The Winslow Township Board of Education is seeking a consultant to help with the search for a permanent superintendent.
Mark Pease is the district’s interim superintendent; his contract runs through June 30. He was appointed in September to replace longtime Superintendent H. Major Poteat.
Tony Trongone made a presentation before the board at a meeting on Feb. 25. He grew up and lives in Camden County and is a retired superintendent and past president of the New Jersey Association of School Administrators (NJASA). He works with Phill Heery, another retired superintendent from Egg Harbor Township.
NJASA has conducted superintendent searches for school districts since 1974, and also works with Richard Stockton College of New Jersey.
“We have (run the) gamut of educational specialists to support us in the search,” Trongone explained, “and we have a network of outreach to make sure that we get you the best applicant for Winslow public schools.”
Trongone noted that the school board will define requirements for the next superintendent.
“I’m not talking about certifications,” he added, “but the criteria of what type of person you’re looking for to lead the district.”
The search consultants will take that criteria and conduct an extensive outreach to ensure a good pool of applicants.
“Our job is to help you facilitate a consensus in choosing a final candidate,” Trongone pointed out, noting the candidates would be broken down for interview rounds.
“We want to make sure we have in-person conversations with various stakeholders,” he added, calling for focus groups that will include district leadership teams, instructional staff, teachers, aides, custodians, parents and students. “We really go in depth about what type of questions we’re going to ask in the first round (of interviews).
“And then on the second round, my experience is the board wants to know more about whatever their answer was in the first round and expand on that.”
An online survey will also be conducted to gather more information from stakeholders.
As consultants, Trongone said he and Heery will be very data driven, and will use that data to help the board make a decision. They also plan a digital brochure that will be Winslow Township-centric, according to Trongone.
“(It) will talk about Winslow as a community, Winslow Township as a school district, the criteria of what the board is looking for and then also the certifications that go with this position,” he added.
The digital brochure will be posted through NJASA’s Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn sites. The board can decide if it will advertise in local newspapers.
“We have a good outreach of getting the best applicants,” Trongone promised.
The consultants will also help with contract negotiations and the new superintendent’s transition. Board Vice President Cheryl Pitts announced that the board will have to make a decision and she hopes the search process will begin soon.
The next board of education meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11, at the administration building.
