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Board presses ahead on superintendent search, hiring policies and curriculum evaluation
Summary
Board agreed to an informational session Dec. 15 (inviting BCIU) to begin a superintendent search; members discussed hiring procedures, updating dated policies, job descriptions, midyear curriculum evaluations and concerns about classroom books removed without teacher knowledge.
Board members prioritized starting the superintendent-search process and improving hiring and oversight policies in the coming weeks. Board secretary Linda R. Lash provided packets containing sample search procedures, policy manuals and suggested timelines and asked the board to schedule an informational session on Dec. 15 for the Berks County Intermediate Unit (BCIU) to describe services and costs; members agreed to invite the IU and possibly other search providers to brief the board.
Members discussed alternatives to using the IU, including the Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA) and private search firms, and asked that any vendor presentation be informational rather than a sales pitch. The board emphasized the need for a well-defined process for screening resumes, structuring first-, second- and final-round interviews and involving teachers, principals and administrators appropriately in each stage.
Directors also pressed for updated job descriptions and for a review of organizational flowcharts after a July change placed principals under the director of curriculum and learning rather than directly under the superintendent/assistant superintendent. Members requested historic versions of prior organizational charts and the written job descriptions for act 93/administrative positions so the board can determine whether the current reporting lines align with roles and contracts.
On curriculum, board members asked for a substantive midyear evaluation of new language-arts and math materials, noting implementation problems and requesting a written faculty survey. Concerns were raised that some classroom books and supplemental materials were removed without teacher knowledge; members asked administration to confirm whether those materials were replaced and to report findings to the board.
The board also discussed recruitment and retention of paraprofessionals, acknowledging potential links to pay and benefits. The Berks County IU annual compensation survey (expected in January) was cited as a benchmarking tool the board can use for future compensation planning.
