The experts say that one of the most important decisions a Board of Education (BOE) can make is hiring a superintendent. Stafford’s BOE has been charged with that exact task as the current Superintendent of Schools, Steven A. Moccio, will leave the district at the end of September for a new gig in Enfield. The board said early on that it would not seek help from an outside agency, such as CABE or EastCONN, to find a new superintendent. That search is now underway. Here’s an update.
Back in July, the board asked the community to fill out a survey and for people who wanted to participate in the search to contact the BOE chair directly. The BOE indicated that the survey responses would be used to compile a report available to the search committee members, though the results will not be made public.
Then, on August 7, 2024, the BOE held a special meeting where, according to the meeting minutes, they voted to “establish a Personnel Search Committee, for the purpose of recommending to the Board one or more candidates for the position of Superintendent of Schools, and moved further that the following individuals be appointed to the committee: Mrs. Eileen Bartlett, Mrs. Jennifer Biedrzycki, Ms. Shana Boland, Mrs. Erica Bushior, Mr. Aaron Hoffman, Ms. Sara Kelley, and Mr. Chris Paradiso.” For those who do not follow the ins and outs of the BOE, those are the members of the board. No other search committee members have been named publicly.
At the August 19, 2024, BOE meeting, BOE Chair Sara Kelley gave a brief update on the search process, noting that they had a good pool of applicants and were conducting interviews. She also thanked the community for feedback.
Stafford Free Press followed up via an email to Kelley on Tuesday, August 20, 2024, to learn whether the BOE had received applications for the search committee and whether any of them had been included. Kelley responded, “The Board is making this a collaborative process, and staff, students, families, and community members have been invited to participate.”
In response to a follow-up email asking for clarification, Kelley wrote, “Community members can contact me directly with questions about the focus groups rather than going through the Stafford Free Press. Please feel free to include my email.” So, if you have questions about what role community members are or are not playing in the search for a new superintendent of schools, contact kelleys@stafford.k12.ct.us.
Moccio's final days as Stafford's superintendent will be partially occupied with the search for a replacement for Charmaine Bradshaw-Hill, the school district's Director of Finance and Operations. (See the job listing here.) At the August 19 meeting, the board voted to accept her resignation as she prepares to leave for a position in another district. Moccio said that even though the BOE's eventual choice for a superintendent would not likely be able to begin at the end of September, he would like to include that person in the search for Bradshaw-Hill's replacement, as he or she will ultimately be the one working with the new hire. Additionally, Moccio said they are looking for someone to take over the position on an interim basis, as there is likely to be a gap between Bradshaw-Hill's departure and when a new hire will start.
Update 9/4/24: On Sunday, September 1, 2024, Kelley posted a statement to the Board of Education's Facebook page. Ultimately, the representative panel could not agree on one candidate and decided not to move forward. Instead, they will appoint an interim superintendent and reconvene on the search in the new year.
Update 9/9/24: The BOE voted during a regular meeting to officially appoint Dr. Laura Norbut, the current chief academic officer, as the interim superintendent starting September 28, 2024. During the discussion, Board Secretary Erica Bushior said, "I have told you how much I love you in your current position; you have done so many amazing things for this staff. The connections you've made with teachers, which greatly has impacted students, so I thank you for all that. I cannot vote for you to be an interim superintendent for that reason. I feel like your connection with teachers is way too valuable, which directly impacts kids. I'm a teacher in the classroom, it's happened to me before, where I lost my adminstrator, who was amazing, who became superintendent...It's nothing against you. I think you will probably do an amazing job as a superintendent, but as a teacher I'm going to be selfish and prefer to keep you working with teachers directly."
Aaron Hoffman echoed those sentiments, saying, "It would be my preference to keep Dr. Nortbut in the place that she's in... I do think we're asking Dr. Norbut to wear too many hats by continuing the work that she's doing as curriculum [director], albeit hopefully someone very qualified to take the position shortly...I would have preferred this done differently."
Chris Paradiso said, "I just want to say I respectfully disagree. I think there's so much in my gut that says you're going to be here ten years from now, and Stafford's school system is going to be thriving."
Ultimately, the motion passed. Dr. Norbut thanked the BOE for the opportunity, saying, "It is a true privilege to be in Stafford. I think we heard this evening how special Stafford is." Seh also said, "We are on such a great path in this district, and I really, truly believe we are going to do amazing things in our future." She also thanked Moccio for his service.
Additionally, the board approved an interim director of finance and operations, William Hoff, currently the interim director in Coventry, where Charmaine Bradshaw-Hill is going. He will work remotely from South Carolina but also has a home in Longmeadow, MA, and occasionally visits. Moccio said Coventry has not had concerns about his work.
Update 9/12/24: The board met for a special meeting to discuss the interim superintendent's contract.