Saint Karen - perfect in every wayThe West Hartford Board of Education is very pleased to announce it has selected Karen L. List, the current West Hartford Public Schools Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, to be the next superintendent of the West Hartford Public Schools, pending successful contract negotiations. This appointment will be formally voted upon at an upcoming meeting of the West Hartford Board of Education, and will be effective July 1, 2009.Board of Education member Bruce Putterman stated that Karen List rose to the top of the interview pool that included four current or former superintendents, three of whom were from out of state, and two of whom had been named “Superintendent of the Year” in their states.
During an extensive interview process, Karen demonstrated a greater understanding of and vision for how to improve student achievement than the other candidates that we interviewed. Karen’s passion for our children, record of innovation, commitment to building and sustaining relationships with faculty and staff throughout the district, interest in actively engaging the entire community in dialogue, and work ethic were also major factors in her selection.
If in fact "Karen demonstrated a greater understanding of and vision for how to improve student achievement than the other candidates" then why hasn't she accomplished this as assistant superintendent? Perhaps Dr. Sklarz got in her way. He'll probably be working for her soon enough anyway.
The search began in February 2008, with the formation of a search committee and a budget of $50,000.
Many people expected Dr. List to be tapped. No big surprises here. It would have been more surprising if they chose someone from outside the school district who could bring some fresh new ideas to the table and some new perspectives. We'll most likely see more of the same old same old.
What would be even more shocking is if she forgoes any benefits or pay raise to benefit the school district. Now that would be novel indeed.
Based on what we have seen in West Hartford, it's unlikely.
In the final analysis, it appears that the $50,000 spent on a "search" would have been better spent on textbooks.
21 WH Responses:
if you would have asked just a few questions (or one as the case is) you would have known the town didn't spend anywhere near the $50k allocated for the search. Spin baby spin!
Anonymous,
In a serious search for the very best candidate in the nation, why in the world DIDN'T the town spend ALL of the $50,000?
I have to agree with Talk of West Hartford on this one.
I think in the end the Town didn't want to spend the money for the other candidates. I think they all wanted over $200K.
I'm no fan of List, but I'll give her the benefit of the doubt. Until now she never saw a program she could say NO to. We'll see if she can learn how balance the realities of the economy with the needs of the Schools.
iBlog,
Let me say I have no idea how they came up with $50k. My guess is it's based on previous searches and knowing any unused funds would go back to the BOE.
It sounds like these guys are screwed whatever they do...shame on them for not spending all the money looking at more candidates (can you imagine the crazies who would come out of the wood work if that happened and they still pick Dr. List?) or not spend all the money and pick the best candidate (in their opinion) who is Dr. List.
Doesn't seem fair.
Give these guys a break. I mean, if anyone has any better ideas please run for BOE or council so your ideas can be flushed out against the competition.
Thankfully, it seems most who post on this blog are in the minority in town...or we'd see more of the Visconti-type on BOE and/or town council.
And by Visconti type I mean not knowing what you're talking about and constantly getting your facts wrong (but it does make for amusing TV!).
anonymous aka Putterman
Yes, Putterman here, you caught me (I'm being sarcastic)...I guess that's your response to anyone who disagrees with you...must be a member of BOE.
Anonymous 10:27,
I see your point about a “no win” situation for the search committee. And I realize that since I was not there for the search and the interviews, I must be guarded in any conclusions I draw. All I know is what I and others said and heard at the public hearings I attended, and the comments I wrote on the on-line form provided by the search committee.
Much of what’s going on here – the questions about process, results, fairness, etc. - is due to the greatly ratcheted-up tension around the town and schools budget this year. Honest residents, many with children who will be directly and signicantly effected by major decisions to be made in the next few months, want to know WHAT is happening and WHY it is happening. Naturally, then, the choice of a new schools superintendent – in the midst of ALL this - is of tremendous interest and receives great scrutiny. How could we NOT be concerned that the absolutely best choice is made?
