Search Narrows For New West Hartford Superintendent

The job should go to Dr. List. Her commitment to the students of West Hartford is well known to all parents in town. Any other pick would be a blow to the community. This is a decision that should be easy for the search committee to reach. (And no, I am not a friend of Dr. List and, in fact, no longer have children in the system).

What does a candidate bring to the table that makes them worth $195,000? What dramatic changes in education will validate this salary? What educational problems will be solved by paying this salary? This is a question for any town, not just West Hartford.

First order of business for the new Super. Terminate the living dead administration that is filled with has been principals and other creatures giving the office atmosphere.

So we have a big search for a "Doctor of Education" who will try to add their own unique stamp on the system. This Doctor will worry about test scores and perception. All the while the person in WH, they will be looking for greener pastures. The Education Bureaucracy would make a Federal Bureaucrat blush is shame.

Where is "New West Hartford"? Where did accuracy in jounalism go? "Spell Check" doesn't work, get some proofreaders !!!

This is a perfect opportunity to lower the salary expense for the school superintendent. Where does it say that the new person must get the same salary as the retiring guy?
Make the taxpayers happy and offer him/her the salary on the lowest end of the scale. Will you?

In these challenging times, West Hartford needs an experienced Superintendent with a demonstrated track record of success in that role. Karen List would be the absolute worst choice for West Hartford now, or at any other time. If the BOE wants to make an "in house" choice, I can think of at least two other current administrators who would fit the bill much better than Karen List.

It's a shame that we're losing a Superintendent the quality of Dr. Sklarz. Whether you have children who attend our public schools or not, the choice of the next Superintendent is a vitally important one -- in many ways, more important than the choice of our elected officials. Let's hope this board has the wisdom to pick a new Superintendent with experience in that role, and who has a demonstrated track record of success, and a laser like focus on measurable academic achievement.

If I remember correctly, the BOE allocated I believe $35,000 or $50,000 to this search process. Does it bother anyone else that the BOE hires a consultant and conducts a nationwide search, only to arrive back at an in-house candidate?

Before the started the search, they should have identified what qualities, experience, skills, etc., they wanted and then look locally first. Why didn't they interview her first to see if she was the right person?

Please set the salary at $200,000 cuz there's all those meetings, many at night. Then, all the BOEs surrounding can look and say"We need to be competitive! Cant havre Astro turf, let's go for the head of a school department at 200K. spare us. Its all about the children.

ews wrote:

This is a perfect opportunity to lower the salary expense for the school superintendent. Where does it say that the new person must get the same salary as the retiring guy?
Make the taxpayers happy and offer him/her the salary on the lowest end of the scale. Will you?

Of course not, this is West Hartford!
The rumor is he offer is over $200K!

You need a politican, first and foremost, because that was Sklarz's best feature. As for an educator, Sklarz failed the poor, minority, and ESL learners miserably. But, he kept the "upper crust" in town happy. He kept the perception that the district was high performing, but in reality, the system continued to weaken under his lack of leadership.

List knows the "ins" and "outs" of WH, plus the political agenda well. She certainly is capable of taking the reins from a guy who was riding a dead horse.

Someone wrote:

You need a politican, first and foremost, because that was Sklarz's best feature. As for an educator, Sklarz failed the poor, minority, and ESL learners miserably. But, he kept the "upper crust" in town happy. He kept the perception that the district was high performing, but in reality, the system continued to weaken under his lack of leadership.
List knows the "ins" and "outs" of WH, plus the political agenda well. She certainly is capable of taking the reins from a guy who was riding a dead horse.

You are spot on!!

Karen List is a good candidate. I disagree about keeping it an 'in house' candidate - you limit yourself with that. Say Karen List is the best candidate in house and has a 3-5% increase, but let's say an external candidate has a 7-9% increase, then the consultant fee would be worth it. It's too bad we'll never know the other candidates, as I think Karen will get it as WHPS seems to promote within.

Someone wrote:

You need a politican, first and foremost, because that was Sklarz's best feature. As for an educator, Sklarz failed the poor, minority, and ESL learners miserably. But, he kept the "upper crust" in town happy. He kept the perception that the district was high performing, but in reality, the system continued to weaken under his lack of leadership.
List knows the "ins" and "outs" of WH, plus the political agenda well. She certainly is capable of taking the reins from a guy who was riding a dead horse.

