Mounting anger at the District’s handling of contract negotiations with the teacher’s union and leadership decisions has caused multiple community members to criticize the District at three recent school board meetings.

At the July 22 special school board meeting, many community members criticized financial decisions and treatment of teachers under then-superintendent Dr. Wagner Marseille. In the meeting, several community members asked for an evaluation of Marseille’s performance as superintendent.

In an August 12 letter to the community, Board President Kevin Henry and Vice President Kelly Wachtman said it was “time to reset” and that “it is clear that our current path is not serving our school district well.”

“Continual improvement is a hallmark of any strong school system. It’s effective only when it is inclusive, collaborative, and supportive,” the letter stated.

Four days later, Henry and Wachtman revealed the District would be parting ways with Marseille.

At the August 22 special school board meeting, the board approved the separation agreement between the district and former superintendent Dr. Wagner Marseille. The agreement gave Marseille a compensation package of just over $330,000. 

In the same meeting, the school board approved the induction of Dr. Jim Scanlon as interim superintendent, and the induction of Dr. Sharon Baddick as assistant superintendent. Both motions passed with an eight-to-one vote, with board member Nanette Whitsett the lone nay. 

Whitsett also objected to the approval of the separation agreement and stressed to the audience that this action was not a firing, but a mutual parting of ways.

“This is by no means a termination of the superintendent,” Whitsett said during board discussion. “This is a separation agreement that was mutually agreed on upon between the district and Dr. Marseille, and negotiated through attorneys.”

She added that her dissent was not directed at Scanlon specifically but rather “the speed with which this decision was made.”

Other board members emphasized the board’s responsibility to have an acting superintendent at all times.

In a statement to The Panther Press, school board president Kevin Henry acknowledged the new interim superintendent may bring a fresh perspective, but emphasized that core district objectives would not change.

“Students should know that their education remains our top priority. Day-to-day school operations, classroom activities, and extracurricular programs will proceed without interruption,” Henry stated. “We are dedicated to ensuring that this transition period is smooth and will not affect the quality of education and support services that students receive.”

Other community members also spoke at the August 22 meeting, asking the board for more transparency in the future search for a superintendent.

“Moving forward, I would like to ask the board for more transparency. Especially in terms of the new superintendent search, that you do involve teachers, parents, the community,” community member Jenny Montague said. “There was nothing about the new assistant superintendent hire, it just popped up.”

Dr. Denise Citarelli-Jones attended her first school board meeting on August 22 since she retired from her role as Director of K-12 Education in 2022, after 14 years in the district and one year of working with Marseille.

“I think the Wallingford Swarthmore School District has some of the best teachers in Delaware County, and I think they have a very strong administrative team,” she said. “Any incoming leader who can bring people together and listen would be the best leader for this district. It would be quite a change.”

On August 27, the first regular school board meeting of the year, Dr. Scanlon introduced himself to the community, the large audience including a mass of WSEA members that took up an entire section of the auditorium, wearing matching white t-shirts that read “Reset. Rebuild. Restore.” 

“I’m here to provide stability and encouragement, and offer some ways to work smarter and not as hard as everyone is working,” Scanlon said.

During public comment for topics that were not on the agenda, the board allowed WSEA [Wallingford Swarthmore Educators Association] president Mrs. Billie Jo McNamara to comment on the expired teacher contracts despite McNamara not residing in the district in a diplomatic gesture.

“As their president, I can tell you these teachers and staff have been more than patient with the negotiations process,” McNamara said. “It’s time to settle a fair contract for them. The WSEA negotiation team continues to be available to do the important work that is necessary in order to secure a tentative agreement.”

Community members spoke out regarding contract negotiations several times. Community member Chris Santa Maria addressed the teachers and gave a motivational speech, citing his experiences as a former teachers’ union president at Lower Merion.

“Hang in there. Hopefully, this won’t go on much longer. I know it’s testing your patience terribly. I know you feel the gut punch in your stomach, thinking that the board is not listening to you and not honoring your service,” Santa Maria said.

Community member Jeff Haviland also commented on the contract negotiations with an angrier tone.

“We’ve spent $750,000 on administrative mistakes. 750 [thousand]! You can’t pay these teachers? Anybody who knows education knows that the backbone of your district is your teachers in the classrooms,” Haviland said.

At the end of the August 27 meeting, Henry addressed the community, laying out the next steps of the search for a new superintendent. 

“[Board member] Mary Jo Witowski-Smith has volunteered to lead the search process with the support of our full board,” he said. “She will have a much more robust plan for us to talk about in the meeting in September.”

In Henry’s statement to The Panther Press, he said the board values input from any member of the school community for the search for a new superintendent.

“We are confident that we will find a leader who will continue to drive our district forward and uphold the educational excellence we all value,” Henry stated. “In the coming weeks, we will outline the steps involved and invite community participation to ensure that we find a leader who aligns with our district’s values and vision.”