-than-ideal circumstances. Both had received votes of no confidence from either the staff or parents at their last jobs.
Meanwhile, Dr. Riley said there are plans to advertise the opening in Education Week, a nationwide educational publication. Advertising for the job will begin in January, he said.
Also, the job may be advertised in states that have a tradition of producing strong leaders, he said. The school district may advertise in New York and California, for example, which are home to Columbia University Teachers College, New York University, Stanford University and the University of California at Berkeley and at Los Angeles, he said.
Dr. Riley said he plans to meet with focus groups to refine the process. The groups may discuss the results of the first search, for example. The focus groups will include parents, community members and staff.
If the school board approves Dr. Riley’s recommendation next week, Mr. Proffit will divide his time between his duties as LHS principal and the assistant superintendent’s post. Mr. Proffit, who earns $125,633 as high school principal, would be paid a $35-per-day stipend, Dr. Riley said.
To help fill the void, a third assistant principal likely would be appointed on a temporary basis to help assistant principals David Milinowicz and Mindy Milavsky handle their duties at the high school, Dr. Riley said. That person has not yet been identified, he added.
Asked why he is recommending Mr. Proffit to fill in on a temporary basis, Dr. Riley said the principal holds a superintendent’s license and that Mr. Proffit is also "best trained" to keep the Department of Instructional Services moving forward.
Mr. Proffit holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from Westminster Choir College, and master’s degrees in education from Rutgers, the State University and from Bank Street College of Education/Parsons School of Design.
Mr. Proffit has served on advisory committees to the state Department of Education, including the statewide Social Studies Committee that focused on world history and cultures curriculum development, the social studies core course proficiencies panel, and the fine and performing arts core course proficiencies panel.
There are many issues facing the Department of Instructional Services, Dr. Riley said. For example, a curriculum audit is overdue. It is a long-term process to redesign the curriculum. Also, there is the issue of complying with the federal No Child Left Behind legislation, he said.
And then there is the continuing emergence of technology and its impact on instruction, the superintendent said. The curriculum needs to reflect changes in computer technology and the manner in which it is used in the classroom, he said.
Mr. Proffit said he is excited and views the chance to serve as assistant superintendent as an opportunity to try something new. He said he feels strongly about the school district, for which he has worked off and on since 1989. He left the school district for two years when he served as principal of the Highland Park Middle and High School.
"This is another way for me to see what the students need," Mr. Proffit said. "It is going to be hard work, but there is an end that seems definite at this point. This will give the district a nice period of time to look for somebody to take over."