Sklarz did NOT keep the upper crust happy, I know many families in town who can't stand him and his lack of involvement in issues where he should have been engaged. A lot more of the upper crust (and everyone else) are sending there kids to private schools because of negative experiences with the school administrations and the Superintendent's office. It is a shame since the teachers are great but the administrators in West Hartford are an outright joke.

Dr. List would be a great Superintendent of Schools and would likely cost the town less than an outside candidate.

However, the West Hartford News today reported that Dr. Sklarz and the BOE realized suddenly (just now) that his contract does not include the usual lifetime post-retirement health benefits.

Don't feel sorry for Dr. Sklarz, the BOE caved and gave it to him. The cost for future years was not disclosed, but likely substantial.

They both really forgot about this in every contract for 14 years? Didn't both sides have competent legal counsel?

Once again, something smells at Town Hall and its the taxpayers who are taking the gas.

Fed Up wrote:

Dr. List would be a great Superintendent of Schools and would likely cost the town less than an outside candidate.
However, the West Hartford News today reported that Dr. Sklarz and the BOE realized suddenly (just now) that his contract does not include the usual lifetime post-retirement health benefits.
Don't feel sorry for Dr. Sklarz, the BOE caved and gave it to him. The cost for future years was not disclosed, but likely substantial.
They both really forgot about this in every contract for 14 years? Didn't both sides have competent legal counsel?
Once again, something smells at Town Hall and its the taxpayers who are taking the gas.

New Super $200K+
Sklarz Med benies for life
New Teachers contract
State is broke and has no money for the Towns.
Council and BOE can't find any cuts

Look like it will be another fun year for the budget process

Concerned Mom wrote:

If I remember correctly, the BOE allocated I believe $35,000 or $50,000 to this search process. Does it bother anyone else that the BOE hires a consultant and conducts a nationwide search, only to arrive back at an in-house candidate?
Before the started the search, they should have identified what qualities, experience, skills, etc., they wanted and then look locally first. Why didn't they interview her first to see if she was the right person?

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C'mon - either way someone would be complaining. They surveyed teachers, parents, and the community at large for the "qualities, experience, skills, etc." desired. If they did not look outside the district, people would've complain, too. They needed to hold up the best in-house candidate(s) against the best they could find elsewhere.

Personally, I think someone with Dr. List's longevity and experience at both ends of WH gives her a fabulous perspective on our schools' needs.

And I completely disagree that Sklarz was a wonderful superintendent or that he appeals more to the upper crust than the special services. I am happy that he has decided it is time to go.

$195,000??? You can't be serious.

Absolutely ridiculous. And yet the teachers will be asked to sacrifice their 1% raises and their class sizes will increase. If the Board has to cut money from the budget, it will only hurt the children.

Here's your chance, West Hartford, to cut some money without hurting a single child and doing your part to help the taxpayers in the process.

I'll take the job for 75k and the same suv Sklars uses!(why does a school super need an suv?)

I don't have a Ed.D. or whatever it is they call it, but I have a J.D. Juris Doctor, so everyone can feel good and say, "our Superintendent is a doctor!

Are they seriously considering paying $200k + for this position? That is not appropriate when teachers are asked to take a cut and the town claims a fiscal crisis CONSTANTLY.

Ok, how bout $50k and a sedan?

Let me explain what I meant by "kept the upper crust happy." The "upper crust" people had more access to him, and he listened to what they had to say. They counted with him, and they had clout. He did implement more advanced placement courses at the high schools during his tenure.

As for the "upper crust" being happy, that is not necessarily true at all. There is the "perception" that WH is an elitist district when, in fact, the schools have been struggling for a long time. WH has plummeted in per pupil cost from being number one out of 169 CT districts to being somewhere in the higher 90s out of 169 districts in the state. The perception is that WH pays more per pupil when, in fact, over 90 districts pay more per pupil. Sklarz's job was to keep the PERCEPTION that WH was still number one in the state in per pupil costs and offered more advanced programs than surrounding districts.

However, WH never did offer a private school education like many in town may PERCEIVE it to be. The reality is that WH is an aging community with many diverse needs that the system struggles to handle. WH continues to be a changing community next to the inner city.

I can understand why many people with bright children opt for private school. It's their choice. And, WH will never be competitive enough for some parents.

But as for the "upper crust", Sklarz did attempt to cater to them versus the other end of the town citizens. The "upper crust" in town merely knew how to advocate stronger for their students needs to be met.