Of late, there has been much talk in West Hartford government circles of “working together” and “transparency in government.” The mayor is holding more hearings; Mr. Sklarz has his suggestion box; the superintendent search committee worked hard to get public input.
But here’s the rub: town residents who take the time to participate in these open processes have to believe that they MATTER. That they aren’t just spin or political cover for what will be decided by a whole different (non-public) set of factors – or has been decided already.
And in the case of the choice for a new superintend, transparency seems to be somewhat lacking. I understand that certain things are confidential for good reason. But I also understand the tendency to cover one’s tracks. In this case, people naturally wonder things like:
> What SPECIFIC qualities did the winner have that the other candidates – including two award-winners – lacked?
> How did the winner’s lack of experience in this job weigh against candidates who are already experienced, successful superintendents?
> There must be thousands of school superintendents in the nation. A truly aggressive search would find the all-stars. And then identify the all-stars who might be ready for a change. So, statistically, what are the odds that (in this field) the very best candidate happens to be working in a certain modest-sized town in a certain smallish state which goes by the name of . . . “West Hartford”?
The Board of Education and parents and administrators on the board just couldn't get past their fondness of Dr. List. (Don't they constantly say how they are all "a family"?) Their decision was apparently already prejudiced by their association (private and professional) with her.
It is just amazing that they would choose a candidate without superintendent experience over those who had experience and won awards for their abilities to boot.
There was cronyism and favoritism in this process whether the group Putterman headed up wants to admit it or not.
That being said, they wasted whatever money they spent and wasted the other applicants time as well.
ToWH, just f'ing move already if you hate the town government so much...
I'm being serious. There's nothing the council can do that won't get some pointless criticism.
Once again, we have a post here that leaps immediately to the worst possible explanation of why a decision happened with zero reporting, zero insight, and zero evidence.
We are all too willing to assume the worst. No wonder nothing gets done in town. With the well of trust so poisoned, how can we do anything.
The answer to this is simple. The town council members have their phone numbers on the town web site. Call and ask them what happened. The board of ed members have their personal email address on the BOE web site. Email them and ask.
Why are we so afraid to talk to our own neighbors before accusing them of "cronyism" or corruption?
iBlog, come on. Seriously? A nationwide search that finds all the all stars would be ridiculously expensive. I have a decent amount of experience hiring all stars for one of the best brands in the country. It's HARD. A nationwide, comprehensive search is expensive.
Second, in most organizations, promoting from within is actually valued. I think you're overlooking some of the positives here.
I'll be honest, I don't know if the List hire is a good one, but I don't really understand what you all want the council and the BOE to do.
I hear the calls for more communication, and that's a good idea. Can we start making some suggestions for how we'd like this to happen?
sujal,
Agreed, a successful national search would takes resources. But a nationwide search is what the Board of Ed SAID they were doing. And to my mind, if this new person could be helping to direct educational policy in West Hartford for ten years or more, then the money spent to find a GREAT candidate (who in the long run would SAVE money by doing more with less and being a fiscally smart manager) would be MY tax dollars well spent.
Also, I (for one) have tried to qualify all of my comments by admitting that I only have access to the information that the Board of Education has chosen to make public. There are things I don't know -- and try not to presume.
I don't assume the worst. I give the schools credit for doing a great job woith my kids. They deserve praise, funding, and support! But neither do I close my eyes, cross my fingers and assume the best.
You asked: What do you all want? Good question. So here's one specific answer regarding what we SHOULD have had in this hiring process:
In the next few weeks Superintendent Sklarz and the other two finalists (all publicly named, with their bios up on that town's web site) in the Amherst, Mass. superintend hiring process will EACH be interviewed and questioned at separate open, public forums - BEFORE a final hiring decision is made.
Now THAT'S a truly participatory process.
And if it’s good enough for West Hartford's CURRENT superintendent, then why not for our NEXT superintendent??
In any case, thanks for raising worthwhile points . . .
I was drawing a distinction between "finding all the all-stars" vs. a normal nationwide search. What would a national search look like to you? On what grounds are you judging this search to be inadequate?
