Interim superintendent Dr. James Scanlon retired as superintendent in August of 2021 but has continued to serve in various interim roles. He now brings his experience to WSSD.

Scanlon served as a superintendent for 22 years, spending the majority of that time in West Chester Area School District.

He most recently served as an interim superintendent in the Central Bucks School District.

While Scanlon has experience at other schools, he acknowledges that things here have been a bit different as he adjusts to his new role.

“Here [it] is the beginning of the year, so I had to get up to speed on what the first days of school are like because every district is a little bit different,” he said. “It just taught me that you got to jump in there because I know a lot of the laws and regulations. I just need to get to know the local processes.”

Scanlon pointed to the renovation plans at the high school as a major priority for the district.

“I’ve been through several of those as a superintendent, so I kind of know what we may need to do and what we need to analyze,” Scanlon said.

Concerning new initiatives for the school year under his interim supervision, Scanlon cited a new K-8 math program and a literary program for grades 3-5.

The literacy curriculum has been criticized repeatedly by parents at multiple school board meetings.

He also highlighted the importance of building positive relationships with the teaching staff.

“We’re going to make sure we do the right professional development for teachers, get feedback from teachers, what works, what doesn’t,” Scanlon said. “We can make adjustments.”

This comes in the midst of a contract negotiation with WSEA, the teacher’s union.

Though Scanlon has experience with such negotiations, he notes that, as superintendent, he does not make the decisions.

“I have been involved in negotiations and teachers’ contracts for 30 years, a lot of times they come down to the 11th hour,” he said. “A lot of times it’s cleaning up language, and there’s a contract between the school board and the teachers association, so as a superintendent, [I] don’t get a vote in that.”

Scanlon believes WSEA negotiations are “pretty close” to reaching a contract.

Thus far, Scanlon has been impressed with the welcoming demeanor of staff and students alike throughout the district.

“It’s really [a] supportive community. I think that all the students I’ve met are very friendly, very cordial, [and] everybody’s polite,” he said. “As I walk through the schools, there’s a lot of teachers engaged with students in learning, and that’s ultimately why we’re here, to help our students learn.”

In addition to new academic programs, Scanlon hopes that the district will continue to enforce the “Screens Off, Minds On” initiative that is being implemented at the middle and high schools, and emphasizes student representation in addressing the issue.

“The board wants to get some more information on it,” Scanlon said. “You certainly have to have student voice at the table in that process. It’s important.”

Scanlon looks forward to continuing in his role throughout the school year and praised various school programs, including the band and sports teams.

“I’m looking forward to working with everybody for however long I’m here,” he said.