Wallingford-Swarthmore is in search of new leadership.
After 2024 saw the departure of two principals, an assistant superintendent and a superintendent, the District is looking for a new superintendent to fill the vacancy.
The search process began after the previous superintendent, Dr. Wagner Marseille, left in August amid community anger over the other departures and teacher contract negotiations.
This summer, Dr. Sharon Baddick was appointed assistant superintendent, while Dr. James Scanlon was tapped as interim superintendent. It was also recently announced that Director of STEM Teaching, Learning, and Innovation Mr. Andrew Benzing will be Strath Haven High School’s new principal.
Students and community members have now been invited to participate in an extensive search process for WSSD’s next superintendent.
At the September 23 school board meeting, the District approved a contract for the superintendent search with McPherson and Jacobson, an executive recruitment company.
Assistant School Board Secretary Mary Jo Witkowski Smith conducted the search for the company that was to carry out the superintendent search and decided on McPherson and Jacobson.
“She did research on several different companies to figure out who she wanted to use to lead the search. And she also reached out to other school districts who utilized this firm and other firms,” Communications & Community Relations Liaison Ms. Rachel Riley said. “So there was a lot of extensive research that went into deciding it, and then she presented it to the board, and they voted on the [contract].”
The search has featured various focus groups with students, teachers, and community members. Riley has helped to coordinate the search.
“We had three different meetings for the individuals who work in central administration, as well as the principals and assistant principals,” Riley said. “We had three different meetings for teachers and staff across the district. We had one for the high school students, one for the middle school students, and then we had seven meetings for families and community members.”
According to Riley, the focus groups had 64 total participants, including ten high school students and 12 middle school students. Our school profile states that 1207 students are enrolled at the high school alone.
While demographics varied, feedback stayed relatively the same, with most participants looking for someone interested in connecting directly with the community and the students. According to McPherson and Jacobson’s stakeholder analysis report posted on WSSD’s website, community members unanimously emphasized the need for the new superintendent to be visible to the community.
“This individual must be personable and willing to make the effort to know all the faculty, staff and students throughout the district,” the report stated. “The individual should be an excellent listener, collaborative and be a strong leader. He/she must take the time to gain a thorough understanding of the district and communities prior to implementing any new changes or initiatives. An understanding of the district’s culture and signature programs is essential.”
Stakeholders also emphasized the importance of having classroom teaching experience – a sore point after the treatment of teachers was one of the main reasons for the backlash against the District this summer. Students in the focus group wished to be included more in district decisions through in-person means rather than surveys.
Many stakeholders also wanted a superintendent who prioritized equity and inclusion.
The district hopes to find a candidate to fill the position by the end of the 2024-2025 school year. According to Riley, a fit could be found as soon as spring break, but the District isn’t looking to rush the process.
“They could be here by the end of the year. But there is also the possibility that if they don’t find anyone, they will reopen the search process and do it all over again because their priority is making sure we find someone that’s a really good fit for the district,” Riley said.
