Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Board of Education Appoints Interim Superintendent

At tonight's regular Board of Education meeting, the BOE voted to appoint Dr. David H. Larson as Middletown's Interim Superintendent of Schools.

Dr. Larson was Middletown's Superintendent from 1992-2000, Southington's Asst. Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction from 1988 - 1992, and Ridgefield's Superintendent from 1987-1988. He started his teaching career in math at Trumbull High School in 1965.

After his retirement in 2000 from active school involvement, Dr. Larson was the Executive Director of the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents Association in West Hartford until 2008. When he retired from that position in 2008, Larson went on to work as a Senior Educational Consultant with Futures Education as well as an Educational Consultant with the University of Connecticut CommPACT Schools Project.

Dr. Larson has lived in Middletown for 19 years, and he starts work tomorrow morning. BOE Chairman Dr. Gene Nocera commented, "We could not have found a more qualified candidate. David Larson brings instant credibility to our district, and he will be incredibly helpful in the day to day operations as well as helping to guide us in finding a new superintendent."

Just moments before confirming Dr. Larson as the Interim Superintendent, the BOE voted itself (the full board of education) to be the search committee for a new Superintendent. Dr. Nocera confirmed that the board will start meeting with search organizations next week as the national search for a new superintendent begins.

Dr. Larson believes his immediate job is "to make sure our children continue to get a quality education. This district has great staff, several principals that I hired back in the day, and we're going to work together for the next six months or so as the search begins for a new superintendent."

Dr. Larson will also shepherd the process to find a new Asst. Superintendent as the current Asst. Superintendent, Barbara Senges, is retiring at the end of the month.

Two Board members were missing from tonight's meeting: Ted Raczka is on vacation, and Attorney William G. Grady has resigned his position on the board (as the EYE reported last week). Dr. Nocera expects that by the next meeting, the vacant position will have been filled by a joint Mayoral/Common Council nomination and confirmation process. The new board member will have to be a Democrat as well.

7 comments:

Jane said...

I hope that the BOE would include some parents and teachers as part of that search committee!

Anonymous said...

The last time a superintendent search occurred there were no parents involved until they wanted a rubber stamp. Don't let this happen again.

I also hope the committee will search for someone who will focus on the education and training of our teachers, developing the front-line resources. The teachers deserve great teachers.

Anonymous said...

I agree with Jane's comment about including parents and teachers in the search committee. We are all a part of the same group of people that need to work together to make this school system function. When one group is left out of the equation, that is when we start having struggles.

Anonymous said...

I am very pleased with the current Board of Education. You have stayed true to your word to improve Middletown education. Frechette is gone, Senges will be soon and Haynes needs to be next.
Don't stop now!
Keep up the great work, the students, teachers and all the B.O.E. staff thank you profusely for finally listening to us and doing the right thing.

Anonymous said...

The press reports a 244k buy out but with weekly pay checks from now til June the patch reports $295k - which is right?

Anonymous said...

Hope parents are included in the search committee and not just a few "chosen" few. Also the selection had better be fair and not a planned game. Remember if the Serras are involved you know who will get the not qualified job ---the majoprity l4eaders son and that will be a shame and in the BAF.

Anonymous said...

It would be great to see a parent from each school- a teacher from each school or educational level- a principle- a few high school students- a politician or two- and make sure varying ethnicity groups are covered as well as socio economically differences- get a well rounded panel- it may bring a cross spectrum perspective!