I agree on the Amherst process being better. Now all we need is someone to champion this with the board of ed and the council.
I'd suggest that any reluctance on their part might also be attributed at least in part, to the lack of trust that exists in town.
Sujal
Sujal, why should TOWH "move already"? Who the hell are you or anyone else to say to TOWH (or anyone for that matter) that they should move???
Is that your answer to unresponsive or irresponsible government? or to government that doesn't do what it promises? or to government that continually makes excuses? If that were the case TOWH would have moved out of the USA a long time ago.
We also have an election process. This is supposed to be a time of "Change". Our elected officials said that this is a time to start doing things differently - and so far they haven't. It's business as usual.
They continue to do the same crap - dole out higher wages and favor in house hires regardless of ability. And they do this despite an economy in crisis.
You just expect people to shut up and suck it up? That may be good enough for you but some of us wish to point out that there are other ways to do things. Too bad if that offends you and TOWH won't be moving any time soon.
Another thing Sujal, not everyone can just up and move. Ever think of that?
Nobody should be pressured into moving out of West Hartford. On the other hand, I am not aware that anyone is being pressured to stay.
Speaking only for myself, if I were aware of a different town that I believed was a better option for me, I would not hesitate to move.
As it is, I look forward to raising my children in West Hartford.
So much for Sklarz's "retirement":
Northampton superintendent a finalist for top Amherst education job by mcarey
AMHERST - Northampton's superintendent is one of three finalists for the top schools job in Amherst.
Isabelina Rodriguez, superintendent of schools in Northampton since 1994; Alberto Rodriguez, a principal in the Miami-Dade school district; and David Sklarz, superintendent of schools in West Hartford, are contenders for the Amherst post, officials announced this morning.
Amherst Regional School Committee members interviewed semi-finalists last weekend from a pool of 20 applicants.
"These three, I think, are very interesting, " Andrew Churchill, chairman of the Amherst School Committee, said this morning. "I think it's going to be a really good array of choices for the community to give us input on."
Sklarz has run an extremely high-performing district in West Hartford," Churchill said.
Alberto Rodriguez has served in one of the most diverse districts in the Miami area and overseen 55 schools in his former post as assistant superintendent there, Churchill said.
And Isabelina Rodriguez is very strong in special education and bilingual education and has been successful in forming partnerships with area institutions of higher education, he said.
"Northampton is really working well with Smith College and they also have a really well developed volunteers-in-the-schools program. We were excited about her potential to really make better connections with all the resources we have," Churchill said.
Rodriguez began her work in Northampton as director of pupil services in 1994 and worked in the Springfield public schools before that as a bilingual education teacher.
If chosen, she would follow Department of Public Works Director Guilford Mooring and Assistant Town Manager and Finance Director John Musante in leaving posts in Northampton for Amherst.
West Hartford is stupid for paying for this guy's "retirement" when he is toddling off to somewhere else to make another six figure salary on top of what West Hartford will pay him for doing nothing.
"West Hartford is stupid for paying for this guy's "retirement" when he is toddling off to somewhere else to make another six figure salary on top of what West Hartford will pay him for doing nothing."
Last Laugh, surely you recognize that West Hartford most certainly is NOT paying Dr. Sklarz for "doing nothing." Rather, his retirement benefit reflects a deferred component of the compensation he has ALREADY EARNED during his tenure as Superintendent. Whether or not he earns income from other sources while collecting retirement benefits is of no moment to the town of West Hartford or its residents.
The bizarre suggestion that recipients of retirement benefits should somehow be required to remain idle, and should not be allowed to earn money as productive workers in subsequent employment, is contrary to the values of a capitalist society.
What interest does the town have in Dr. Sklarz' post-retirement activities? The town presumably agreed to Dr. Sklarz' retirement benefit, whatever it may be, in arms-length negotiations. Dr. Sklarz has performed his side of his agreement with the town. We need to perform ours. Whether or not he works somewhere else later does not and should not affect that obligation.
