to come up with field
of 25 to 30 candidates
Director of search hoping
to come up with field
of 25 to 30 candidates
By clare marie celano
Staff Writer
Although residents will not have an opportunity to vote for a new Freehold Borough K-8 superintendent of schools, they were given the opportunity to speak their minds and exchange ideas at a special meeting held at the Freehold Intermediate School, Park Avenue, on Jan. 14.
The meeting was held by school officials and facilitated by representatives of the New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA) in order to collect and process comments from the community as the Board of Education searches for a person to fill the job that Superintendent of Schools Dr. Janet Kalafat is leaving later this year after a decade in the position.
The meeting was facilitated by NJSBA Director of Field Services Francine Case and its representative, Cathy Weber.
Weber brought the audience up to date on the board’s activities. To date, she said, the board has prepared a hiring timeline and started seeking public input. Board members have also approved newspaper advertisements, finalized criteria for the job and approved marketing brochures. Notices of the opening have been sent to educational associations, colleges, county superintendents and been posted on Internet Web sites.
By March, according to Weber, there will be a pool of candidates ready to be evaluated.
Weber said the candidate pool review will focus on three categories: candidates who meet the criteria, candidates who don’t meet the criteria and candidates who exceed the criteria.
"We will deliver the entire pool of applicants to the board where they will have the opportunity to evaluate them and select the first round of candidates," Case explained. "We also provide them with a rating sheet to compare candidates’ answers."
Case said those directing the search are hoping to present school board members with at least 25 to 30 candidates for their review. She said the candidates who are asked to come in for an initial interview will all be asked the same questions.
The field will be narrowed and subsequent interviews will focus on a candidate’s individual qualifications. The board will choose the final candidates from this pool. References will also be checked, according to Case.
"The whole search is confidential until the board is ready to announce final candidates in order to maintain the integrity of candidates, who may not want their own school district to know they have applied for this position," she said.
After the presentation, audience members were given the opportunity to answer questions posed by Case and Weber — questions that the facilitators said were critical in the search for a new superintendent.
"We set the criteria," Case said, "and then we try to find the right match for you after evaluating all the input data."
The four questions focused on things like highlighting the special strengths of borough schools and the community, critical issues the school district will face in the next few years, the background, training, experience and style of leadership the new superintendent should have and what personal characteristics are important in a new leader of the school district.
When describing borough schools, parent Debra Keelan told Weber that Freehold has a nice, small community feel.
"Our teachers are great. They love being here and they truly love teaching here because they love the district," Keelan stated.
She also mentioned a great pool of volunteers and a good interaction between the school and the borough community.
"We’re passionate about our schools," she continued, adding that downtown businesses are very supportive and form a partnership.
Parent Victoria Muller told the facilitators the school district provides a climate where parents feel comfortable and are able to bring issues that concern them to the attention of administration.
"We’ve always had a fair and open approach here. It’s been (an) open door policy," Muller said.
Parent Vanessa Long told Case and Weber that the growth of the district is of great concern to her. She said the enrollment growth has "taken its toll financially and emotionally as well. It has also impacted the rate of academic growth for some children. There is no challenge to some of them. The difference is noticeable now."
Parents expressed concern over the issue of many new students enrolled who have difficulty understanding some programs because of their limited knowledge of English. They worry that this will result in a lack of challenge to students at the higher end of the academic spectrum because, the parents said, teachers often have to stop class to clarify previous instruction.
Keelan said she wants a superintendent who will mirror the enthusiasm that the parents of the school district feel.
"Parents are very serious about this. We need to be up to par with other schools. We want someone who will take this excitement and run with it," she added.
Long was also interested in having a leader who will have the knowledge and ability to write applications for grants to obtain funds for special programs.
The borough’s demographic makeup was also an issue of discussion. The fact that the school district is made up of children from all income levels was seen as a positive attribute by the people in the audience.
Having a good rapport with the children, being a visible presence in the district, being able to make tough decisions for the good of the district and being open to new things and change without being radical were all characteristic the group want in their new leader.
Parents said they want their children challenged on the high end while still meeting the needs of students who have special needs. Support for art and music programs was also mentioned as an important issue.
Being computer "savvy" and up to date on the newest technology were also requirements, as was focusing on standardized test scores. Being accountable for student progress and having the ability to respond quickly to issues was also important to parents.