LITTLE FALLS EVENING TIMES (Nov. 25)ST. JOHNSVILLE — The - TopicsExpress

LITTLE FALLS EVENING TIMES (Nov. 25)ST. JOHNSVILLE — The Oppenheim-Ephratah-St. Johnsville Central School District is seeking a leader with 21st century educational vision and a strong commitment to student achievement who is willing to commit to a school district in a rural setting. Thats according to the job posting on the Hamilton-Fulton-Montgomery BOCES website for the open superintendent of schools position in the second-year district. With Dec. 12 the final day for candidates to submit applications, BOCES District Superintendent Dr. Patrick Michel recently conducted focus group meetings in the district to determine the qualities the school community is looking for in a superintendent. “We were impressed by the kind and caring people who attended the focus groups. We strived to use this experience to make each focus group feel they were part of the process; we believe we succeeded. We also took time to discuss what the roles and responsibilities are for the superintendent,” Michel said in a memorandum to the OESJ school board. Students, faculty and community members who participated were asked to identify what a superintendent does, the expectations for the new superintendent and the characteristics of a “good” superintendent, and to share their one wish for the district. Student expectations for the new superintendent range from having the students best interests at heart to creating more extracurricular opportunities, particularly sports. They want a superintendent that is active, takes initiative, fights for whats right, is honest and responsible, is open-minded and has personal relationships with students. Faculty members expect the superintendent to bring the district and its communities together, to actualize the districts potential and to become a part of the community. They want a superintendent who has integrity, is a leader and is a good communicator. Community members expect the superintendent to bring the community together, to raise performance standards for students and to make decisions on what is best for the kids. They want a superintendent that is honest, inspires others, is student centered, is invested in the district, students and faculty, is a motivator and that has a business background. The most popular shared wish between the three groups pertained to fixing the division between the former Oppenheim-Ephratah and St. Johnsville school district. Members of all three groups said they wish everyone in the district would get along and end the separation and fighting. They also said they would like for the school to be a positive place for students and teachers and a place students and parents could be proud of. Michel asked the school board to use the information gathered from the focus group meeting as they formulate their questions for the search. The board of education is offering a salary ranging between $125,000 and $145,000 plus benefits for a “hard worker dedicated to student success,” “team builder who can cast a compelling educational vision for the district,” “community-oriented people person with strong communication skills,” “facilitator that can achieve a proper balance between student needs, staff requirements and the fiscal resources of the community” and a “person of integrity who demonstrates sound ethics, transparency and open-mindedness.”