William Penn School District personnel committee reviews teacher certification, staffing and induction program

At a William Penn School District personnel committee meeting, district staff reported that 39 employees are working on emergency teaching permits, with seven required to pass the Praxis test by June 30 and others required to enroll in programs or complete annual credit requirements to renew permits.

The presenter, identified in the transcript as Speaker 1, said the district notified all employees in writing of their certification status and deadlines. "So 7 of those employees, as you see here, must pass the Praxis test by June 30," Speaker 1 said, and noted that several employees are certified in other subject areas but must complete Praxis testing because they are teaching outside their certificate area. The presenter added that 13 employees must show evidence of enrollment to renew permits and would then have six credits to complete by June 30, 2027, while 19 employees have an educational obligation this year and must provide evidence of taking six or nine credits until their programs are complete.

The committee also reviewed staffing vacancies and recruitment plans. The presenter listed 22 vacancies across the district (Alden, Ardmore, Cowan, East Lansdowne, Evans, Park Lane, Walnut, and Penwood Middle and High School) and said special education remains the district’s largest staffing need. To recruit candidates the district will attend a job fair at Millersville University next month.

On hiring, the presenter said three candidates were interviewed last week for Ardmore Elementary assistant principal and that round two was scheduled for January 28; successful round-two candidates are set to meet with Dr. B. Coates on January 30 with the goal of placing a finalist on the February board agenda. The presenter announced Duane Watts as the new assistant principal at Penwood Middle School, describing him as a career changer with a bachelor’s degree from Eastern and a master’s from Holy Family and noting prior teaching experience in the School District of Philadelphia.

Human resources staffing changes were also reported. The presenter announced that Angie Rice is retiring after 35 years in public education; her last day will be February 2. Speaker 1 said Dr. Corey Haley is replacing Rice in HR, joined the HR team in January and "will work on certification, teacher evaluations, and oversee the new teacher induction program." (All job titles and dates reflect the wording used in the transcript.)

On induction, Speaker 1 reported there are 16 mentees this year (five from Penwood High School, one from the ninth-grade academy, and others from Alden, Ardmore, Bell, Evans, Walnut and Penwood Middle School). The next mentee session was scheduled for January 28 and will be held in person unless school buildings are closed due to weather, the presenter said.

A board member (Speaker 3) asked about the pacing of credit requirements for employees with an educational obligation: "How long would that take them?" Speaker 3 asked. The presenter responded that how many classes an employee must take is determined by the college or university where they enroll, and that the institution lays out the coursework and credit pacing required for program completion.

No motions or formal votes are recorded in the transcript. The meeting concluded with board members offering thanks and well wishes to departing staff and a brief discussion of recruitment hopes tied to the upcoming job fair.