If Dr. Sklarz gets the job in Amherst, then good luck and godspeed. His subsequent employment is no basis for attempting to avoid our obligations with respect to a benefit that Dr. Sklarz has already earned and to which he is fully entitled.
Sujal,
I agree about the lack of trust that exists in this town and its effect on efforts like the hiring of key personnel.
Much of that mistrust is generated, unfortunately, by the minority of town residents who seem to harbor a knee-jerk mistrust of the very IDEA of government (and for some reason, ESPECIALLY anything education-related). Count me NOT among them.
Regarding the search: I’m no expert, but it seems to me that there are two kinds of jobs searches: active and passive.
The national job search described to me by members of the West Hartford search committee involved (Primarily? Exclusively? Unfortunately, not enough info has been made public to tell) putting notices in the major national education journals and magazines, and then waiting for resumes.
To me, this is a very passive method and highly unlikely to yield the best candidates.
West Hartford is known as being a top school district in the region, if not the nation. The UCONN basketball teams are, likewise, among the best. But would they maintain their winning ways if Gino and Jim sat in Storrs and waited by their fax machines for word from possible new recruits?
And - the best candidates are often the people who are NOT looking – who LIKE where they are, are succeeding where they – but MIGHT be up for a new, a bigger, a different challenge.
In an ACTIVE search, we would scour the newspapers and the journals, call the national experts, and find out exactly who the best superintendents are. Who has done something incredibly creative that has dramatically raised performances among disadvantaged kids? Who has been handed a greatly reduced budget but STILL managed to keep every significant school program running well? And who has, with speeches, with editorials, with presentations, with PTO meetings, at the Elks Club, INSPIRED a town to support education and its schools?
Then we would go after them.
With every thing we have, with all we could afford.
Phone calls, meetings, information – selling the job, the town, everything that is wonderful about West Hartford and that makes the superintendent job here THE perfect career move for an all-star.
How do I know that we didn’t do this? Hmm . .. we DID identify two people who appear to be out-of-state all-stars. But somehow, they didn’t have what it takes to get the job. So this is the real measure of whether we did the right kind of national job search: if we had, we would have hired the result.
"Rather, his retirement benefit reflects a deferred component of the compensation he has ALREADY EARNED during his tenure as Superintendent. Whether or not he earns income from other sources while collecting retirement benefits is of no moment to the town of West Hartford or its residents."
Kevin you are not incorrect, but..
1- I believe the Town has a defined benefit program for Sklarz as it has for other town employees. If I am correct (I'm not 100% certain) then it is not deferred compensation, but an expense of the Town.
2- Either way he is entitled to his retirement benefits. The question is are the Towns and State too lenient in allowing when to draw.
401Ks, IRAs etc do not allow withdrawal before age 59. But these are deferred compensation programs with finite amounts of cash in them. You can draw early but when the money is gone it's over. I don't believe the Towns reriement program works this way.
Perhaps as Social Secutity does, if you draw your pension before age 65 you get a lesser amount, and in any event you can't draw before age 59.
"The question is are the Towns and State too lenient in allowing when to draw."
Cynic, what do you mean by "too lenient"? This terminology again suggests a preference for a policy that penalizes recipients of retirement benefits for being productive workers in post-retirement employment, and instead rewards idleness.
Disincentivizing productivity by a significant segment of the population, particularly during these difficult economic times, does not strike me as sound public policy.
"Perhaps as Social Secutity does, if you draw your pension before age 65 you get a lesser amount, and in any event you can't draw before age 59."
Isn't the lower Social Security benefit for those who draw before age 65 based solely on life expectancy, and not at all affected by the presence or absence of post-retirement income?
Dr. Slkarz' retirement income is provided by the Teacher's Retirement Board (TRB - State of CT), NOT the Town of WH, as are all teachers.
Should Dr. Sklarz take a position in another town/city, that future employer will pay his health benefits. If Dr. Sklarz receives health benefits from the Town, the fee is reduced by an amount provided by the TRB.
Thank you, Harry, for that information, which puts to rest any legitimate grievance from West Hartford over Dr. Sklarz' post-retirement income from new employment (if any).
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