Schools

After Failed Search, Teachers Make Pitch for In-House Superintendent

The Moorestown Board of Education is still mulling its options after a failed superintendent search, though an interim administrator seems likely.

While the board of education weighs its next steps after a , members of the Moorestown Education Association (MEA) are baffled the job hasn’t been offered to assistant superintendent Kate Reilly.

MEA President Lisa Trapani asked the board Tuesday night whether it had re-advertised for a superintendent. Board President Don Mishler said they had not, nor had they decided whether to restart the search or find an interim superintendent.

Mishler did say however that it’s “really late in the process for hiring a permanent superintendent … Conducting a traditional search now would be unlikely very fruitful.”

Superintendent John Bach will end his five-year tenure at the end of the 2012 school year.

When asked by Trapani how the board planned to search for an interim candidate, Mishler indicated they would use various channels, including “personal contacts” and “word of mouth.”

His answer did not satisfy Trapani—or other members of the MEA in attendance—who said the community “deserves something more official” than word of mouth.

Elementary school teacher B.J. Lemaire said she felt, both as a parent and a teacher, the situation was “incredibly frustrating.”

“I went into this very optimistic,” she said, alluding to the community outreach the district and its search firm (West Hudson Associates) engaged in during the process. “And yet here we are, basically at square one.”

Lemaire rattled off a list of and said, “When I look at that list of things that came up with the survey, I see all these things in (assistant superintendent) Kate (Reilly) … I can’t understand how you’re not examining (her as a candidate).”

Reilly confirmed she was one of the candidates considered for the superintendent position during the search, but did not make it to the final round.

“I was very disappointed,” she said. “I wouldn’t have applied for the job if I didn’t want it.”

Reilly said as far as she knows she’s not being considered for a position as interim superintendent either.

and has served for many years in administrative and teaching positions with other districts.

teacher Bridget Potts said Reilly’s name was brought up by multiple members of the MEA in their correspondence with the district during the search.

Trapani also believes Reilly is qualified for the job and said, “I do not know why she was overlooked.”

Board members went into executive session following the public portion of the meeting and were not immediately available for comment.


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