Taking Time to Hire Quality Educators is Best for Students and Community

Good Game Plan In Griswold
The Day - Editorial published April 5, 2007

The Griswold school system appears to be a victim of its own success.

Superintendent Elizabeth Osga faces the formidable challenge of replacing four top administrators in the system that has a single elementary, middle and high school, all located on the same campus.

But rather than signaling that something is wrong with the town's public school system, the mass exodus is a signal that things are right. A willingness to be innovative has apparently made its administrators attractive to other jurisdictions.

Middle school Principal Preston Shaw has been hired as a middle school principal in Holden, Mass., near his home. Mr. Shaw directed the transformation from a junior high to a middle school during his 11 years in Griswold and successfully introduced a team teaching approach.

During his eight years in charge, Griswold Elementary School Principal Paul Carolan's willingness to try different approaches helped capture the attention of the Regional Multicultural Magnet School in New London. Mr. Carolan is expected to become director there once the governing board gives its formal approval later this month.

The elementary school also loses its principal, Alfred Souza III, who will become principal of a Berlin elementary school. Mr. Souza had introduced computer software for assessing student math skills, then using the data to make instructional adjustments.

Jack Cross, Griswold's first curriculum director, departs after eight years. There was little coordination before Mr. Cross was hired. Students would find themselves going over the same topics in consecutive years while needed subjects went ignored. Mr. Cross, who is leaving to become assistant superintendent in Clinton, has aligned courses and eliminated needless repetition.

All the administrators leave at the end of the school year.

Superintendent Osga said Griswold's use of teacher evaluation standards tailored to specific curriculums, as well as classroom observation by administrators to provide constructive feedback to teachers, has caught the attention of other school systems, adding to the marketability of Griswold's administrators.

The challenge for Superintendent Osga and the Griswold school board is to find quality replacements who share the same interest in continued innovation. The superintendent has a good game plan. A selection committee of staff, parents, board members and school administrators will evaluate finalists. Replacing the two principals will be the top priorities. Once an elementary principal is selected, that person will take part in the hiring of assistant.

The curriculum director will be hired last because that position is the least critical to opening school next fall, according to Superintendent Osga. Positions should be filled by mid-August.

But the superintendent said she would not be rushed into a poor choice. If a quality candidate cannot be identified for any of the jobs, a position can be filled with an interim appointee while the search resumes, she noted.

That is wise. Griswold should strive to build on past successes, even if it means administrators will move onward and upwards, just hopefully next time not all at once.